WRESTLING IN THE PAST--HOW GOOD?
By: Dory Funk Jr.
2/23/2006 10:57:39 PM
Funk's Corner - Wrestling in the Past, How Good? Blood was streaming from my father's head as he tried to regain his balance and come to his feet. A size twelve shoe caught him flush in the face knocking him down again. Dory Funk Sr. tried to fight back but his efforts were futile as big Frank Murdoch continued his ruthless assault.
As I watched this beating take place, every blow was as if it were happening to me and every time my father tried to fight back I was fighting with him inside my heart. I looked at my brother Terry. Tears streamed down his face. He was out of his seat and on the way to my father's side. Mother reached and grabbed him by his arm. I could see her give him the squeeze and pull him back to his seat. I was only 11 years old and Terry was 8, Mother was the boss.
We were at the sports arena in Amarillo, Texas. The event was professional wrestling. My father swung wildly at his opponent, the man they billed as the "Fabulous Texan." I twisted in my chair hoping and praying that he would not get hurt and could come back for victory.
The Fabulous Texan, Frank Murdoch slipped behind and reached for the sleeper hold. My father charged the turnbuckle in the corner of the ring. Murdoch crashed face first in to the corner and fell back into the ring. Dad reached to wipe his face so he could see better. Now his hand was covered in blood. He just stared at his bloody hand. My heart jumped and I nearly fell off my chair. I knew when Dad saw the blood he would go wild and so did the four thousand fans jammed into the Amarillo Sports Arena. They were going crazy cheering my father on to beat the hell out of Frank Murdoch.
Murdoch was back on his feet, but hesitated when he saw the look in dad's eyes. The crowd at the sports arena was going crazy. They knew when Dory Funk saw blood, something was going to happen soon. Murdoch moved in close. My father swung with all he had. You could hear the punch land and see the perspiration fly as dad connected with a right to Murdoch's chin. Dory Funk picked up the 6' 3" 250 pound Murdoch high over his head and slammed him to the mat to a roar of approval from the fans. Now Funk had Murdoch pinned in the corner landing blow after blow. There was so much excitement and so much noise that he didn't hear the referee telling him to stop it because Murdoch was caught in the ropes. In an effort to pull them apart, the referee grabbed Funk from behind. In a fit of anger, Dory turned and blasted the referee with a forearm to the chin.
It was all over, Dory Funk was disqualified and Frankie Hill Murdoch was the winner of the match.
On our website at www.dory-funk.com, we have photos of Dory Funk Sr. in this match as it happened in 1953.
