WWE Hall Of Famer Dory Funk Jr. Reflects On World Champion Wrestlers He Trained

Depending on which former wrestler you ask, some will say the greatest thrill they had was either as an active wrestler or providing the tools and guidance to the next generational talents hungry on carrying the torch to unprecedented places. For Hall of Famer Dory Funk Jr., teaching wrestlers the craft then seeing them propel is the cherry on top of his decorated career. Some of those wrestlers he trained, including Kurt Angle, Edge (Adam Copeland), Christian (Christian Cage), and Lita, not only impressed him, but astounded him on how far they went in their careers (like becoming focal points within the "Attitude Era" in WWE, for starters). In an interview with News4Jax's "Going Ringside," Funk described what it was like working with these world champions and Hall of Famers.

"I didn't need to teach him. He was a fabulous wrestler, and his way of wrestling was very, very good," the former NWA World Heavyweight Champion said about Angle before speaking on the other listed wrestlers he trained in his time. "[Edge and Christian] They were real young, but they...wanted to do what was asked of them so bad that they just turned out terrific in the wrestling business."

In their careers, Lita held the WWE Women's Championship four times and the Women's Tag Team titles once. Angle would carry the WWE Championship four times, the World Heavyweight Championship once, and the TNA World Heavyweight Championship six times. As for Edge and Christian, the former tag team duo, who are now active members on the AEW roster, have each held the TNT Championship twice. Christian would also reign supreme as a former World Trios Champion too, adding to the already stacked reigns each of them has had as multi-time world heavyweight champions in WWE and TNA.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "News4Jax's Going Ringside" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.