Dory Funk Jr, NWA World Champion and WWE Hall of Famer, passes away at 85

Wrestling legend Dory Funk Jr has passed away at the age of 85. The news was confirmed on Tuesday by World Wrestling Entertainment Chief Content Officer Paul Levesque, better known as Triple H.

Dory Funk Jr passed away on August 4, 2026, in Ocala, Florida, under hospice care. His wife of 40 years, Marti, shared the news with those close to the family. A private ceremony will be held, with a public memorial planned for Thanksgiving to honor Dory, his late brother Terry, and several Japanese wrestling associates.

Long reign as NWA World Heavyweight champion

Born on February 3, 1941, in Hammond, Indiana, and raised in the Texas wrestling scene under his father Dory Funk Sr, the younger Funk debuted in 1963 after college football and amateur wrestling at West Texas State University.

His biggest achievement came on February 11, 1969, in Tampa, Florida, when he defeated Gene Kiniski to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Funk held the title for 1,563 days until May 24, 1973, when he lost it to Harley Race in Kansas City. That remains the second-longest reign in the title’s history, behind only Lou Thesz.

During those years he defended the belt against top stars including Nick Bockwinkel, Ernie Ladd, Mil Mascaras, Wahoo McDaniel, and especially Jack Brisco, with whom he shared the ring more than 160 times between 1966 and 1983. He and Terry remain the only brothers both to capture the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.

Success in Japan and tag team glory

Much of Dory Funk’s later career centered on Japan with All Japan Pro-Wrestling. There he captured the NWA International Heavyweight Championship three times and, alongside Terry, won AJPW’s Strongest Tag Determination League on three occasions. He faced Japanese greats such as Giant Baba, Jumbo Tsuruta, and Toshiaki Kawada, as well as fellow foreigners like Stan Hansen, Ted DiBiase, and Bruiser Brody.

The Funk brothers also collected tag titles across multiple US territories and made memorable appearances in Canada, including title defenses at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens and matches in Calgary’s Stampede Wrestling against Billy Robinson, Abdullah the Butcher, and a young Bret Hart.

WWE run, training legacy, and final years

In 1986, Dory Funk worked a short stint in the World Wrestling Federation as “Hoss Funk.” He and Terry defeated Tito Santana and the Junkyard Dog at WrestleMania 2 in Los Angeles. The brothers were inducted together into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009.

Later appearances included ECW, where he teamed with Terry in a no-ropes barbed-wire match against The Public Enemy and challenged Shane Douglas for the ECW World title. His final recognized match came in 2024 in Japan, teaming with Osamu Nishimura against Raijin Yaguchi and Atsushi Onita.

Beyond the ring, Funk left a lasting mark as a trainer. From the Funking Conservatory in Ocala, opened in 1991, he taught “The Dory Funk Method,” focusing on safety, performance, and television skills. Future stars including Kurt Angle, Edge, Christian, Matt Hardy, and Jeff Hardy trained under him during WWF camps in the late 1990s.

Triple H shares a heartfelt message

“Saddened to announce the passing of Dory Funk, Jr. From the Double Cross Ranch to the @WWE Hall of Fame, Dory’s style inspired countless performers in our industry. Whether it was at WrestleMania 2, WCW, ECW, or the dozens of NWA-affiliated promotions, his travels across North America and Asia were a part of the early blueprint that helped build this business into a global phenomena. A hard-nosed and fierce competitor, his rugged in-ring style was only eclipsed by the decades he spent training athletes to perform in the squared circle he loved so much. My thoughts and those of the entire @WWE Universe are with his loved ones during this difficult time,” Triple H posted.

Dory Funk Jr leaves behind a career that spanned seven decades, a family dynasty that shaped professional wrestling, and generations of students who learned the craft from one of its true masters. The wrestling world has lost one of its most respected figures.