Joseph and Colette Discuss Terry Funk vs. Jerry Lawler

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This week, Terry Funk and Jerry Lawler had themselves an empty arena match. Or did they have a match at all? The mind boggles, as The Funker takes the whole wrestling world to acting school. Let’s go to Memphis and rip a heater with Lance before the bell. Oh wait, there is no goddamn bell. Let’s talk about the lack of a bell!

Joseph: Terry Funk vs. Jerry Lawler in an Empty Arena Defy Genre and Expectations
Colette: Jerry Lawler Leaves Terry Funk with One Eye and Plenty to Scream About

Next Up: After a spell in the bright lights of Hollywood, Terry Funk finds himself back firmly in the world of pro wrestling once again chasing after the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. He's taking on a man that's synonymous with that title and pro wrestling in general: Ric Flair. It's an I Quit match with the World's Title on the line!

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Joseph Anthony Montecillo
There are multiple cuts and versions of this match that exist out in the world. There's a fairly well circulated one that came with a Jerry Lawler compilation DVD produced by the WWE. There's other rips of it out there that's mostly just the broadcast as we know it starting from cutting to Lance Russell in the coliseum already. The one I primarily referred to for my piece came from a "Best of Terry Funk" DVD that was more of a patchwork job, combining various sources of footage. Most importantly, this version came with the uncensored footage of Funk's profanity-laden rant. Do you find it funnier with or without the censorship?

Colette Arrand
That’s a tough call, because as much as I love Terry Funk’s eloquence as a man-of-cusses, I also love over-the-top censorship. I was listening to the Deadlock Podcast about the Vince McMahon Kiss My Ass Club and they noted that, in Canada, TSN inserted years old crowd shots every time they cut to Vince’s ass, which was frequently, so Canadians were seeing signs for the Nation of Domination while Vince flexed his glutes on TV — this single-handedly justifies one of the worst recurring angles in wrestling history. Big win for censorship, according to this free speech lover. And, in a similar vein, I think censoring the rant makes it feel simultaneously edgier and more cartoonish. You know what he’s saying, but it’s like a big on The Best Show (a podcast I love) where a caller goes on a long rant and is suddenly bleeped out for 45 seconds because it was filthy beyond reckoning, a verbal Sodom and Gomorrah. Also, because it’s not exactly a mystery what Funk was saying, he got away with calling Lawler a chickenshit on Saturday afternoon TV. The madman.

Joseph Anthony Montecillo
I'd probably lean towards the uncensored cut myself just because there's a weird musicality to Funk's delivery that I just adore. The foulness just flows from him so beautifully, and it's just hilarious to hear him tell Lance Russell that he is completely done with his shit. It's sort of amazing all the great ways Funk had to insult both Russell and Lawler throughout this feud. In the promo that sets up this match, Funk opens with "Jerry Lawler is the son of a jackass and a lover of chickens." Absolute poetry.

Colette Arrand
I don’t think there’s a more beautiful insult in the whole of professional wrestling than when Terry Funk calls someone a jackass.