A young Dory Funk Jr., with his father, the great Dory Funk Sr.
Dory Funk Jr. was the 46th NWA World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion. And he and his brother Terry Funk were the prime movers to letting me become captivated by pro-wrestling. The NWA title match in which Dory challenged Jack Brisco at Higashi-yodogawa Gym in Osaka on 1/29/74 was a great match. The Open Championship Tournament from 12/6 to 12/18/75 was a great series, with Dory, Pat O'Connor, Harley Race, Abdullah the Butcher, Don Leo Jonathan, Mr. Wrestling (Tim Woods), Dick Murdoch, Dusty Rhodes, Baron Von Raschke, Horst Hoffman, Ken Mantell, The Destroyer (Dick Beyer), Giant Baba, Jumbo Tsuruta, and Kintaro Ohki (Kim Ill), etc. "The Funks vs. Butcher/Sheik" was one of the biggest and bloodiest feuds in Japanese wrestling history. They drew huge money for Baba's All Japan Pro.
Dory Funk Jr. vs. Antonio Inoki
However, Dory's very best match in Japan is said to be a match against Antonio Inoki for the NWA title in Osaka on 12/2/69. This match will be a subject of the greatest match discussions forever. Dory Funk Jr. and Dory Funk Sr. had their first Japan tour from 11/26 to 12/6/69 (actually, Dory Sr. had come by Tokyo as a Marine immediately after World War II in 1945). I tried to piece together this page about their 11 days from what I had usually taken notes and heard from a lot of old stories from Dory himself and Mr. Yonezawa, who was a long time business manager of Baba.
Dory Funk Jr. and Dory Funk Sr. arrived at Haneda Airport, Tokyo at 7:15 p.m. They checked into Hotel New Japan in Tokyo - room #812.
Haneda Airport (Tokyo International Airport) is located on the shore of Tokyo Bay in Ota Ward, Tokyo. The airport was the chief gateway to Japan until 1978, when Narita (New Tokyo International Airport) opened.
Hotel New Japan, which was used by the Nippon (Japan) Pro-Wrestling office for Gaijin (foreign) wrestlers, was totally destroyed by fire in 2/8/82. Thirty-three guests died.
AM - Training
PM - Sightseeing and shopping in Ginza, Tokyo
They ordered suites, and bought 2 cameras.
4:00pm - Palace Hotel: Title match signature ceremony at the Japan Pro-Wrestling Commissioner's office with Giant Baba and Antonio Inoki.
Dinner at a barbecue restaurant of "Hotel New Otani".
Ginza is the shopping and entertainment district in Tokyo. The main street of Ginza is lined with department stores, expensive shops, and fashionable boutiques; along the back street are a myriad of restaurants, bars, and coffeehouses. All Japan's gaijin wrestlers are staying in a hotel in Ginza, about 15 minutes from Ginza to Korakuen Hall and Nippon Budokan by car.
International tag team title match (best of 3 falls / 60 minute time limit)
Giant Baba & Antonio Inoki (1-1) Dory Funk, Jr. & Danny Hodge
(1)Hodge b. Inoki(27:12)
(2)Inoki b. Hodge(11:15)
(3)time up - draw
Kokugikan is a Sumo-wrestling hall operated by the Japan Sumo Association. "Kuramae Kokugikan" was built in 1954, and was torn down in 1984. Japanese offices used this hall for their big show like American offices used MSG, The Omni, and Reunion Arena in the territorial wrestling days. "Ryogoku Kokugikan" was opened in 1985. The hall named "Sumo Hall" on the kayfabe sheets or internet means Ryogoku Kokugikan, where capacity is about 11,000. It is less than 10 minutes from Korakuen Hall.
11:30am - Bullet Train "Kodama" from Tokyo to Shizuoka - Shizuoka City
Dory Funk Jr., Dory Funk Sr., and Harley Race b. Antonio Inoki, Hiro Matsuda, and Michiaki Yoshimura
Dory b. Matsuda (spinning toe hold)
They stayed in "New Yashima Hotel" in Shizuoka City.
The Japanese high speed Bullet Trains ("Shinkansen"): The city of Tokyo has a very central position in the Bullet Train Network; from Tokyo, all the lines leave to the West and North. The Tokaido Line, which Dory Funk Jr. and Sr. got on, inaugurated in the year 1964, was the first Bullet Train Line. The trains at that time already ran with speeds of about 200 km/h.
7:44am - Bullet Train from Shizuoka to Osaka; Train "Shioji" from Osaka to Hiroshima - all the gaijins (Dory Funk Jr. & Sr., Danny Hodge, Harley Race, Killer Buddy Austin, Bull Ramos, Eddie Sullivan, and Johnny Walker) enjoyed a "squeezing beer can contest" in Bullet Train.
2:40pm - arrived at Hiroshima
They checked in at "Hiroshima Station Hotel".
AM - enjoyed eating Hiroshima oysters
PM - sightseeing in Atomic Bomb Park
- Hiroshima Prefecture Gym
All Asian tag team title match (Best of 3 falls / 60 minute time limit)
Antonio Inoki & Michiaki Yoshimura (2-1) Dory Funk Jr. & Harley Race
(1)Race b. Yoshimura (16:28)
(2)Japanese DQ Americans (6:23)
(3)Yoshimura b. Race(2:32)
Dory Jr. vs. Inoki
8:00am - Train "Shioji" from Hiroshima to Osaka
- Osaka Furitsu Gym
NWA World heavyweight title match (Best of 3falls / 60 minute time limit)
Dory Funk Jr. (60 minutes - draw) Antonio Inoki
Dory Funk Sr. & Harley Race were Dory's seconds.
They stayed in Shin-osaka Hotel, and had "Sukiyaki" dinner in a Japanese restaurant.
"Sukiyaki" is thinly sliced beef, vegetables, tofu, and other ingredients cooked at the table in a large skillet or iron pot in a broth of "Shoyu" (soy sauce) and "Mirin" (sweet sake), and sugar.
9:05am - Bullet Train "Hikari" from Shin-osaka to Tokyo
12:15pm - arrived at Tokyo, checked into "Hotel New Japan", and shopped at "Akasaka Plaza".
- Tokyo Gym
NWA World heavyweight title match (Best of 3 falls / 60 minute time limit)
Dory Funk Jr.(1-1) Giant Baba
(1)Baba b. Dory (21:07)
(2)Dory b. Baba (3:47 - spinning toe hold)
(3)time up draw
Korean barbecue dinner
11:50am - All Nippon Airline from Haneda Airport, Tokyo to Chitose Airport, Hokkaido. They checked into "Sapporo Grand Hotel".
- Sapporo Nakajima Sports Center, Hokkaido
International tag team title match (Best of 3 falls / 60 minute time limit)
Giant Baba & Antonio Inoki (2-1) Dory Funk Jr. & Killer Buddy Austin
(1)Dory b. Inoki (18:12)
(2)Baba b. Austin (2:19)
(3)Inoki b. Dory (4:06)
Hokkaido is the northernmost and second largest of Japan's four main islands. Sapporo is the capital of Hokkaido.
Giant Baba, Antonio Inoki, and Kintaro Ohki b. Dory Funk Jr., Dory Funk Sr., and Harley Race
All Nippon Airline from Chitose to Haneda, and left Japan.
Dory Funk Jr. had two "60 minutes time up draw title matches" with both Baba and Inoki for a week. Perhaps, a WCW wrestler works in the ring for less than total 60 minutes for a year. Oh, I don't have to say unnecessary things. I know I can't wish for the good old days (for me) to return. But, I long for the times when a pro-wrestler was respected, and hard work was appreciated.
Marti Funk (Mrs. Dory), Masanori, and Dory Funk Jr.
(Dory Funk Jr.'s FUNKING T-SHIRT, like the one Marti is wearing, is available through Dory's website, at www.dory-funk.com)
You may contact Masanori at masa_h@mail.goo.ne.jp
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http://www2u.biglobe.ne.jp/~dnak/
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