On “The Snake Pit,” Jake Roberts was overcome with emotion whereas recalling the life and legacy of his departed buddy, the late Terry Funk. Roberts defined why, in contrast to plenty of fashionable wrestlers who draw parallels with their friends of yesteryears, Funk was really a “1 of 1” and incomparable to any performer who got here after him.
“In all probability one of many best performers ever,” Roberts mentioned of Funk. “Terry was simply one among a sort, man. He all the time gave a 1000 %, and all the time went above and past what was anticipated of him. He was a trailblazer. He did issues no one else even considered doing. It was my pleasure to have spent a while with him … and only a hell of a man.” Roberts admitted that he was lucky sufficient to have frolicked with Funk each out and in of the ring, which allowed him to select the mind of his older peer. Whereas Roberts did not delve into these conversations, he implied that Funk — usually praised for his revolutionary thoughts for the enterprise — predicted plenty of the adjustments that professional wrestling underwent within the final three many years.
“I simply really feel so blessed to have been round him at occasions … among the issues he mentioned to me had been simply so in tune with what was actually happening,” Roberts recalled. “Typically, among the issues he mentioned to me had been simply onerous to conceive. [They] had been simply onerous to carry up and make sense out of, however as soon as you probably did, you would be like, ‘Holy s–t, he is proper.'” Whereas Roberts by no means wrestled “The Funker” in a singles match at any level in his profession, he did carry out at ECW’s “50 Years Of Funk” tribute present in September 1997. The occasion was meant to commemorate the retirement of Funk, however in typical Funk style, he would return to the ring 11 days later.
