!BANG! TV Report - 3 Big Events - Wes Brisco, Jerry Brisco and Mick Foley Coming to the Funking Conservatory
 

Saturday June 2nd at Support Your Troops 77, "Summer Showdown" Wes Brisco comes to the !BANG! TV Sound Stage to challenge Cory "Wild" Weston for the World Championship.
 

Saturday June 9th Jerry Brisco comes to the Funking Conservatory with his Son, Wes Brisco. Jerry Brisco is a Talent Scout for World Wrestling Entertainment and will be looking at Funking Conservatory Wrestling Talent.
 

Thursday July 12th, Mick Foley comes to Support Your Troops 78, "A Night of Comedy" at the !BANG! TV Sound Stage in Ocala, Florida.
 

For more information on all 3 events and training schedules, call now 352-895-4658
 

Now on !BANG! TV at http://www.dory-funk.com - Dory Funk Jr. vs Jack Brisco, Jerry Brisco and Wes Brisco Plus Mick Foley in a Steel Cage vs Triple H Plus Highlights of Mick Foley thrown from the top of "Hell in a Cell" and Undertaker Choke-Slamming Mick Foley through the top of the steel care to the ring 20 feet below.
 

Visit Dory Funk's Website at http://www.dory-funk.com
 

Join Dory Funk and Marti on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube - http://www.dory-funk.com/bt-20.html



 

!BANG! TV Report -A Night of Comedy With Mick Foley 
 

Thursday July 12th in Ocala, Florida at the !BANG! TV Sound Stage, Funking Conservatory Wrestling will present a night of comedy with the King of Hard-Core, Mick Foley, Dory Funk Jr. and the Stars of !BANG! TV.
 

The night will begin with an all star wrestling card followed by a one hour performance by the King of Hard-Core, # 1 New York Times best selling Author and Survivor of the WWE's "Hell in a Cell" Steel Cage Match, Mick Foley.
 

The night will end with a meet and greet with the Legend in his own time, Mick Foley.
 

Now on !BANG! TV at http://www.dory-funk.com - Mick Foley vs Tripple H Insida a Steel Cage

*************

WWE Talent Scout, Jerry Brisco will visit the Funking Conservatory Saturday June 9th for the taping of Premium !BANG! TV.
 

The next !BANG! TV Taping, Support Your Troops 77, "Summer Showdown" comes to the !BANG! TV Sound Stage in Ocala, Florida Saturday June 2nd.
 

In the Main Event, Wes Brisco will face Funking Conservatory World Champion, Cory "Wild" Weston.
 

If you would like to become a professional wrestler and appear on !BANG! TV, Call Now - 352-895-4658.
 

Visit Dory Funk's Website at http://www.dory-funk.com
 

Join Dory Funk and Marti on Twitter, Facebook and Youtube - http://www.dory-funk.com/bt-20.html
 

!BANG! TV Report - World Title Match - Cory "Wild" Weston to face Wes Brisco
 

The next !BANG! TV Taping, Support Your Troops 77, "Summer Showdown" comes to the !BANG! TV Sound Stage in Ocala, Florida Saturday, June 2nd. Showtime is 7:00pm with doors opening at 6:30pm
 

Appearing on the card, Dory Funk Jr., Johnny Magnum, Garrett Tukes, Mighty Vesuvius, Jeremy "Rock Star" Spillers and Brian "Hot Shot" Davis 
 

In the Main Event, Funking Conservatory World Champion, Cory "Wild" Weston will defend his title against Wes Brisco.
 

European Champion, Pete Kaasanova will face Chinese Champion, Shane Chung
 

Hollywood Heather will defend her Women's Championship against the challenge of Claudia "The Claw" Reiff.
 

More matches will be added to the card.
 

For training schedules and ticket information Call 352-895-4658
 

Visit Dory Funk's Website at http://www.dory-funk.com
 

Join Dory Funk and Marti on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube - http://www.dory-funk.com/bt-20.html



 

!BANG! TV Report - Keeping the Dream Alive

Funking Conservatory Wrestling's - Pete Kaasanova





Story Credit to Mike Mooneyham - Charlston Post and Courier
mooneyham@postandcourier.com
***********************


Dory Funk Jr. and Pete Kaasanova
*********************

Pete Kaasa has wanted to be a wrestler for as long as he can remember.

Not merely a wrestler, but a professional wrestler.

Seventeen months ago the James Island native took his first major step in that direction when he began training at the Atlanta-based WWA4 pro wrestling facility.

Kaasa, whose daredevil style was compared by some company officials to that of TNA star AJ Styles, breezed through the school with flying colors.

He also developed a gimmick while there - a flashy character known as Pete Kaasanova - along with an impressive following.

But Kaasa realized that his ultimate goal - a spot in the big leagues of pro wrestling - would take more than a gimmick and a legion of supporters.

To that end, the 28-year-old took his talent, his hopes and his dreams to Ocala, Fla., home base for The Funking Conservatory, regarded as one of the finest wrestling schools in the country.

Former NWA world heavyweight champion Dory Funk Jr. and his wife, Marti, have run the facility since 1999 and have helped train some of the top stars in the business.

The list includes names like Kurt Angle, Edge, Christian, Jeff and Matt Hardy, Lita, Mickie James, Mark Henry, Chris Sabin, Christopher Daniels and Ted DiBiase.

Kaasa, a 2008 College of Charleston graduate, hopes to someday be mentioned among that elite group.

"It's already been a dream come true. Training with the legendary Dory Funk Jr. has definitely been a huge highlight for me in my wrestling career," says Kaasa. "To meet a man who has accomplished so much in the business I love and live for would be an honor in itself, but to actually receive his coaching is beyond words."

The lofty praise is well-deserved. Kaasa's teacher has an impeccable reputation in the wrestling profession.

Funk became the youngest NWA world champion in history when, at the age of 28, he won the NWA crown in 1969. His 4 1/2-year run as champ is considered one of the greatest title reigns ever.

His father, Dory Funk Sr., was a top star and West Texas promoter until his death in 1973 at the age of 54. His brother, Terry Funk, also held the NWA world title during the '70s.

Kaasa says Funk encourages his students and pushes them to get better. He also teaches them everything about the business and what it means to be a professional wrestler.

What has impressed Kaasa the most, he says, is Funk's humility and laid-back nature.

"It amazes me to see how humble and kind he is. He makes every one of his wrestlers and students feel important, complimenting them after live shows, matches, promos and practice, while still maintaining his leadership role, giving suggestions and constructive criticism."

Funk has been equally impressed with Kaasa's skill set and innate talent.

"Pete is a fabulous athlete. His style of work reminds me of a young Dynamite Kid when I first met him many years ago," says Funk.

"There's no one sweeter than Pete. When he gets in the ring, he is amazing," echoes Marti Funk. "He is a gym rat and looks fantastic. Pete is a very impressive athlete."

Diverse background
Kaasa, whose father Gary was a wrestling champ in the U.S. military in 1970 during the Vietnam War, brings a wide spectrum of athleticism to the table.

He has trained with wrestling All-Americans Marc Hoffer, Ryan Lang and NCAA national competitor/MMA fighter Chris McNally. He is well versed in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and submission wrestling, and captured first place in the South Carolina state championships and third in the Arnold Classics/Relson Gracie World's BJJ Championships in Columbus, Ohio.

The following year he won first place in both the state competition and the Relson Gracie World's BJJ Championships for the blue belt division, and placed fourth in the open submission grappling division.

"I saw amateur wrestling written all over him," Funk says of his initial sessions with Kaasa. "I wondered where Pete's natural wrestling skills came from. I knew he had to have grown up like me. My father used to get me in the garage and stretch me out a little."

Kaasa's athletic accomplishments, however, don't stop there.

The solidly built, 190-pound workout fanatic also competed in gymnastics at an early age and is a championship-caliber surfer.

"He's one of the finest gymnasts I have seen," adds Funk.

School of hard knocks
Students at Funk's training camp go through a litany of drills and workouts, and put on a show without an audience on a weekly basis.

"We tell them to work the same as if they were in front of 16,000 people, millions on television or hundreds at The Funking Conservatory, or 15 if you're wrestling in front of your teammates or just performing for an agent," says Funk.

A bigger show is held monthly featuring various established wrestling stars working with the younger talent. Pro wrestling great and longtime WWE agent Jerry Brisco is scheduled to make a visit to the school next month, followed by a special appearance by hardcore icon Mick Foley in July.

Matches are held at the BANG! TV Soundstage where bouts are filmed, edited and used as training tools.

Training sessions include watching individual matches and promos from the previous day, and then having Funk critique the performances and offer suggestions.

There is, of course, the physical part of the program - warm-ups and drills to get the blood flowing, some light bumps, running through various spots and working on signature moves. A short match and promo typically wrap up the sessions.

Funk, who along with brother Terry was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009, says he prides himself on the school's strong safety program.

"We work very, very hard on safety with our kids. They don't realize it, but you can get seriously hurt in professional wrestling. Our main objective is to see that these kids are taken care of and are safe in what they're doing."

Funk, noting the spate of concussion-related injuries in sports, says blows to the back of the head aren't allowed.

"All (full-contact) sports are going through this, but concussions are a real problem. We don't allow anybody dropping someone backwards to the back of their head. Safety is big for us."

Funk, whose school is the official American training center for All Japan Pro Wrestling, also emphasizes performance and technique.

"We work real hard on techniques. We market our kids, but they also need to market themselves. Video is a big part of their training. Television is critical to wrestling."

Kaasa says he also has learned from watching tapes of classic wrestlers and matches.

His coach's series of near-mythical bouts with the late Jack Brisco during the early '70s is regarded as one of the greatest programs in wrestling history.

"Dory tells me to watch how these wrestling legends and pioneers can get a crowd into the match with simple wrestling holds and working them as they should be worked - an almost forgotten skill in wrestling today."

Competitive business
Kaasa realizes that taking it to the next level will require an extreme level of dedication.

"This is a very competitive business," says Funk. "It's fabulous what's available today for the people who do make it. But it's very competitive, and the people who are there want to stay there. They don't want to be replaced."

Those coveted spots, he says, are hard to come by.

"It's also hard to come by a starring role in a movie. But that's what they are. They are stars."

Funk, however, is quick to point out that opportunities do exist for those who are talented and for those who want it badly enough and are willing to make sacrifices along the way.

"Guys working for WWE are making lots of money, as well as a few of them in TNA and some in Japan. But there are openings and they are available. There are a lot of guys playing college football who don't make it to the pros. The opportunities are there (in the wrestling business), and the rewards are so big."

Kaasa is one of a number of young, aspiring athletes currently training under Funk. The students come from a wide variety of backgrounds.

Shane Chung, the school's Chinese champion, was valedictorian of his high school. Johnny Magnum, who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, is regarded as the team spiritual leader;

Texas State University product Cory "Wild" Weston is a superb athlete who Funk says is a team leader.

Ben Hyman, who performs as Mighty Vesuvius, is a former hockey player who also works as a model.

Jeremy "Rock Star" Spillers is a Rod Stewart look-alike and tours with his band on the side. Brian "Hot Shot" Davis, says Funk, is a natural heel with a flair for the dramatic.

The group also includes a pair of talented ladies. Funk calls Claudia "The Claw" Reiff, a University of Miami grad, one of the best referees in the business as well as a skilled worker in the ring. Hollywood Heather has been an actress and athlete since the age of 3, and at six feet tall combines beauty and skill in the ring and on the mic.

A television product
A number of things have changed about the wrestling business since Funk and his contemporaries rode roughshod through the territories during the '60s and '70s. Today's version of pro wrestling is known as sports entertainment, with an emphasis placed on entertainment.

Aspiring young wrestlers are trained to project an appealing image as well as polish their mat skills.

No longer do pro wrestlers work six or seven matches a week, as Funk did for most of his career. The near-nightly performances in front of different crowds gave wrestlers of that era valuable training. And although demanding, there was no better way to /