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Terry Funk Talks Effect Of Concussions, Returning For Another Match, Working For ROH, TNA And More

Posted: Oct 7th 2010 By: CMBurnham

Terry Funk, J.J. Dillon, Al Snow and Tugboat joined Natedogg and Scott Fishman for a jam-packed three hour show celebrating Ringside Radio?s debut on Blog Talk Radio.

The Funker provided insight on a wealth of topics.

On his return to the ring for WrestleReunion:

?I still got until January to get ready, so that?s good. I?m going to try my best to be in the best shape I possibly can by that time. It?s a battle royal so they?ll be a lot of guys involved, a lot of us old-timers. It should be a good time and a fun night.

?I want to be in the right condition and the right shape, and as idiotic as it may sound, I?m going to come back in the right shape. This is the thing that makes me want to do it one more time. After this one I don?t want to say I?m hanging it up or anything, but I?m going to be coming home, sit on my back porch, drink a few beers and relax for a while.?

On working for Ring of Honor:

?I think ROH is a wonderful organization. They have a lot of great guys up there. I think they have wisely been able to figure out what to do and how to exist in this day and age in professional wrestling. Especially if you are a small organization and what they?ve gone to is the internet and relied on that a great deal. I think they will be able to produce positive numbers because of the internet and the pay-per-view and make it a profitable organization.

?There aren?t many profitable organizations other than the WWE in pro wrestling today. TNA, at times I think they are not going to make it and then I watch another show and think, ?Hey that adds something to that?.

? It?s just a kind of hit or miss down there, but I think they are getting their ducks in a row. I think it looks better and better for the world of wrestling as far as the fans are concerned. Boy, I had my doubts for a long time??

?It amazes me how many independent organizations that have good talent out there. I really mean that. I think there are at least two or three guys in each organization. I?m talking about these independent groups that are just as good as they have in the rings of WWE and TNA and ROH. I think they are good. There are a lot of guys out there that can come in the ring and capture an audience. Are they ever going to have a chance? It?s really questionable unless ROH and TNA really get off the ground, and they better do it pretty soon.?

On how TNA can progress:

?To make themselves more profitable, I don?t know this for a fact or anything, but it take time, it takes good planning, it takes good programming. That?s all very difficult to do. When I say this I?m certainly not knocking these guys, but you have to have good people behind the scenes too that know what is going on?.?

?You can?t just throw them out there doing the same thing week-after-week. It comes ahead entirely too quick. One of the most important guys is the booker and the guy that sets up the program. He has to be good at it. That?s a hard person to find. I think there is problem with that and they need to be on the lookout for somebody who can come up with great scenarios. That is what it should be. They should know less is more.?

On second and third generation wrestlers as the next in line:

?I think it?s good. There are just so many spots now, but there has to be room for the other guys too. As far as I?m concerned I?m looking for true talent out there that should have the opportunity. There is great talent out there. It?s all through ROH, through many independent organizations throughout the country. There are only so many spots??

?I hate to see them fill these spots because of nepotism. But I love all the guys, and I love their dads. I believe they should have the opportunity but I think it?s having one organization in the United States today. It doesn?t seem fair today. There should be a place with the guy with a heart and a soul for professional wrestling that really wants to tow the line and has the talent, but he will never have the chance.

On anything left he wants to do in the business:

?God, No. I can?t think of a thing of a thing I want to do. I can sure think of things I wish I didn?t do. I?m just talking about some of the moves I made, but that?s in the past and you can?t change the past. The reason I?ve been successful is I?ve never lived in the past or the future. I?ve lived in the present and take things as they are. That?s hard to do in the world today.?

On deaths and health issues in the business:

?I hate it hard every time anyone goes because it?s usually someone I know and have been down the road with?.I think they should take a look at the older wrestlers, The problems they are having at this time, of course, they are having problems walking with their knees and hips and their bodies from all of the bumps. That?s not the real thing that worries me because you can do without the knee or a leg, or both legs, or a leg and an arm, but you can?t do without a brain. I think as time goes by we are going to see more and more guys susceptible to Alzheimer?s?.

?I?ve seen older guys in this business starting to get the glitches. I think that holds true with any sport. When I say glitches I mean their memories are affected. I want to make people sure listening out there what I?m saying is there are a lot of guys their short term memories that are affected in my business or have played football before.

?Any contact sport and what it?s from is those knocks to their head. I think everybody should have a choice in what they do in life, but they should know the hazards. I think we have to make everyone that starts in sports, whether it?s the seventh grade on or whatever it is, they need to be aware of the consequences of getting involved in the sports world. I?m a strong believer in that. I think the headshots, especially the back of the head, which I think is the most dangerous spot of all, but , head shots, the chair shots, the slams that 1 in a 100 taken wrong, take their toll come back to you. They all come back on you too. You have to pay the price of taking those bad calls.?

Other topics the legend discusses are his favorite opponents and his induction in the WWE Hall of Fame.

Dillon talks about Chris Jericho, Eric Bischoff and WCW, working in management under Vince McMahon and much more.

Snow provides insight on his work as an agent with TNA, specifically the TNA knockouts.
Tugboat catches us up on what he has been doing and his teenage son?s goal of becoming a referee.

Check out

www.ringsideradio.com and join us live 8 p.m. EST. Wednesdays on Blog Talk Radio. Next week?s show will feature interviews with Mick Foley, Sir Oliver Humperdink and Brimstone.

Tags: Terry Funk, Al Snow, WWE, TNA, WCW