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‘Something was wrong’ – WWE Hall of Famer’s chilling regret after wrestler suffered fatal heart attack in a match
Terry Funk’s iconic wrestling career spanned decades and lasted for over 50 years. The hardcore legend and grappling wild man’s tenure in the squared circle is arguably without compare, given most of his exploits and achievements came outside of the gigantic world of WWE. Few wrestlers worked across a longer career span than the icon Terry Funk He did, of course, succeed there, holding tag team gold alongside Mick Foley late in his career and inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009. His greater glories came across the globe, his efforts with New Japan, the NWA, ECW, WCW and more besides built him a reputation as one of the finest all-round professional wrestlers in history. Like many, though, his career was built from quieter beginnings. In the mid-1960s, he wrestled for Western States under his legendary father Dory Funk and, among his many in-ring foes for the remainder of the decade was ‘Iron’ Mike DiBiase – adoptive father to 1980s and 90s WWE legend Ted ‘Millon Dollar Man’ DiBiase. Long before Mike Tyson used the nickname, ‘Iron’ Mike DiBiase was a dominant force in the wrestling ring. The New York-born star held championships in organisations across the world, including stints as NWA North American Heavyweight Champion and three times an AWA Midwest Heavyweight Champion. A chiselled and grizzled veteran of the ring, he locked horns with Funk in numerous singles and tag team matches and were said to be close. So, when Funk couldn’t attend for his match against the mammoth Man Mountain Mike – a bruiser of a wrestler with an eye-watering billed weight of more than a 40 stone – DiBiase offered to step in. Unwittingly, it proved a tragic decision for DiBiase and his family, as his son later detailed in his autobiography. “During the course of the match, Mike threw Dad out of the ring,” he explained. ‘Iron’ Mike DiBiase was a wrestling legend whose adoptive son and grandsons starred as wrestlersYouTube “As Dad proceeded to get back in the ring by grabbing the second rope, he collapsed and fell face down on the floor. “The fans thought nothing was out of the ordinary and the referee began his count. As the referee was counting, things weren’t going as planned.” Watching backstage was Harley Race, another true wrestling great of the future. Like anyone on the inside of the business, he, too, knew something terrible was happening. Having explained a house that day had left DiBiase looking ‘tired’, Race added: “As the match started, there was some pushing and shoving. “Mike then took a back bump. All of a sudden, Mike folded his arms over his chest, backed up into the ropes, and went right out onto the floor. “I was watching the match from the back and immediately knew something was wrong. I ran to ringside and tended to Mike. He had a pulse but wasn’t breathing. Terry Funk was a WWE Hall of Fame star who wrestled Mike DiBiase early in their careersWWE “I administered CPR and did my best to keep him alive until the ambulance arrived. He was alive when they left in the ambulance.” DiBiase later died in hospital, aged just 45. The loss, undoubtedly devasting to DiBiase, Race and all those close to the grappler, was seemingly tinged with regret for Funk. DiBiase was, after all, never supposed to be in that match on that particular July night in Texas. That left Funk, who also died in 2023 at the age of 79, with one chilling wish. He explained years after the tragic incident: “A lot of people don’t know this, but I didn’t go to Lubbock the night Teddy’s father died. “In fact, that was the reason why Mike went, Teddy’s father took my place that night to wrestle Man Mountain Mike. Ted ‘Million Dollar Man’ DiBiase incurred the wrath of many a fan in the 80s and 90s.WWE “He was very tired, but being the person that he was, he took my place anyway. I wish I would have gone.” Iron Mike would, surely, have taken tremendous joy in knowing that Race, Funk and his adopted son all achieved WWE Hall of Fame status thanks to remarkable careers of their own. Ted DiBiase went on to become one of WWE’s most detested villains and can hold claim to having the most controversial world title reign in the company’s history. After his in-ring career wound down, he remained active as a commentator and manager. His son, and Mike’s adoptive grandson, Ted DiBiase Jr, continued the wrestling lineage in WWE as a former tag team champion alongside Cody Rhodes.
Terry Funk’s iconic wrestling career spanned decades and lasted for over 50 years.
The hardcore legend and grappling wild man’s tenure in the squared circle is arguably without compare, given most of his exploits and achievements came outside of the gigantic world of WWE.
He did, of course, succeed there, holding tag team gold alongside Mick Foley late in his career and inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009.
His greater glories came across the globe, his efforts with New Japan, the NWA, ECW, WCW and more besides built him a reputation as one of the finest all-round professional wrestlers in history.
Like many, though, his career was built from quieter beginnings.
In the mid-1960s, he wrestled for Western States under his legendary father Dory Funk and, among his many in-ring foes for the remainder of the decade was ‘Iron’ Mike DiBiase – adoptive father to 1980s and 90s WWE legend Ted ‘Millon Dollar Man’ DiBiase.
Long before Mike Tyson used the nickname, ‘Iron’ Mike DiBiase was a dominant force in the wrestling ring.
The New York-born star held championships in organisations across the world, including stints as NWA North American Heavyweight Champion and three times an AWA Midwest Heavyweight Champion.
A chiselled and grizzled veteran of the ring, he locked horns with Funk in numerous singles and tag team matches and were said to be close.
So, when Funk couldn’t attend for his match against the mammoth Man Mountain Mike – a bruiser of a wrestler with an eye-watering billed weight of more than a 40 stone – DiBiase offered to step in.
Unwittingly, it proved a tragic decision for DiBiase and his family, as his son later detailed in his autobiography.
“During the course of the match, Mike threw Dad out of the ring,” he explained.
“As Dad proceeded to get back in the ring by grabbing the second rope, he collapsed and fell face down on the floor.
“The fans thought nothing was out of the ordinary and the referee began his count. As the referee was counting, things weren’t going as planned.”
Watching backstage was Harley Race, another true wrestling great of the future. Like anyone on the inside of the business, he, too, knew something terrible was happening.
Having explained a house that day had left DiBiase looking ‘tired’, Race added: “As the match started, there was some pushing and shoving.
“Mike then took a back bump. All of a sudden, Mike folded his arms over his chest, backed up into the ropes, and went right out onto the floor.
“I was watching the match from the back and immediately knew something was wrong. I ran to ringside and tended to Mike. He had a pulse but wasn’t breathing.
“I administered CPR and did my best to keep him alive until the ambulance arrived. He was alive when they left in the ambulance.”
DiBiase later died in hospital, aged just 45.
The loss, undoubtedly devasting to DiBiase, Race and all those close to the grappler, was seemingly tinged with regret for Funk.
DiBiase was, after all, never supposed to be in that match on that particular July night in Texas.
That left Funk, who also died in 2023 at the age of 79, with one chilling wish. He explained years after the tragic incident: “A lot of people don’t know this, but I didn’t go to Lubbock the night Teddy’s father died.
“In fact, that was the reason why Mike went, Teddy’s father took my place that night to wrestle Man Mountain Mike.
“He was very tired, but being the person that he was, he took my place anyway. I wish I would have gone.”
Iron Mike would, surely, have taken tremendous joy in knowing that Race, Funk and his adopted son all achieved WWE Hall of Fame status thanks to remarkable careers of their own.
Ted DiBiase went on to become one of WWE’s most detested villains and can hold claim to having the most controversial world title reign in the company’s history.
After his in-ring career wound down, he remained active as a commentator and manager.
His son, and Mike’s adoptive grandson, Ted DiBiase Jr, continued the wrestling lineage in WWE as a former tag team champion alongside Cody Rhodes.
