Kings of the Death Match - The Cactus Jack vs Terry Funk Matches

[@Bsmith806]

Foley deserves all credit possible, he knew he didn’t have the natural “look” of a wrestler so he took what he had, put his body through hell and became one of the most entertaining performers ever. Full respect

[@Thor-Orion]

That may be true about his look, but Shane Douglas and he were trained by the same guy at the same time and Shane says Mick can really grapple well and do a lot of technical stuff that people might not expect him to be able to do. I really do believe Mick with his charisma and psychology and promo ability could have adapted and been a star in any style he wanted.

[@TheRealAhoy]

Secretly the best promo in the business too

[@screamdreamer9085]

That’s one way to phrase it, another is he wasn’t willing to do steroids, so he drew a crowd by being a huge badass instead

[@larkan511]

Watching someone barely be able to pull off wrestling moves and destroy their body does not make them a wrestler. It makes them a crash test dummy.

[@Makainternational]

That’s the whole Mankind character! Rewatch his interview as mankind with Jim Ross.

[@slickrichelicopter8977]

They pushed each other to a limit they didn't know they had. You only get this from trust, friendship, and respect for one another.

[@Kas58223]

Absolutely insanity of matches between Foley and Funk

[@ThatDudeJerm]

Or pure, violent, sheer, hatred lol. I know thats not the case here but im sure theres been some non friendly rivalrys that had so much hate and competitiveness between the two involved that led to some amazing matches/moments in wrestling history.

[@starastro4591]

It’s hard to believe these gentlemen are friends but it shows how professional they both are. Two legends.

[@Chozin1]

If you were gonna do this with someone I hope you would be friends 😂

[@dennismarie6599]

They both said during an interview that it was funny how the more they hurt each other the more money they made and the more money they made the better there friendship became

[@DdotAdot]

Terry Funk - technical wrestler in the NWA during the 70's & 80's and then Hardcore Legend ever since!

[@zlinedavid]

People bring up Funk when talking about all these modern wrestlers who can’t do anything except stunt show death matches. It’s easy to forget that he was the NWA champion back when that meant something. He’s been the best at both.

[@leaderofnoone9087]

​@@zlinedavid I was watching a Florida championship Wrestling show. From the early 1970s, and Gordon Solie called Terry Funk the forgotten men of wrestling, and last night I watched the Funk Brothers wrestle Giant Bada, and honestly it feels like two different careers all things considered for Terry Funk.

[@birdmanhero]

@Leader of no one it really is almost like 2 separate careers. He was a great wrestler in his prime in the 70s and most of the 80s. He didn't start doing the really wild stuff until he was physically passed his prime. He was always wild though, even when the NWA champ. His matches against Stan Hansen are some of the best

[@leaderofnoone9087]

@@birdmanhero I feel like the transition point from Terry Funk being a wrestler who could brawl, but mostly a technical wrestler. Changed in the Ric Flair feud that happened in 89, because after that Terry Funk never seem to have a technical match against.

[@Chuck_EL]

​@@zlinedavid right he was a larger than life character, and he was like a comic book superhero... He also was a great submission specialist

[@ErwalDeeas]

Got this match on a RF Video tape bought at an ECW event. It was an eye opener for sure and when I started playing Fire Pro G, it was awesome to see this in the game. Cactus and Terry are legends.

[@DestineyTot]

I think it was either Mick or Terry who said it, but these two trust and care about each other so much that one of them willingly admitted to wanting to marry the other if possible lol. Huge respect for Mick and Terry, such awesome legends in the business.

[@bigrigjoe5130]

Gotta love Terry Funk Branding irons, fire, broken glass, chairs, tables, barbed wire, enough blood to drown a vampire And Terry's like "Think I'll go for my pattened Spinning Toe Hold!"

[@sp0nge1337]

Legends aren't just born. They're made too.

[@iradubasalaysa4550]

Love that you use the song of my favorite band, Megadeth, in this video, and Symphony of Destruction perfectly fits of how Mick Foley and Terry Funk destroy each other to give the wrestling fans what they want.

[@camilocuba6927]

As I’ve gotten older, my taste for hard core has diminished greatly. But I can’t deny that these matches were essential in building the legend of Mick Foley.

[@TheLarryburns84]

the crazy part for me is that Mick is a really bloody good traditional-style wrestler, the proof's there when he was heeling it up in ECW after the Cane Dewey incident

[@koroo2891]

@@TheLarryburns84 and Terry risking his body like that at his age at that point and the promos they had between each other were nothing but amazing

[@adamofgrayskull7735]

Loving the MEGADETH.🤘😆🤘

[@irighterotica]

Hell yeah

[@tata1232484]

Props for making this video, especially such a fascinating one, even when sick. I've been sick for a bit myself and I've felt like heck so I can't even believe talking for who knows how long.

[@jimmyplenderleith9471]

It's odd that when I first saw these matches around 1997, I was loving them and amazed at the brutality. Now I am much older, I have a hard time watching these types of matches knowing the pain and agony these two were going through. Two amazing talents, willing to literally put EVERYTHING on the line. One legends working to keep his name on top and making money... and the other out to make a name for himself.

[@danielmccaughey2861]

I agree. I never watched these specific matches backing the day but I liked a lot of hardcore wrestling for its brutality but now when I watch this stuff I wince at it and the pain they must feel with every shot

[@bitsnbobs1107]

I remember Foley saying in his autobiography something like the shower didnt work at his hotel so he got on the plane back to US still burned and bloody.

[@coryshannon3815]

The exploding ring in the final match was the one that inspired AEW's match, just in terms of the time bomb explosion looking like Gillberg's pyro...

[@rotomwash0355]

You didn't have to make this video for us to enjoy but you did it. Thanks Bios

[@ziggydust91]

I've loved wrestling for 25 years, I'm 32 now and still love it, but these videos make me appreciate it even more. Wrestling Bios is easily the best wrestling channel on YT. Always great videos and insights!

[@ronfroehlich4697]

I need to read Mick Foley's book, Blood and Sweat Socks, again. I recommend it to anyone that likes wrestling.

[@Obscusion2]

The best part of the Hardcore Heaven '94 match was when the chairs start getting thrown into the ring to bury Public Enemy, Terry just stands in a corner only to get whacked in the back of the head by a random chair. He falls & powders out of the ring, and then immediately goes to the corner where the chair came from. Considering how polite of a guy Terry Funk tended to be with fans, I can only imagine he just shouted "Who threw that chair?! That wasn't very nice!" to that part of the crowd.

[@boboso4705]

I went to a couple of deathmatch tournaments when XPW was big in the early 00's and it was some of the craziest, most violent, and entertaining events i've ever been to. Even saw an exploding ring match. It really is a spectacle.

[@213chewy]

XPW was pretty awesome

[@tylerchapman9234]

XPW and CZW was pretty gnarly. New Jack was my favorite

[@CosmicMarauder]

Yessss! I'm revisiting my childhood and wanted a breakdown on Terry Funk and the death match! Will watch later! Cactus Jack a legend!

[@kevinwilliams6889]

You're the best. I've made sure to catch up on the Reliving The War series. Yours is by far my favorite Wrestling channel on KZbin. Thank you for your amazing work. You are truly appreciated.

[@FreddPhucks]

RIP Terry Funk.

[@stuntman6147]

When the description of a match sounds more like a home depo buying list.

[@missmabelbasset4077]

2 guys who completely respect and trust each other, both willing to go as far as it has to go in order to turn each other into immortals. This is as good as professional wrestling gets.

[@danielmccaughey2861]

yeah shame they didn't cover this a little bit more in funks tribute

[@scottturner3831]

Terry Funk doesn't get enough credit. These were basically 3 on 1 matches.

[@KinnereyB]

These matches will live in lore forever. Unlike CZW, some strange part of me liked and appreciated how much these men were willing to sacrifice literally for our entertainment. RIP Funker. TY for the memories

[@brandonmcmahon8804]

Nobody tell Dave mustaine this video exists

[@juandemarko8348]

I recently acquired a 6 inch strand of barbedwire signed by Terry Funk and supposedly it's Mick's blood on the points.

[@zlinedavid]

The one redeeming hardcore moment from WCW was the Funker vs Candido in a bunkhouse match. They got into a barn stall with a horse, and the horse actually kicked (clipped) Funk in the back of the leg. Terry’s reaction? He turns around and yells “F**k you, Horse!” 😂

[@Jukeboksi]

I can't believe Mick tried the neck choke rope spot with barbed wire. I've watched a lot of deathmatch sickness and brutality over the years and that left me mouth agape in awe.

[@gorowlystomak3339]

I can't even imagine how that would've gone. Apparantly Mick viewed ears as more of a suggestion lol.

[@kaziglubey4455]

If I recall correctly, it says in his book that he was cut in over 50 places. If you have seen the full match, you will believe it, he bleeds EVERYWHERE. I've never seen a wrestler that cut up and bloody except for maybe Sabu.

[@toddrichardson8595]

$300 to shorten your life by 15 years. Gotta respect Mick Foley. The guy did insane things for our entertainment. Obviously, he's paying for that these days but I bet he wouldn't change a thing ....

[@stephaniecutting9223]

This video has come out in absolutely perfect timing, I'm currently reading Mick's book and I've just reached the Kings of the Deathmatch section

[@Mattsdmf]

This was my first exposure to Japanese wrestling back in the late 90s and early 2000s. Soon afterwards I started collecting old FMW tapes. Outside of WWF, ECW and FMW were the ultimate in wrestling for me at the time. I honestly think if it wasn’t for those tapes, I don’t think I would be the wrestling fan I am now 25 years later.

[@Brando-Lee3725]

Me and my buddy ordered the KOTDM Tournament soon after it came out . And he wondered how they were gonna fake thumbtacks ! LOL ! That was a very new thing at the time to be fair . But I told him "I dont think they can " . And bo was I right ! That Nakamaki vs Ono 10,000 thumbtack barbed wire bat match had are jaws on the floor !!!! Nakamaki had 50 tacks in the back of his head imbedded down to the flat side after that powerbomb !

[@theenguyenterprise5498]

I’ve been watching your channel since before reliving the war, I haven’t missed an episode. You’ve got great content 😂😂 thank you for all you hard work some of this was probably hard to sit through.

[@JonW-ds6gl]

Wrestling bio's I hope you get well by Thursday so you can keep the Monday night war series going wish you well

[@anonluxor470]

I still can't get over that 300$ for a hardcore match. That completely ridiculous

[@ironlift2275]

Foley had a character. He knew how to work his Gimmick(s) to perfection, besides his willingness to go through physical hell. People do not give him enough credit for that when comparing him to today's spotmonkeys.

[@holagovito]

You sure about that?? People have been giving Mick praise for what he's done to his body to entertain us since 1998 and people wish kind words to Mick during his Foley is Pod podcast for putting his body at risk to make our childhoods special because his has a tick that makes his right eye blink very frequently. I always say Mick was born to be a wrestler. Any other man who had to take the HIAC falls, not to mention the Rumble 99 chair shots wouldn't have been able to handle it.

[@sylvainhaube5063]

Thank you for sharing the knowledge, I'm a deathmatch wrestling enthousiast, never saw any of that footage. Awesome work as usual.

[@timrobinson6573]

As Jim Cornette said, In normal wrestling the fans are the marks. The fans think the bumps are real but in reality the wrestlers are faking getting hurt. But Hardcore wrestling turned the wrestlers into the marks. With Hardcore wrestling, the fans thought wrestlers were very good at faking injury but in reality the wrestlers were actually getting hurt. The wrestlers were really breaking their bodies for pennies and the fans think they're faking it. The wrestlers are the marks.

[@upnxrawk]

I tape traded in the late 90s to get rare horror movies and Japanese wrestling. Fun times.

[@toptenguy1]

Imagine being in that death match tournament, and being booked to lose in the finals, like Funk was. 1- You DO NOT get the bragging rights of being the "King of hardcore" 2- You get the full 3 matches of suffering. I hope he got paid well. lol

[@thisisnotachannel]

He was not paid well...

[@toptenguy1]

@@thisisnotachannel lol, then it's even worse . :)

[@thomasmeyer6407]

I enjoyed the background music for the beginning of this video. Megadeath is one of my favorite bands of all time. Y'all at wrestling bios were playing symphony of destruction. What are some of your personal favorite Megadeth songs? They made a lot of albums and there's so many songs that just flooded my mind, it's hard for me to try and list without basically listing almost their whole discography LOL But if I were to name 6, I would say right off the top of my head, in no particular order: -my last words -good mourning/Black Friday -Lucretia -tornado of souls -ashes in your mouth -the disintegrators

[@IowaContact]

I popped as well. Finally got to see Megadeth live twice a couple weeks ago. The first time they didnt do Symphony, the second time they did.

[@thomasmeyer6407]

@@IowaContact hell yeah man that's what's up I would have definitely noticed it not being there on the first night hoping for the second night. On a side note I'm glad somebody else noticed as well!!!!

[@johnepants]

What the f*ck was Mick gonna do if he got the wire around his neck???

[@damonodell9125]

Megadeth 🤘

[@saljewsteinbergowitz]

Terry's like "relax Mick, it's just a little c4"

[@JWS1985]

I first was made aware of this during the Mankind "shoot" w/ JR in 1997. I was amazed they were able to show another fed''s footage of WWF TV. Just knowing how old Funk was and how he was still able to hold his own in these was crazy.

[@frankmfeb13]

It's crazy that funk was 50-51 when the death match happened. I couldn't imagine doing that now and I'm 32 lmao.

[@Haddley333]

When wwf showed seconds of the death match clips between foley and funk I’d have it recorded and watch over and over. I was completely fascinated with that world. Sometimes mystery makes it that much better then actually seeing it

[@MrLordbubasith]

Ecw was like the Jackass of wrestling! 🤔

[@imal25]

SEE YOU ON THURSDAY ON RELIVING THE WAR GOOD NIGHT.

[@stephenorme2831]

Symphony of Destruction 🤘

[@charleskish3734]

Ive seen a few of this kinda matches came across a tape when I was a kid

[@AFMountaineer2000]

I personally never liked these death matches

[@southweststrangla420]

i had it on tape from insane clown posse. they put it out as stranglemania. it was hosted by icp. it also had the $25 battle royal lol. such a good tape.

[@bernardosantosribeiro6665]

finally talking about deathmatch, I would love you talking about iwa Japan's deathmatch and also onita's fmw

[@T-Bag13]

The dark side of BIO'S.

[@thebackyardairgunner8776]

always a great day when wrestling bio's uploads but even better when megadeth is in one !

[@andrewwilliams8432]

Hope you feel better. love the content u make for us to watch thank you 😊

[@James-th4rn]

As soon as this video is over I'm checking out the suggested commentary video.

[@sadetwizelve]

2:18 we don't hear a difference

[@dante666jt]

Certified hood classic

[@lukelee7967]

"Is something burning?" Mick's wife "No" Mick "I still think I smell something burning" Mick's wife "I don't" Mick "Okay, seriously, I absolutely smell something burning" Mick's wife "It's me, we used more C4 than I expected" Mick

[@chriswhite3090]

we need a chinlock deathmatch

[@EdsterIII]

I'd love to read some of the other Wrestling fans thought on who they think are the best all-time Hard-Core wrestlers. #1)Terry Funk T-#2)Cactus Jack/Mankind/Mick Foley T-#2)Sabu #3)Jeff Hardy #4)Raven #5)Tommy Dreamer #6)Sandman #7)Dean Ambrose/Jon Moxley T-#8)Bruiser Brody/Abdullah the Butcher #9)Hardcore Holly #10)Shane McMahon

[@mikem10481]

It's absolutely criminal that Foley was paid $300 for the whole day at King of the Deathmatch.

[@LordDeBahs]

blading yourself like that . multiple bumbs. i ques still better then 50 bucks in usa indies

[@brettcarey1571]

I took your suggestion and watched the match with Mrs. Foley's baby boy's commentary....oh my stars... that felt like the Wonder Years: Deathmatch. That was awesome. Not only does your channel kick a$$, so to do your suggestions! Cheers!!!! (Also, hope you feel better quick!!)

[@brightburnsuperman1526]

R.I.P Terry Funk 🔥✊🏻🩸🔪🪜🪕🔥🖤the king of the Death Match and NWA world champion of all time along with Harely Race

[@michael43567]

Imo Funk crossed the line multiple times. The flamed branding iron, glass bottle to the head, & C4 explosives. I think he knew Mick had a hard time saying "no", so he just took advantage.

[@JasonSum1979]

i’m sure a lot of Wrestling fans during the Monday Night War were exposed to ICP’s Stranglemania VHS it was certain matches from IWA Japan with this crazy new commentary by ICP (At the time it blew my mind until 97/98 Discovering tapes sellers online seeing FMW was IWA Japan cranked up to 20 (While i actually enjoy certain IWA Japan Shows it was hit and miss whoever was booking it was trying to get the big stadium feel FMW could pull off but, they didn’t draw huge crowds compared to what FMW could do! the early era of Japanese Deathmatch 80’s late 90’s were awesome but, it was over saturated by 99 (There’s great content from FMW, IWA Japan, W*ING, Big Japan Pro Wrestling) Once the internet became more mainstream i think The entire Deathmatch sub genre became a parody of itself (There are talented men and woman that work today but, some promotions/bookers don’t understand how to do it (It’s very manic now) The rise and fall of Hardcore/Deathmatch Pro Wrestling in Japan it’s actually very sad (It could once draw massive stadium crowds) FMW for a little while was on the same level as New Japan & All Japan but, ego, money and the mob are tied into the fall of FMW (The 1st IWA match between Cactus and Terry is 100x’s better then the King of Deathmatch final) The entire KODM Tournament is interesting but, also a mess at the same time imo 👍👍👍

[@rickystearn4221]

RIP Terry Funk

[@Somebum]

Watch World Wrestling Council from the 1980 and you would it see hardcore matches every week scaffolds , chairs , tables , FIRE , barb wire cage matches and more with wrestler like abdula the butcher , sadistic steve strong , bruiser brodie , jaosn the terrible , Rick Flair , the absolute KING OF WRESTLING CHIKY STAR and more all of them around the same time when i started to watch ecw i already was a head of the hype

[@BryanRolax]

Yeah, about the criticism about the ending... *Glances over to the gillberg explosion from the Moxley/Omega match*

[@dalesanteford7432]

Great cover of Megadeth Symphony of Destruction with the iwa king of the Deathmatch time I only saw this with quick clips from WWF back in a day until osw review King the Deathmatch 1995

[@dalesanteford7432]

I do have the best of Cactus Jack in Japan I got that from Comic-Con in Chicago one year from a fan-made it shows fmw iwa and other shows

[@dalesanteford7432]

A friend of mine from high school let me borrow the best of Cactus Jack VHS ECW first time I saw a lot of the Terry Funk vs Cactus Jack matches they're bloody brutal but great iwa and fmw came a lot later Mike Awesome Terry Funk and Cactus Jack onita Tanaka and wing kitamura there's a great six-man tag in the first time you see a Cactus Jack before he came back to the WWF he also did for one other time for the NWA against Doug Gilbert who was the iwa champion at the same time brings back the old rivalry against the Gilbert family

[@robertlawrence4719]

Yes , yes please cover more hardcore and death match wrestling . Cover ECW, CZW, , FMW, GCW , IWA and any other hardcore/ death match wrestling .

[@smyersfishingadventures]

Good ol' Cactus Sack and Drunk Terry Flunk. ICP Stranglemania was my first exposure to these matches.

[@Chuck_A_Luck_Stank]

That old cactus jack was primo stuff.. & I usually like the technical side but Mick Foley CJ didn't give no fuhs.. Just blood in the most gruesome ways.. it ain't quite wrestling but it's beautiful at that time, at that level, not overdone with frequency.

[@vinylhorror]

Pretty crazy for something I’ve heard idiots call “Fake” for years 🧐. Ain’t nothing about these two “phony”

[@SS4Gweedo]

The first Barbwire death match between Cactus Jack and Terry Funk I had on The Best of Cactus Jack in Japan which I got from RF Video. The King of the Death Match tournament I watched on KZbin.

[@archaontheeverchosen7980]

Have you ever did like a big backstory of terry funk? I know you did Shawn and Hogan.

[@jamescourt5201]

I bought Barbed Wire 4 from RF video. Unbelievable matches A guy jumps off a scaffold onto a guys head and caves in his skull. Literally looked like a dent in his forehead.

[@solascriptura-e7t]

I can't imagine ever signing up to participate in any of these matches. Not even if I was just to do a run in, and attack Funk or Cactus! No!!!!!!!!!!!! LoL

[@karlepaul6632]

Definitely a spectacle, and I liked it, mainly for the actual participants involved. But for me, it's definitely "in small doses" type of thing. If I had to choose my favorite matches involving either/both involved, none of these matches would make the list. More of a story can be told with actual wrestling. But if this is someone's favorite style, I'm not going to criticize them either.

[@andyproductionsltd]

Cracking retrospective. But I did chuckle at 'and others' at the IWA Kawasaki Dream segment. Poor local talent man.

[@taffysaur]

19:14 - I have a poster of this exact frame signed by Mick Foley and framed on my wall. I had him sign it backstage at SummerSlam 1998.

[@mendej13]

RIP Funk…

[@Joel-wv9wx]

HAHAHHAHA I did NOT expect Symphony of Destruction to start the video. Good video, fitting song

[@GangstaMojo]

Great video but I feel I have to disagree with the statement "the most grueling intense and scary match you'll ever see." When it comes to death matches for both Terry funk and cactus Jack the best matches they had weren't with one another but they were both in the same wrestling promotion for Terry funk it would be the triple hell match and FMW against Mr Pogo. And for cactus Jack it's the deathmatch he had against Wing Kanemura also in FMW and honorable mention goes to my favorite death match megumi Kudo vs combat Toyota

[@MarkHyde]

Would have been an honor to have been soundly beaten by Mick Foley - BOTH of these legends in hardcore wrestling are icons. Kudos Terry Funk.

[@nillieable]

I am not a fan of such matches. I don't know what motivates the guys for such matches, but putting yourself in harm's way so that few guys can be entertained, seems cruel and foolish to me.

[@basquiatofconvos4655]

There will always be a group of people that are into this..no matter how NOT I am lol..ECW (before the WWE/WCW purge) was good enough for me.

[@Scars_House]

Most of what I bound for BOUND TO BREAK was pictures lists and your video lol

[@PatronFabian]

I know everyone loves foley and yes he is the GOAT but you have Terry Funk telling Mick Foley don’t be scare everything will be ok, then you know the Funkster is out of his god damn mind.

[@jbj7599]

Remember downloading these and what were called "Bare Knuckle Russian fighting" was really Bas Rutten in Pancrase. 14 year old me loved it

[@ShanAli-sq4rs]

19:07 That's why i didn't like when they were criticizsing AEW Revolution match

[@HarlotEffect]

I need to check out my Best of Cactus Jack in Japan that was in Wrestlecrate. (Although I nabbed a few of their DVDs in one eBay listing) Just to see if any of these are on there.

[@graemenicol6377]

I remember buying a Japanese Death match VHS tape from HMV in the late 1990s forgot what it was called that long ago.

[@paulsteezo1772]

E C F'N W!!!

[@benespinosa6725]

This Rivalry was awesome Their Match at ECW Hardcore Heaven 1994 was awesome Their no rope Barbed wire deathmatch was even better awesome Video I'm glad this Feud is being talked about this was amazing.

[@dannyz710]

“The horrible audio”…..proceeds to narrate as badass as you always do!! 😂😂