This month we will look at Dory Funk Jr. and the impact he made on the Mid-Atlantic area. 

From 1969-73, Dory Funk Jr. was the NWA World Heavyweight champion and he made numerous defenses in the Carolinas against the top competitors of the period, but when he lost his belt to Harley Race in Kansas City on 5-24-73, for the next 9 years he rarely appeared in the territory and when he did it was just for a one shot deal. Then, in October 1982, Dory came to wrestle for Jim Crockett Promotions full-time and he stayed for over the next year and a ˝. Dory came into the area as a member of the “House Of Humperdink” managed by Sir Oliver Humperdink and he had a $100,000 challenge out to anyone who could beat him. Dory fought all of the top babyfaces during this time such as Jay Youngblood, Mike Rotundo, Ricky Steamboat, Jimmy Valiant, Rufus R. Jones, Bob Orton Jr., Roddy Piper, Jerry Brisco,  & the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight champion Jack Brisco.  

Jack Brisco regained his Mid-Atlantic title from Paul Jones in November 1982 and immediately started a feud with his old nemesis Dory Funk Jr. People that attended these matches live have said that Brisco-Funk from 82-83 was better than their matches 10 years earlier. Funk won the Mid-Atlantic title from Brisco on January 25^th 1983 in Charlotte, North Carolina and held the belt for over 6 months. Dory defended the title against all of the top faces and starts a feud with Rufus R. Jones, who on August 5^th 1983, won the Mid-Atlantic title in Richmond, Virginia. At this time, Paul Jones started managing Dory and put him with Jake “The Snake” Roberts as a tag team and they were a good one. They had a mini feud with Mike Rotundo & Rufus R. Jones, but the feud and team ended when Jake ventured to Georgia in late September. Dory took over as booker of the territory during this time and he turned himself babyface after being pinned in a six-man tag team match with Mark Lewin & Dick Slater as his teammates against Ric Flair, Roddy Piper, & Mark Youngblood and after Dory was pinned, Dory fired Paul Jones as his manager. So, Dory immediately started feuding with The Assassins who were Paul Jones’ tag team and Dory got Rufus R. Jones & Jimmy Valiant to team with him in their matches, also Dory seemed way out of place as a babyface here, but he was the booker. 

1984 started with a tournament for the NWA TV Title and Dory was placed in the tourney and he had to wrestle Dick Slater in the 1^st round. This was a helluva match, but Dory lost and went back to teaming with Rufus & Valiant.  More...