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Missy's Manor: DVD Review of WWE Legends Of Wrestling Featuring Terry Funk

Posted: Feb 2nd 2009 By: CMBurnham

I recently went to Best Buy. I saw they had a exclusive Terry Funk/Roddy Piper Legends DVD. So naturally I bought it. I can't resist not buying a item that features Terry Funk. I already own a Terry Funk Legends Figure and Funk U T -shirt. I'm also a big fan of Roddy Piper. I even got to meet Piper for the first time ever in my career at a autograph signing in 2007. Unfortunately I reminded Piper that I was his replacement for Piper's Pit. I was doomed from the start in having to replace such a great talent.

The DVD rulez! I love how the DVD opens up with a round table discussion featuring Jim Ross, Michael Hayes, Mike Graham, Dusty Rhodes, & Pat Patterson. The round tables are worth the price of the DVD alone, since it gives wrestling fans a glimpse of how wrestlers tell exaggerated tales and try to top each other on crazy stories. It's like the old analogy of a person catching a fish and the fish grows in size as the story is constantly retold.

Were the stories true, slightly embellished, or exaggerated? I don't care. Just hearing Dusty, Michael Hayes, and Mike Graham telling over the top stories is highly entertaining. One of the stories involved 12 year old Terry Funk needing fire works for a Fourth Of July party. Supposedly Terry grabs a box of grenades from a Florida armory and uses them in place of fire works. The result is blown up tool sheds, fences, and property. I thought the story was hilarious. Dusty claiming he lost 30 pounds while wrestling Dory in a 90 minute match is highly questionable. Dusty tells a tale about how he & Dick Murdoch had Ric Flair on all fours at a bar as they examined his hemorrhoids. Possible.

I bet many people are wondering why would I want to waste my time watching a DVD with these wild and absurd stories? These crazy stories is what entertained many wrestlers as we made long road trips to shows. There is nothing like exaggerated wrestling tales to entertain the crew. I loved how Jim Ross was supposedly on the toilet at a NWA meeting and overheard a plot to put a hit on Vince McMahon. I actually can believe the story. Michael Hayes tells a story about marking out as Dusty & Terry Funk [bitter rivals] are in opposite stalls having a conversation.

I was very impressed with the clip of Michael Hayes cutting a money promo on Edge from '05. The reason it was a money promo was that it captivated my emotions to clamor to see a match. Even Hayes said the wrestlers were mesmerized by the promo. But they never asked what was the MAGIC in learning how to cut a promo like that. Even Dusty chimed in about how wrestlers should be picking Terry Funk's brains at indy shows. People like Dusty helped my career and character development. In fact Dusty was the one who helped me how to do interview segments [despite me bombing in WWF]. I hope the wrestlers in developmental are picking Dusty's mind, since he has a great track record in discovering the magic in discovering wrestler's talents.

I wish I now had WWE 24/7, just to get the Legends Round Table Discussions. I loved this DVD so much. I'm actually going to buy the other volumes to the set. I now want to add being a Legends panel analyst to the list of accomplishments that I want in my career. I got stories too. All I want is a Legends figure in exchange for my panel discussion input.

I finally got to see Terry Funk WWF matches from the 80's. Terry didn't need anybody's input or scripted interviews to be one of the most believable crazy characters in the biz. A good worker can have a clear grasp of their character that they portray on television. I hope younger wrestlers notice how his facials and exaggerated body movements in the way he sells got the crowds buzzing.

Terry Funk VS. Ric Flair: I Quit Match
I still say the Terry Funk VS. Ric Flair: I Quit Match is one of my all time favorite matches ever. Ric Flair was not doing hardcore matches on a regular basis. Ric Flair was able to work a style that was different to his regular matches. His feud with Terry had brawls that still stand as awesome spectacles almost twenty years later.

Terry Funk VS. Ricky Steamboat: I was in the building that night. The temperature was literally almost 110 degrees with the humidity, amount of people squeezed in to the building, and the camera lighting. Funk & Steamboat were still able to whip the crowd in to a frenzy. Steamboat is one of the greatest baby faces I ever seen. Everybody could get behind Steamboat when he sells. He can display pain & emotion better than anybody in the biz. Funk comes across as the ultimate heel with his brawling & mannerisms. Every wrestler should be studying both wrestlers facials in learning how to be a great baby face or heel.

Terry Funk VS. Moondog Rex:
This match was short, but it just showed how Funk can get any match over.

The Roddy Piper DVD had one of the best Piper matches I ever seen. It was Piper VS. Orndorff from 1985. The match was a total old school Memphis brawl that had the crowd going crazy with tables and chairs being moved. Piper knew how to get heat, despite the fans clamoring to see him turn.

I highly recommend getting this DVD, especially to the new generation of wrestlers. You can literally learn so much about psychology, selling, promos, and old school tricks off these ring masters. My advice to the younger wrestlers is to go out of your way and get the WWE Legends Round Table Discussions.

Tags: Missy Hyatt, Roddy Piper, Jim Ross, Michael Hayes, Dusty Rhodes, Ric Flair, NWA, WWF, WWE, Paul Orndorff, Dick Murdoch, Moondog Rex