Ferrin Barr Jr.

Ferrin Barr Jr. (born April, 14 1959) is an American former professional wrestler, better known as Jesse Barr. He is best known for his performances in the 1980s under his own name in the Florida territory and as Jimmy Jack Funk in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). He is the son of wrestling promoter Sandy Barr and the older brother of wrestler Art Barr.[4]

Ferrin Barr Jr.
Born (1959-04-14) April 14, 1959[1]
Portland, Oregon, U.S.[1]
ResidencePortland, Oregon, U.S.[2]
FamilySandy Barr (father)
Art Barr (brother)
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)The Assassin[2]
Jesse Barr
Jimmy Jack Funk
JJ Funk
Billed height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[3]
Billed weight242 lb (110 kg)[3]
Billed fromDouble Cross Ranch, Amarillo, Texas
(as Jimmy Jack Funk)[3]
Trained bySandy Barr
Debut1980
Retired1997

Professional wrestling career

Barr was one of the top villains in Florida in the mid-1980s, winning the NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship from Scott McGhee in October 1984. He lost the belt to Brian Blair before regaining it and eventually losing it for good to Hector Guerrero in late April 1985. Barr teamed with Rick Rude to hold the United States Tag Team Championship for three months before turning. He went to the World Wrestling Council in Puerto Rico having feuds with Super Medico 1 and Carlos Colon in figure 4 vs figure 4 leg lock match and later came back to Florida as a fan favorite, and in early 1986 he feuded over the Southern Heavyweight Championship with a young Lex Luger.

After leaving Florida, Barr arrived in the WWF in April 1986 in a Lone Ranger-style mask as Jimmy Jack Funk, the storyline younger and unstable brother of Terry and Dory "Hoss" Funk,[5][6] with whom he had previously worked in Florida. In addition to his mask, he also wore a noose around his neck to the ring.[3] According to his storyline, he was a former amateur wrestler who missed out on the 1980 Summer Olympics due to the United States' boycott.[3] With Jimmy Hart as his manager, Barr debuted to a decent push, but Terry Funk's exit from the WWF in early June caused Hoss and Jimmy Jack to fall down the card as a tag team under Hart. Their most notable match together (and Dory's last in the WWF for almost a decade) was a loss to The Killer Bees in the opening match of The Big Event, a supercard at the Canadian National Exhibition Stadium in Toronto on August 28.[7]

As the only remaining "Funk" in the WWF (and without Hart in his corner), Barr quickly became an aimless "jobber to the stars", losing regularly to the likes of Tito Santana, Koko B. Ware, Hillbilly Jim and Blackjack Mulligan and teaming with a series of journeymen with whom he had no previous storyline connection.[8] He remained in the WWF in this capacity until June 1987, but was released following a backstage incident with Haku. Despite rumors that one of his eyes had been gouged out during the fight,[9] Haku himself definitively stated that the rumors were untrue and that he deliberately avoided injuring Barr.[10]

After the WWF, Barr wrestled in Continental Wrestling Association, feuding with Jerry Lawler.[11] During one interview, Barr referred to Terry Funk as his "cousin" (not brother, see above). Then Barr joined World Class Championship Wrestling, where he was a villain at first but turned into a fan favorite in 1989 after parting ways with manager Skandor Akbar after he took offense to the derogatory things Akbar had said about Texas. Barr and Chris Adams were involved in a tag-team feud with King Parsons and Brickhouse Brown for several months with no clear resolution. After World Class, Barr returned to Portland, where he finished his career. While there, he won the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship while teaming with Steve Doll on June 12, 1991. The title reign lasted eight days, as the team dropped the championship to The Harris Brothers on June 20.[12]

Barr retired in 1997, aside from a one-night return for NWA Carolinas in 2010. Barr now works in the construction business in Portland, Oregon.[13]

In July 2016, Barr was named part of a class action lawsuit filed against WWE which alleged that wrestlers incurred traumatic brain injuries during their tenure and that the company concealed the risks of injury. The suit was litigated by attorney Konstantine Kyros, who has been involved in a number of other lawsuits against WWE.[14] US District Judge Vanessa Lynne Bryant dismissed the lawsuit in September 2018.[15]

Championships and accomplishments

References
  1. "Jesse Barr". IWD. Retrieved 2011-10-04.
  2. "Jimmy Jack Funk". The Accelerator. Retrieved 2011-10-04.
  3. Shields, Brian and Kevin Sullivan (2009). WWE Encyclopedia. DK/BradyGAMES. p. 154. ISBN 978-0-7566-4190-0.
  4. Oliver, Greg (2007-06-02). "Northwest mainstay Sandy Barr dies". SLAM! Wrestling. Retrieved 2010-02-20.
  5. Reynolds, RD; Blade Braxton (2007). The WrestleCrap Book of Lists. ECW Press. p. 111. ISBN 978-1-55022-762-8.
  6. Shields, Brian and Kevin Sullivan (2009). WWE Encyclopedia. DK/BradyGAMES. p. 107. ISBN 978-0-7566-4190-0.
  7. WWF The Big Event (VHS). Coliseum Video. 1986.
  8. Cawthon, Graham. "Ring Results: 1986". The History of WWE. Retrieved 2009-02-20.
  9. Cawthon, Graham. "Ring Results: 1987". The History of WWE. Retrieved 2009-02-20.
  10. "Former WWE wrestler Haku on a legendary shoot fight with Jimmy Jack Funk". prowrestling.net. Retrieved 2016-12-31.
  11. cheapheattv, Jerry 'the King' Lawler vs. Jimmy Jack Funk- CWA Title Match, retrieved 2018-12-24
  12. Duncan, Royal; Gary Will (2006). "(Oregon & Washington) Portland: NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. pp. 317–320. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  13. "World Class Memories: FAQ: Current Whereabouts and Final Resting Places". Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  14. "WWE sued in wrestler class action lawsuit featuring Jimmy 'Superfly' Snuka, Paul 'Mr Wonderful' Orndorff". FoxSports.com. Fox Entertainment Group (21st Century Fox). July 18, 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  15. Robinson, Byron (September 22, 2018). "Piledriver: WWE uses 'Hell in a Cell' as springboard to future shows". Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  16. Hoops, Brian (January 15, 2019). "Pro wrestling history (01/15): Big John Studd wins 1989 Royal Rumble". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
  17. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  18. Rodgers, Mike (2004). "Regional Territories: PNW #16 Page #2". KayfabeMemories.com.
  19. Will, Gary; Duncan, Royal (2000). "Texas: WCWA Texas Tag Team Title [Von Erich]". Wrestling Title Histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Pennsylvania: Archeus Communications. p. 277. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  20. "World Class Wrestling Association Texas Tag Team Championship". Wrestling-Titles. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
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