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Wrestling Legend Dory Funk Jr. Dies at 85
Dory Funk Jr., 85, died on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, while in hospice care in Ocala, Florida. His wife, Marti Funk, confirmed the death to the Ocala Gazette. Funk was a member of the famed Funk wrestling family, the son of Dory Funk Sr. and older brother of Terry Funk (who died in 2023). He held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship for more than four years (1969‑1973), was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame with his brother in 2009, and wrestled for promotions worldwide, including All Japan Pro Wrestling and WWE’s WrestleMania 2 appearance. After retiring, he ran the Funking Conservatory, training future stars such as Kurt Angle, Edge, Christian, the Hardy Boyz, Mark Henry and Mickie James. The wrestling community responded with tributes from WWE, AEW, NWA, TNA and numerous wrestlers; Triple H wrote, “Saddened to announce the passing of Dory Funk Jr., a cornerstone of this business.”
Entities
Cauliflower Alley Club · Dory Funk Jr. · Funking Conservatory · Kurt Angle · Marti Funk · National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) · Terry Funk · Triple H · Triple H (Paul Levesque) · WWE Hall of Fame · World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 2 SOURCES] A public memorial service will be held on Thanksgiving Day, with a private family ceremony beforehand. prowrestling.net
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Funk ran the Funking Conservatory wrestling school in Ocala, Florida.
- [● 2 SOURCES] His brother Terry Funk died on August 23, 2023. slamwrestling.net
- [● 2 SOURCES] He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2019. www.sportskeeda.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] His final match was a “Double Hell Current Explosion Death” match on August 24, 2024. prowrestling.net
- [● 5 SOURCES] Dory Funk Jr. died on August 4, 2026 at age 85. slamwrestling.net · prowrestling.net · www.sportskeeda.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Funk held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship for 1,563 days. slamwrestling.net
- [● 3 SOURCES] He died under hospice care, as reported by his wife Marti Funk. prowrestling.net