Hogan Region, Rio Subregion, Second Round: (2) Bret Hart vs. (15) Dory Funk Jr.

[klunderbunker]

This is a second round match in the Hogan Region, Rio de Janeiro Subregion. It is a standard one on one match. It will be held at the Carioca Arena I in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

#2. Bret Hart

Vs.

#15. Dory Funk Jr.

​

Polls will be open for three days following a one day period for discussion. Voting will be based on who you feel is the greater of the two competitors. Post your reasons for why your pick should win below. Remember that this is non-spam and the most votes in the poll win. Any ties will be broken by the amount of posts of support for each candidate, with one vote per poster. Assume that the wrestlers are coming in fresh after their first round match.

Also remember that this is a non-spam forum. If you post a response without giving a reason for your selection, it will be penalized for spam and deleted.

 

[Bernkastel]

A lot of similarities between these two men...

Bret was made WWE champion in the shadow of the steroid scandal, and Funk was made the NWA champion due to politicking by his father. I suppose that neither were expected to be very successful, but they managed to prove their naysayers wrong. The difference was that Funk was a lot more successful at his peak compared to Bret. He carried the wrestling industry from 1969-1973 and became the NWA's most consistent drawing card since Lou Thesz in the 1950's. WWE struggled financially with Bret as champion. He never set the wrestling world on fire like Dory Funk did.

Both men were not known for their speaking ability. Bret often fumbled through promos, and it was clear by the 80's that Dory did not possess the type of charisma needed for weekly television like his brother did. But Dory had charm that Terry didn't have. It was the same type of charm Bret Hart had. Both could make any opponent look good. Better than they had been before. Dory elevated a ton of regional stars in his heyday, including Ric Flair in the mid 70's. Ric Flair himself has compared Dory's success as champion to that of Bruno Sammartino. He was that popular.

And lastly both men had their careers cut short. Bret was forced to retire due to complications from a concussion, while Dory was seriously injured during a car accident. The difference was that Dory was still in the prime of his career. The car accident was the driving reason as to why he was forced to give up the NWA world championship. Bret Hart had been champion in WCW, but his star power did little to help the ailing promotion. After dropping the NWA title, Dory later went on to win several top NWA regional championships, had a successful singles run in Japan here he was one of the few foreigners promoted as a fan favorite, and formed a successful team with his brother. He remained one of wrestling's most recognizable stars even in through the 80's.

Dory later became a booker and helped trained many wrestlers of the current era, including Kurt Angle, Edge, Christian, the Hardy's, and Mark Henry.

Vote Dory Funk. He was a much more successful champion and has done a lot more for the industry. Bret's legacy has been bloated by the WWE promotional machine. He was never anywhere close to being as good as Dory Funk.

 

[sikkbones]

Dory also came from a generation before wrestlemania and television.

Bret wins based on the fact he did carry an ailing company immediately after hogan.

Technically, this would be an iron man match, coming down to the last few seconds tied or with it being 0

 

[Bernkastel]

Dory also came from a generation before wrestlemania and television.

Bret wins based on the fact he did carry an ailing company immediately after hogan.

Technically, this would be an iron man match, coming down to the last few seconds tied or with it being 0

He carried the WWE, but he was no where near as profitable as Dory Funk was as NWA champion. I fail to see how Bret wins simply because he was a television star for a few years, but didn't draw half the money in the process.

 

[sikkbones]

He carried the WWE, but he was no where near as profitable as Dory Funk was as NWA champion. I fail to see how Bret wins simply because he was a television star for a few years, but didn't draw half the money in the process.

Numbers for dory?

And the fact this match is in Rio is another reason I'd give Bret the duke.

Bret was the first international champion by way of the decline in the united states.

Where did dory defend other than Japan internationaly?

 

[Bernkastel]

Numbers for dory?

I don't have access to every big gate that Dory Funk ever drew. Historian Matt Farmer probably does. He was the one that can up with the point system, ranking attendance figures. Historians Larry Matysik and Dave Meltzer have based their lists of all time draws off Matt's research. Dory clocked in at number 45 on Matysik's list. Bret doesn't rank in the top 50. Meltzer ranks Dory as the second biggest draw of 1969 tied with Bruno. And then in the top 4 consistently until 1973.

And the fact this match is in Rio is another reason I'd give Bret the duke.

How many big matches has Bret Hart had in Brazil?

Bret was the first international champion by way of the decline in the united states.

Just about every NWA champion was an international star. Dory Funk included.

Where did dory defend other than Japan internationaly?

Canada, Australia, and the Bahamas. The NWA also had territories in Mexico and New Zealand.

 

[enviousdominous]

The battle of the favored sons of prowrestling legends.

Whether it's fair or not, I'm giving the edge to Bret Hart.

I love tradition and the badassery of some of prowrestling's founding fathers, but there's a huge difference in how wrestlers of the Dory Funk era became popular and how wrestlers of the Bret Hart era became popular.

My opinion: Dory Funk was as good as anybody else he performed with during his era, and he became the NWA's top guy because of his name. When Dory cut a promo, it sounded like Andy Kaufman reading a list of medication side-effects. Lord knows he was respectable as a soft spoken badass who could easily hook the best of them into savage submission maneuvers, but beyond that he was one of the most mundane wrestlers in history.

Unlike Dory, Bret Hart had to sell tickets as a likeable personality before he was even considered for a spot at the top. If being a Hart was good enough to have Vince turn you into a top draw, then that whole family would have been the entire card of WrestleMania. If Dory had half the memorable moments as a prowrestler that Bret had, then I'd easily be voting for him on principle.

Dory won his big matches with toe-holds, where I'm apparently supposed to believe that he's twisting his opponents foot (toe?) three times without making it snap off at the ankle. Just saying; Dory was great, but his finisher looks fucking stupid. Seriously; his opponent just fucking lays there like "Oh no! Please, don't twist my foot while I lay here helplessly!" KICK HIM WITH YOUR OTHER FUCKING FOOT YOU MORON!

Bret won his big matches with the sharpshooter, which I can tell you from personal experience hurts like a motherfucker. I can also tell you from personal experience that options for escape are nonexistent. On top of that, Bret's had epic matches that eclipse every match that Dory has ever had.

Vote Bret.

 

[Tastycles]

Both guys had pretty good runs as champion and were moderately successful, in the grand scheme of things. However, Bret Hart was swimming against the current of backstage politics and Funk really wasn't - his father was a big influencer in the NWA - and I believe that makes Hart's achievements more impressive. Hart wins.