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Post by EZ: Brainy Bae on Dec 25, 2022 21:51:47 GMT -5
Funk was not only a legend in the business but well-known from his ECW stint. What was the point of the chainsaw gimmick when fans knew it was him and Ross acknowledged him by name? Russo claims it was a prank by Vince since Cornette loved him. But A) Russo is a known liar and B) teaming him up with a fan-favorite and giving him a title win at Mania isn't much of a prank.
Feels like one of those things Vince really thought would work to hide Terry's age ... even though that's the appeal of him. Just regular Terry Funk is hardcore enough to be Cactus Jack's partner.
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Post by Kevin Hamilton on Dec 25, 2022 21:54:55 GMT -5
Didn't Funk suggest it? Feels like I read that somewhere.
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Post by Lizuka #BLM on Dec 25, 2022 21:56:18 GMT -5
My guess is it was just a thing where they thought it'd make him mesh better with the Cactus Jack character but wound up overcomplicating it and just making it dumb.
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Mozenrath
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Post by Mozenrath on Dec 25, 2022 22:01:22 GMT -5
Funk suggested it. I assume Funk felt like he needed a refresh to keep up with newer acts, but it wasn't honestly necessary. His ECW run already probably adapted his classic character to modern times plenty enough. I also wonder if he felt like it'd benefit him to have another persona to slip into, but again, not really needed.
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Post by dangerousdanpotato on Dec 25, 2022 22:54:42 GMT -5
I think part of Funk's rationale, as I've heard it told, was that Cactus Jack was a persona of Mick's, so he felt he needed a persona to complete the tag team rather than just being regular ol' Terry Funk. The pantyhose and powder was a last-minute scramble. I don't think a whole hell of a lot of thought went into it all.
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ToyfareMark
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Post by ToyfareMark on Dec 26, 2022 6:49:19 GMT -5
I think it was also to a tribute to someone, I can't remember who.
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Post by Feyrhausen on Dec 26, 2022 6:53:27 GMT -5
Late mid life crisis. Most guys buy flashy cars. Funk bought a chainsaw.
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Post by Ronny Rayguns Is All Elite on Dec 26, 2022 8:16:01 GMT -5
I actually dug this gimmick, at the time I didn't know who Terry Funk was so hearing people online calling him by his real name confused me
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Post by sungod2020 on Dec 26, 2022 15:17:48 GMT -5
I think part of Funk's rationale, as I've heard it told, was that Cactus Jack was a persona of Mick's, so he felt he needed a persona to complete the tag team rather than just being regular ol' Terry Funk. The pantyhose and powder was a last-minute scramble. I don't think a whole hell of a lot of thought went into it all. This. Plus, I took Chainsaw Charlie as an alter ego of Funk the same way Mankind, Dude Love, and Cactus Jack were alter egos of Foley. It's not like they were pretending Funk was a newcomer/completely different person.
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Milkman Norm
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Post by Milkman Norm on Dec 26, 2022 15:25:02 GMT -5
Wasn't it to honor a life long friend of Terry's who had recently passed?
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Post by lildude8218 on Dec 26, 2022 16:25:33 GMT -5
Was I the only person in the world who didn't realize it was Terry Funk until they specifically mentioned it on TV?
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Cranjis McBasketball
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Post by Cranjis McBasketball on Dec 26, 2022 16:50:14 GMT -5
According to his book, he set to debut out of a box as Terry Funk. He just blurted out he should be Chainsaw Charlie. He doesn’t know why.
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Post by Aceorton on Dec 27, 2022 2:28:32 GMT -5
I think part of Funk's rationale, as I've heard it told, was that Cactus Jack was a persona of Mick's, so he felt he needed a persona to complete the tag team rather than just being regular ol' Terry Funk. The pantyhose and powder was a last-minute scramble. I don't think a whole hell of a lot of thought went into it all. This. Plus, I took Chainsaw Charlie as an alter ego of Funk the same way Mankind, Dude Love, and Cactus Jack were alter egos of Foley. It's not like they were pretending Funk was a newcomer/completely different person. In my headcanon, Chainsaw Charlie emerged as a result of Funk's increasingly hardcore style in Japan and ECW. He'd been called "middle-aged and crazy" for several years at this point, and a personality split was just the next extension of it. Plus, it made sense that whatever violence Foley had experienced in the ring to cause him to develop alter egos would also be the case for Funk, the guy he patterned himself after.
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Magnus the Magnificent
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Post by Magnus the Magnificent on Dec 27, 2022 8:26:46 GMT -5
Terry's just a big fan of WASP's 'The Crimson Idol' album and one song in particular:
Language warning
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Post by flowercity on Dec 27, 2022 14:22:31 GMT -5
I didn’t know Chainsaq Charlie was Funk until I got on the internet years later. Granted, they said it was him on commentary but I was too young to notice/understand.
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Post by nickcave on Dec 27, 2022 14:26:57 GMT -5
Terry Funk wanted to do a Leatherface ripoff gimmick because he had worked with him in Japan that was the only reason. No idea why they did the pantyhose though lol
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Post by Clash, Never a Meter Maid on Dec 27, 2022 15:29:14 GMT -5
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Post by defectiveepitaph on Dec 27, 2022 16:05:46 GMT -5
Bless you for sharing this.
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Post by Clash, Never a Meter Maid on Dec 27, 2022 17:33:16 GMT -5
Bless you for sharing this. No, bless you for that avatar. I can’t read it in Austin’s voice without cracking up. 🤣
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Post by hentery on Dec 30, 2022 10:51:45 GMT -5
Per podcasts:
Terry funk wanted to come in not as himself but as a character. He took the name chainsaw Charlie from his youth; it was the name of his barber when he was younger.
The rest From Terry's book: I got ready for my big debut on Raw that Monday night in December, and the plan was for me to come out of a box. Bruce Prichard, one of the backstage guys, was describing to me what they wanted me to do. I said, "That's it? You just want me to come out of the box?" "Well, yeah," he said. "Just come out of the box. Do you want to come out as anything?" Before my brain could fully process the question, my lips blurted out, "Chainsaw Charlie! Get me a chainsaw, so I can go out there!" I can't explain it. It just popped into my mind. They asked me what I wanted to wear and then got me some Levi jeans and a pair of suspenders. I already had a red shirt, so I kept that. Then, they got me a woman's pantyhose stocking and some baby powder to put on my head, all at my request (what an idiot). I guess I could have just gone out there without anything over my head, but I wouldn't have been Chainsaw Charlie with Terry Funk's head, would 1? I'd have been Chainsaw Terry! 1 came out of that box with my chainsaw and my stocking over my head, and the crowd, expecting some great surprise, let out a sound that seemed strangely reminiscent of escaping gas. I had visions of coming out to a tremendous roar, but that wasn't exactly the reaction I got.
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