On August 20th, 1995 – IWA Japan presented The Kawasaki Dream event in Kawasaki, Japan. In a tournament that saw men brutalize themselves all in the quest to become the King of the Deathmatch, two would emerge in the finals.
Terry Funk and Cactus Jack’s careers mirror one another, as their paths to success aren’t all that different. They have competed in a number of the same promotions at the same time and have also teamed up.
The Kawasaki Dream –
The Night The King of the Deathmatch Was Crowned
But something is to be said about two gladiators whose history with one another is as important as their time in history period.
On this night, the two men, who have been friends and rivals, subjected themselves to a fifteen-minute match that would put their safety on the line and make many question their sanity.
Funk and Jack prepare to do battle in the replay of the match featured below, which had commentary from one of the participants. Cactus Jack would convey the feel of the crowd on this night along with the chants shared.
Jack also shared a few of the things those in attendance weren’t aware of until they happened. While that won’t be shared until later in the recap, let’s just say the items in the ring were as significant as the time in which they would be used.
The Kawasaki Dream –
Violent by Design
The mat was decorated with explosives and plywood barbed wire blanks, and the ring ropes were replaced with barbed wire. The sight of the ring was as grim as the match was expected to be.
The visuals of both competitors walking into this match, already wrapped in bandages and towels and battered and bloodied from previous matches, were signs of what was to come.
While neither man has ever been known for their technical prowess, their ability to brawl has never come into question. This time, however, the sheer impending doom that was set to come suggested otherwise.
As both men began to lock up, there was a feeling in the air that what was to come would forever change their careers.
The Kawasaki Dream –
There Was No Coming Back From This
As Funk gained the upper hand early, Jack would then slide out from under the barbed wire to the floor. This gave Terry Funk the opportunity to pull the barbed wire board to the center of the ring.
When the two locked up again, Cactus Jack would proceed to pull Funk into the barbed wire ropes with the intention of having it tear at his forehead. It was clear right away that, nearly immediately, there would be blood.
Jack drove a boot into Funk’s head. But as he attempted to follow up and hit him with a suplex, Funk pushed Cactus Jack towards the barbed wire ropes, causing him to get caught up in them and have them pressed into his back and legs.
The Kawasaki Dream –
Left A Mark on Terry Funk and Cactus Jack Forever
That tiny act was all Funk needed to regain his composure and forced Jack to have to recover. The two would then lock up once again. This time, however, Cactus Jack would regain the advantage, driving right hand after right hand into the head of Terry Funk.
This would eventually lead Funk to fall back onto the barbed wire plywood board that was cued to the c4 explosives, causing them to go off!
The visual of the cloud of smoke that emerged as Cactus Jack covered his eyes, attempting to shield his face from being struck with the degree.
This was followed by Funk’s shirt being caught in the wire as he quivered, reaching out helplessly. A small flame would rest on the board that Funk was stuck to. As Funk was rolled off the board and onto the mat, Jack proceeded to pin him.
The Kawasaki Dream –
c4 exploding moments!
But Funk, despite nearly exploding, kicked out at two! It was clear that he was in a great deal of pain. Funk kicking out even seemed to caught Jack off guard. Jack then proceeded to rest Funk’s throat across the bottom barbed wire rope.
As Cactus Jack attempted to drag himself onto Funk, who was resting on the wire, he missed, causing himself to land entirely into the barbed wire rope!
This would give Funk the advantage he needed. After hitting a double under-hook suplex, he proceeded to whip Jack back into the barbed wire rope. Jack had to pry himself off the barbed wire rope and back into battle with Terry Funk.
Funk hit a headbutt on the battered Cactus Jack. Terry then repositioned another barbed wire board with C4 explosives connected to it in the ring. He hip-tossed Cactus Jack onto the board!
A second cloud of smoke filled the ring momentarily, and Jack struggled to get to his feet. Once Jack was on his feet, Funk hit him with a piledriver.
With Jack staggering back to his feet, Funk rested another barbed wire board against the barbed wire ropes. The often self-referred to as ‘middle-aged and crazy’ Funk would piledrive Jack once again, this time through the prone board!
At this point, Jack looks barely conscious but is brought to his feet and hit repeatedly with lefts by Terry Funk. Funk then whips Jack into another barbed wire board resting in the corner.
Funk then walks over the barbed wire just to roll Jack over and attempt to pin him. But this time, Jack kicks out at two! Both men are struggling, but not enough to see Terry Funk hurl a board over the top rope to the floor.
With Jack rolling out to the floor, Funk would proceed to follow him out. But while outside, Jack hit him in the head with a cinder block! With both men battered and bloodied, Jack dropped an elbow on Funk while he was on the floor.
Jack then proceeds to rest a table ontop of Funk and drops another elbow. This time he breaks the table. But that doesn’t stop Funk who is back on his feet and tosses Jack over the barricade and then back in the ring.
Jack throws a series of punches and then follows up with a spinning toe hold. But Funk is jumped in the ring by Tiger Jeet Singh, who Funk defeated in the semi-finals. Singh would come in and assist Jack in beating on Funk.
Funk is whipped into the third c4 explosive armed barbed wire board. This time, the barbed wire had gotten snagged into Funk’s head. He could be seen pulling the snagged barbed wire from his head.
With it appearing that Funk is all but finished, he hits a spinning neckbreaker on Jack and proceeds to pin him. But Jack kicks out once again at two! He then hits a double-arm DDT on Funk and pins him. Again, Funk kicks out at two!
But as Jack hits a second double-arm DDT, he climbs out of the ring, leaving Funk in the ring. What fans weren’t aware of is that C4 explosives go off with Funk in the ring.
Funk would then rest on his knees with his arms outstretched as to what just happened. But then Jack comes back into the ring and is hit with a side suplex onto the fourth c4 wired barbed wire board.
Neither man is in a good place physically or mentally. Jack would then bring a ladder into the ring and hit Funk in the face with it, then drop it across his body.
After trying to pin Funk, Jack, wearing a crimson mask, dropped an elbow from the top of a ladder. He would then attempt to pin Funk again, but again, Terry Funk kicked out at two.
Both men are barely holding on here. As Jack attempted a second elbow drop, he was pushed off the ladder and fell into the barbed wire ropes surrounding the ring. But Funk, who doesn’t have his barrings either, collapses in the ring.
At this point, Cactus Jack pins him and finally gets the three count. We say barely because a second after the referee counts to three, he raises his arm. Even with his last fighting breath, Terry Funk instinctually tried to kick out.
The Kawasaki Dream –
The Night The King of the Deathmatch Was Crowned
Some consider the match the greatest death match of all time. Whether it is or isn’t shouldn’t matter. What it did was take two men with little regard for themselves to create artistry through violence during the Kawasaki Dream.
