Photographs on this page are used with the kind permission of Marti Funk and Shirley Doe.
Instructors and participants in Funking Conservatory II (Photo copyright Shirley Doe)
Thank you so very much for reading and supporting View From The Rising Sun since September 16, 1998.
The 46th NWA World Heavyweight Champion, Dory Funk Jr., has held a pro wrestling camp, "The Funking Conservatory---A Fine Arts School of Hard Knocks," at Too Your Health Spa in Ocala, Florida since May. "Conservatory I" was held on May 19, and "Conservatory II" was held August 15-20. He will have "Conservatory III" from Monday, September 20 to Saturday, September 25. His students have learned how to wrestle as a pro wrestler and had a "graduation" match at the live event at Too Your Health Spa.
Dory: "Remember his face and remember his name, Adam Windsor. He is a 'Blue Chipper' and future star of professional wrestling."
Adam Windsor
(Photo copyright Marti Funk)
Adam Windsor, 18 years old, 5'10" and 165 lbs., from Coventry, England, has just started training with Dory. He would like to eventually make a name for himself in the world of pro wrestling in the United States. A lot of pro wrestlers have crossed the Atlantic Ocean for success from the United Kingdom to the United States and Canada for years, such as Bill Robinson (from Manchester; he is a coach for the UWFI Snake Pit Gym and lives in Tokyo now), Black Angus (Scotland), Ian Campbell (Scotland), Geoff Portz (Bradford), Al Hayes (London), Les Thornton (Lancashire), David Morgan (London), Steve Wright (Warrington), Tony Charles (Wales), Dynamite Kid (Lancashire), Giant Haystacks (a.k.a. Loch Ness Monster / Manchester), Chris Adams (Wigan), Exotic Adrian Street (England), Davey Boy Smith (Leeds), Steve Casey (Scotland), Johnny Smith (Warrington), Steven Regal (Blackburn), David Taylor (Bradford), Dave Finlay (Belfast), and many more. Bill Robinson and Dynamite Kid were two of the greatest gaijin (foreign) wrestlers in Japanese wrestling history.
Adam: "My biggest aim is to become the best wrestler that I can be."
Coventry Cathedral
Coventry is in the center of England, approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes from London, and 15 minutes from Birmingham. The Cathedral is a working church set in the center of Coventry. It is a credit to all who worked on its creation. It is a credit to the city, and it is a credit to the concept of forgiveness. The history surrounding the Cathedral reaches back nearly 1000 years, when St. Osburga founded a nunnery in Coventry. Coventry's recent history revolves around the fine engineering tradition of making machine tools, aircraft, bicycles, cars, motorcycles, and sewing machines.
Adam started watching pro wrestling on TV in England when he was about three or four years old. He has been longing to become a pro wrestler since then. Joint Promotions had been promoting wrestling shows in those days. He watched competitions for the World Heavyweight title (Wayne Bridges, Big John Quinn [Kentucky Butcher in the WWWF in the 1970s], Kendo Nagasaki [UK version]), the World Mid-Heavyweight title (Marty Jones, David Finlay, Pete Roberts, Steve Wright), the World Heavy-Middleweight Title (Rollerball Mark Rocco [Original Black Tiger], Flying Fuji Yamada [Keiichi Yamada / Jushin "Thunder" Liger]), and the World Lightweight title (Johnny Saint, Jim Breaks). However, British Wrestling was soon dead and thus taken off the TV. The next time that he probably saw pro wrestling was when he was eight years old. That was WWF wrestling, and from the moment that he watched it, he was hooked.
Adam: "I said to my Mom and Dad that that was what I wanted to do when I grew up, but obviously, being eight years old, I had no real idea of what life was about. But I knew then that wrestling was all that I wanted to do."
Gentleman Chris Adams and Masanori
His mother trained at a gym run by Neil Adams (1980 Olympic Games Silver medallist in Judo [up to 71kg]) in Coventry, and, just in general conversation one day, his mother said to Neil that all he wanted to do was wrestling. Neil told Adam's mother that Neil's brother, Chris Adams, was a pro wrestler, and that Chris got into it through Judo. As soon as his mother told him this, he went straight into the Dojo twice a week for training. He competed in Judo for a number of years from then, and he achieved a high grading standard and was just about to start fighting in some bigger competitions when he got a very bad knee injury. This knee injury put him out of action for two years.
Adam: "During these two years out, I realized more and more that my dream was to have a career in professional wrestling. I also knew it was time to start doing something about it."
Then, he wrote to the WWF, WCW and ECW, but he heard nothing until about a year or so ago. He received a letter from Dory Funk Jr.
Adam: "I actually remember looking at the front of the envelope before I opened it, and seeing his name on the front, I was so excited. Basically, in his letter, he said that a lady from the WWF had passed a letter of mine on to him. Probably they were getting sick to death of me writing to them."
After reading the letter, he telephoned Dory. They kept in constant contact via e-mail, and Adam ended up at The Funking Conservatory II.
Dory: "Adam had written so many letters with no response that, finally, one of the secretaries at Titan Sports felt sorry for him and asked me to please answer this kid. I did and later spoke to him by telephone. I knew there was burning desire in him that would not be denied, but I could not convince Talent Relations at the WWF that a kid this small was worth a tryout at the WWF Funking Dojo. Adam was first on my list for the Funking Conservatory here in Ocala."
Possibly, Adam overlaps Dynamite Kid (Tom Billington), who was born in England and started amateur wrestling when he was 13 years old. Kid became a pro wrestler in 1975, when he was 16. Then, he was scouted by the Hart family and moved to Calgary, Alberta, Canada in 1978.
Dynamite Kid and Masanori
Adam: "I have to admit that it was very daunting, going out to America having never met anybody that I was going to meet before. I had spoken to Dory and (his wife) Marti on the phone on a number of occasions, so I knew that I did not have anything to worry about, but it still was daunting. However, any fears that I did have disappeared as soon as I met them both. It was obvious straight from the beginning that they were both so warm and generous. I knew straight away that I was going to have a great time."
Dory Funk Jr., Masanori, and Marti Funk
Dory: "Conservatory II (August 15-20) participants were one of the finest groups I have trained with. Training with these talented people was a wonderful experience.
Angelica is the best woman in wrestling after Conservatory II.
Mike Anthony is a tough looking athlete and a good worker.
Shirley Doe is a good friend and has a great gimmick.
TNT Kenny Garrett is a great person and a good worker.
Kurt Hillbauer is a natural "Bad Ass."
Jeremy Jett is a great worker and needs a break in cruiserweight.
The Kingpins (Jim Price and Bill Schaffer) are a great team who can draw money.
Roger Kuhn is a good worker and has the best gimmick, Musketeer.
Largest Man on the Planet is a major league talent.
Bruiser Layton had a good first match with Kurt and an eye for drawing money.
H.C. Loc is a damn good worker.
Razz is an excellent worker and had a great match with Angelica.
Terry Sinner is 18 years old and a future superstar with hard work.
Morbid Slasher is a Hardcore specialist and a Terry Funk fan.
Tommy Steel is an excellent worker and had a great match with Dave.
Adam Windsor is a future superstar with hard work."
Shirley Doe: "Before I left for the Conservatory, I was nervous and uncertain, but, after a few minutes there, I felt like I was at home. In the ring now, I feel like a different wrestler, someone who has knowledge and confidence by his side, and it's all thanks to Dory and Marti."
LMOP: "I attended Conservatory, and it was the greatest thing I could have ever done. I learned more in one week from Coach Dory than I learned in four years in the indies."
H.C. Loc: "Because of Dory and Marti, I have been given the opportunity to see my dreams become reality. I've worked for four years in this business with moderate success. Since returning from the Conservatory, I have made great strides in attaining my goal."
Just in one week, they learned so much from Dory. As well as learning some of the techniques, they learned about some of the psychology of the sport. They were put on a show at Too Your Health Spa on August 20.
Adam: "When we were told that we were going be in a show at the beginning of the training week, I have to say that I could not imagine that I would be ready in one week's time. I think that I can say that my tag team partner in the show, Terry Sinner, also couldn't imagine how it would be possible for him to be on a card in one week's time."
Terry Sinner
(Photo copyright Marti Funk)
Adam and Terry sat and talked about the day every night. Then, they began to realize that Dory was giving them more and more ability and confidence. They faced the team of Jeremy Jett and H.C. Loc. Jeremy did spectacular high flying maneuvers, and H.C. could do it all, from high flying moves to big maneuvers to superior ground work. Jeremy and H.C. controlled the whole match. The finish came when Jeremy missed a running fireman's carry take over, and Adam hit him with a reverse DDT.
Adam: "For my first match, I really did work with three great athletes, but more than that, they were three great people."
H.C. Loc: "I am still amazed that Adam and Terry could pull off a match like that after only one week. They both have bright futures ahead of them."
Adam returned to Ocala, Florida on Friday, September 17 to train at The Funking Conservatory III (September 20-25). He will be training there on and off for the next eight months. He is also going to finish a degree in Computer Programming before making his debut in pro wrestling.
Adam: "The Conservatory was amazing, Dory is an amazing trainer, and the people that I was training with were outstanding athletes. Throughout the whole week, everyone trained and worked so hard. Nobody was ever late to a training session, and every single person gave 110% the whole time. I am hoping to live in Ocala, Florida from next June. Then, I will train full time as well as studying. Dory and Marti started me on the road to my dream, and I cannot thank them enough. I will be in their debt forever. They are two very special people. I am so happy that I am being taught by the BEST."
60 Minutes Time Up Draw (Dory Funk Jr.)
WWF Funking Dojo
Dory Funk Jr. and Terry Funk's Title Matches in Japan
Kamisori Fighter (Dynamite Kid)
Technique Full Of Spirit (Johnny Smith)
You may contact Masanori at masa_h@mail.goo.ne.jp
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