Last week we released part one of our interview with Mick Foley. We discussed the creation and lasting legacy of his infamous Hell In A Cell match against the Undertaker. In Part two we talked to the hardcore legend about his friendship with Terry Funk.
We’ve already discussed Funk’s influence in creating the iconic moments of the HIAC match. But later in our talk, we mused with Mick about the animosity villains would generate in the classic territory days. Terry Funk came up once again. Mick shared this brief but powerful anecdote that showed the lengths that Terry Funk went to. Foley told me that Terry Funk was once stabbed by a fan in Corpus Christi and that Funk refused to press charges. Funk told Foley the following:
“How could I punish someone who paid me the ultimate compliment as a heel?”
Terry Funk: The Ultimate Old School Wrestler
They don’t make them like the Funkster anymore. Can you imagine the devotion to your craft to get physically attacked and come close to death and come from it thinking “I did my job perfectly”?.
In this “Internet” era fans seem to know every inside and outside of the business. Bad guys are cheered, and good guys booed. It is easy to get nostalgic for the territory days. Wrestling has to get more creative to rope fans in. Maybe they should take notes from Funk and allow the fans to believe and feel what they want to feel instead of responding to them on social media regularly?
Mick is currently on his 20 Years Of Hell tour, tickets and dates can be found here.