Looking Back on How Terry Funk’s Chainsaw Charlie Character Came to Be

During the late 1990s, Terry Funk’s transformation into Chainsaw Charlie in WWE left fans puzzled at first. However, Bruce Prichard shared on the podcast “Something to Wrestle” that the unique character was actually Funk’s own creation. Inspired by a childhood memory of a barber named John Ayers, Funk conceptualized the Chainsaw Charlie persona. He drew further inspiration from his colleague Mike Penzel, who portrayed Leatherface in Japan and used a real chainsaw in his act. Prichard supported Funk’s idea, even though the character’s final look was not initially defined, resulting in the addition of pantyhose worn on his head to the outfit. The quotes in this article should be attributed to “Something to Wrestle.”