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Dory Funk shares stories on Gagne

Posted: Apr 29th 2015 By: Dory Funk, Jr.

My father and trainer, Dory Funk Sr. said, ?You will never learn to be a great worker unless you have the opportunity to wrestle the best in the business.? That night I had the privilege of wrestling Verne Gagne to a 60 minute draw for the AWA World Championship in front of a capacity crowd at the Amarillo Sports Arena.

Dad always said that the really great amateur wrestlers within the wrestling business always had respect for each other. Verne Gagne was a friend of my father born of admiration for each other in business, professional wrestling and amateur wrestling.

The one hour match with Verne Gagne brought credibility to my career, and I still remember and teach many of the basic wrestling moves I learned from Verne Gagne in 60 minutes of wrestling.

The next morning, Verne Gagne was at my father?s Flying Mare Ranch at 10 am to give me further instruction. (Dad had our two car garage modified into a wrestling training center). We parked the cars out in the West Texas Weather.

Verne Gagne (Minnesota University Wrestling Team), Bob Geigel (University of Iowa Wrestling Team) and Iron Mike Dibiase (University of Nebraska Wrestling Team) and my father, Dory Funk Sr. (University of Indiana Wrestling Team) were all there to show me what they knew about professional wrestling. What an incredible list of instructors and what a privilege to be able to learn from these great performers.

I went through a couple of hours of instruction and then Bob Geigel showed me a special take down and Verne Gagne said ?You can?t do that to me? and Mike Dibiase said, ?I can do it to you,? and My father said to Verne, ?You can?t escape my Top Body Scissors.?

Immediately I was the only witness to a Round Robin Shoot Fight between four of the best wrestlers in the business as they went after each other with Big Ten Athletic Conference Pride on the line.

Only I know the results of this showdown and out of respect for these great athletes and what I was privileged to witness I will keep it to myself. What an experience for a young wrestler breaking into the wrestling business.

Learning from Verne Gagne impacted my whole life in such a positive way. Verne Gagne was a man of his word, a great professional wrestler and a world class athlete.

My condolences to Greg Gagne and the family of a great wrestler, teacher and friend, Verne Gagne.

Dory Funk Jr.