|
Funk's Corner - NWA World Championship in St.
Louis
Dory Funk Jr. vs Black Jack Lanza
with Bobby Heenan.
Information credit
Larry Matysik - >From the
Golden Era, St. Louis Wrestling Record
Book
With victories over Pat O'Connor (Arpil 25) and Edouard Carpentier, (May 16) Black Jack Lanza with Bobby Heenan were ready for a second try at the NWA World Championship.
Saturday June 14,
1969, at Kiel Auditorium, (att. 10,850
sellout) NWA World Champion, Dory Funk
Jr. won from Black Jack Lanza with Bobby
Heenan. Funk won the first fall with a
spinning toehold after Lanza missed a
knee drop from the ropes. Lanza was
injured and the referee stopped the
match giving the decision to Funk.
Sam ran a tight
ship in St. Louis. No abuse of the
officials was allowed, there was a
medical examination before
participating, no foreign objects in the
ring, no two men on the floor at the
same time, wrestlers were instructed to
keep it a contest and work for the pin
fall, and to top that off the ring in
St. Louis was one of the hardest in the
business. Everyone received a lecture on
what was expected of them prior to the
show from either Bobby Bruns or Pat
O'Connor.
Next NWA World Championship Match in St. Louis - October 17 Dory Funk Jr. vs Gene Kiniski |
|
Funk's
Corner - NWA World Championship in St. Louis
Dory Funk Jr. vs Gene Kiniski
Information credit
Larry Matysik
- From the Golden Era,
St. Louis Wrestling Record Book.
October 11, 1969, The Arena in St.
Louis, for the NWA World Championship
Dory Funk Jr. vs Gene Kiniski (att.
15,099)
One week before
the St. Louis Arena show on
television at Wrestling from the
Chase, an interview with Gene
Kiniski and Dory Funk Sr. ended with
Kiniski attacking Funk Sr. and
battering him. Dory Jr. came to
help, but Kiniski pounded him too
and threw Dory Junior out of the
ring.
Arena St. Louis - NWA Champion, Dory
Funk Jr. beat Gene Kiniski 2/3 falls.
Lou Thesz special referee. Kiniski won
the first fall and Funk won the second.
Thesz stopped the bout and awarded the
decision to Funk when Kiniski could not
continue after hurting his knee and
being caught in the spinning toehold to
end the second fall.
Gene Kiniski was a
football player and amateur wrestler
from University of Arizona.
Kiniski was trained by Dory Funk Sr.
Gene
Kiniski saved my career in professional
wrestling in 1963 in Vancouver BC when I
severely injured my knee. I was
scheduled for surgery but Kiniski
intervened, telling me to show up for
the show with athletic tape, tough skin
and long tights. Over the next month,
Gene taped my leg every night before I
put on the long tights and entered the
ring.
Throughout my wrestling career, I have
never since had surgery or trouble with
my knees.
****************
Next NWA
World Championship Match in St.
Louis - January 7, 1970 - Dory
Funk Jr. vs Dick The Bruiser.
|
|
Funk's
Corner - NWA World Championship in St.
Louis Dory Funk Jr. vs Dick The Bruiser
Information
credit
Larry Matysik
- From
the Golden Era, St. Louis
Wrestling Record Book.
On December 5th
1969, Dick The Bruiser was a
huge babyface as He won a Texas
Death Match over Black Jack
Lanza with Bobby Heenan
in Lanza's corner.
January 9, 1970
Kiel Auditorium, (att. 11,434
Sellout) Dory Funk Jr, NWA World
Champion won over Dick The
Bruiser. Bruiser took the first
fall and appeared to have a
three count on Funk for a second
straight fall before referee Joe
Schoenberger saw Bruiser using
the ropes. The referee reversed
the decision and disqualified
Bruiser for the second fall.
Bruiser went berserk, punched
Shoengerger, hit Funk with a
chair and was then disqualified
for the third fall and the
match. Afterward, Athletic
Commissioner Eddie Davidson
suspended Bruiser indefinitely.
(Larry Matysik's
thoughts - Fans in 2007 and 2008
talk about the mixed reaction to
John Cena, but this one was
completely unique. Dory Funk Jr.
was a favorite, and The Bruiser
definitely was the "People's
Choice," especially after his
fued against Lanza and Heenan.
The crowd was totally split, in
a constant uproar, and
completely beside themselves
when Dick's outburst led to his
disqualification).
Next NWA World
Championship Match in St. Louis,
Dory Funk Jr. vs Baron Von
Raschke.
|