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25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wrestling As Only Terry Funk Could Have Lived It, May 4, 2005
The problem with most wrestling autobiographies is that they're written by wrestlers who have little experience in the game. What does someone who has been in the business for 10 or less years really know, or is willing to reveal?
The WWE biographies read as if they've come out of the same template: I was born, I went into wrestling, Vince McMahon is the greatest thing since sliced bread. All this for $20 odd something dollars.
The best bios are written by people with real tenure in the business: Lou Thesz, Fred Blassie, Jim Wilson, and Ric Flair. In other words these are all people who have a real story to tell.
Add Terry Funk to this list of distinguished alumni. Terry's memoirs, written with Scott Williams (who earns a real tip of the hat for his contributions) seem as if we are sitting down in a comfortable room with Terry and listening to his life story. The book literally comes alive in the reader's hands and imagination, which cannot be said of many other books on the subject.
To say that Terry led an interesting life is an understatement. A member of what could rightfully be called, "the first family of wrestling," both Terry and brother Dory, Jr. have held the NWA World Title along with so many regional titles that it would take a couple of days to research. Father Dory, Sr. was a legend in the business himself, a man who, like Lou Thesz and Bruno Sammartino, replied on no other gimmick than his own ability, of which he had plenty.
Traveling with Terry, we discover how he got into wrestling, how it was decided to make his brother Dory, Jr., champion, and how it was decided to make Terry himself champion. He also discusses the effect wrestling had on his marriage and family, the lost art of selling (making one's opponent look like a world beater), the decline and fall of the NWA, WCW and ECW, and how the WWE almost became extinct at the hands of WCW (and how WCW blew that chance), and the state of the art today. Plus he paints hilarious portraits of quite a few of his co-workers over the years, including, Dusty Rhodes, Harley Race, Jerry Lawler, Dick Slater and Mick Foley.
This is not just a book for put in your wrestling library - this is a book to READ and place in your wrestling library. But keep it in a handy place, because you'll want to refer to time and again.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
3 CHEERS FOR THE FUNKER, July 28, 2005
As a longtime wrestling fan, I was pleased to see that a true hardcore legend has finally gotten a chance to tell his story, and MORE THAN JUST HARDCORE was a very fun read.
The Funker gives you insights of both sides of the wrestling business, as both a promoter in the Amarillo territory in the 60's and 70's, as well as being an active in-ring performer. It was quite interesting to read how Funk would have to separate himself between the two sides of the business whenever he had to make a difficult decision. He also goes into detail about his many retirement matches, and how his love for the business makes it hard for him to stay away from it for very long.
The road stories of travelling with Dick Murdoch, Dusty Rhodes and Mick Foley are fantastic, and well worth the price of admission. Best of all, the co-writer really captures Funk's unique diction, so it feels as if he's telling these tall tales over a beer rather than in a 200-something page book.
One particularly nice thing about this book is that Funk doesn't spend whole chapters knocking other talents, as has been the vogue lately. Generally, he focuses on the positive side of his peers, and stays away from overly criticizing other wrestlers. It's a nice change of pace after the controversy surrounding the Mick Foley, Bret Hart and Ric Flair squabbles from 2004 surrounding Flair's WWE book.
Ultimately, I've yet to read a wrestling book that tops Mick Foley's HAVE A NICE DAY, but I'd put MORE THAN JUST HARDCORE very near the top of my "Best" list.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An Almost Perfect Wrestling Bio, October 14, 2005
I'm a lifelong wrestling fan and Terry Funk has always been a huge favorite of mine, so, when I heard he wrote a book, I just had to order it. I wasn't disappointed once I read it. However, this is not a "perfect" wrestling bio. So far, there's only been two of those -- Mick Foley's "Have A Nice Day" and Ric Flair's "To Be The Man."
The stories in this book, which there are plenty, are told in a blunt, often comical fashion... and the language used made me feel like Terry himself was regaling the tales to me. There's no denying this book was written by the Amarillo, Texas native.
Funk really makes you feel like you were there with him through the trials and tribulations of his lengthy career. He also shares insight to his family life, which humanizes the larger-than-life superstar, alwaysa good thing.
My only beef with this book is how the stories go all over the place. There doesn't seem to be any chronological order to Terry's story. It often jumps from one time period to the next and then back again. While it didn't ruin the book for me, it did make it a pretty jarring read at times.
No doubt about it, I recommend this book to wrestling fans, young and old. However, it could've been better. Don't get me wrong. The content is outstanding. It's just the way that it's presented that I have a problem with.
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