!Bang!
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| !Bang! | |
|---|---|
| Details | |
| Established | 2001 |
| Style | American Wrestling |
| Location | Ocala, Florida |
| Founder(s) | Dory Funk, Jr. |
| Owner(s) | Dory Funk, Jr. |
| Parent | Funking Conservatory |
!Bang! is a professional wrestling promotion owned by Dory Funk, Jr. It is run by the Funking Conservatory - a full-service professional wrestling school, and the stars of !BANG! play as members of the Funking Conservatory team. The school and promotion offer a three-step / three-week program for aspiring wrestlers of all skill levels, offering students the chance to work in front of a live crowd and even to become a star on the !Bang! TV show. As well as training wrestlers, the Funking Conservatory team also offer courses in the promotion of professional wrestling, refereeing, announcing and creative writing for professional wrestling.
Wrestlers that have been trained by Dory Funk, Jr. include Chris Sabin, Christian Cage, Jun Akiyama, Kurt Angle, Lita, Matt Hardy, Paul London, Rhino, Steve Corino, William Regal, and many others. Funk previously worked as head coach of the Funking Dojo wrestling training camp for WWF in Stamford, Connecticut during the 1990s. Current pro-wrestlers and past graduates often attend the Funking Conservatory, giving advice to new students - with guests including Rob Van Dam and Bobby Heenan.
The promotion's !BANG! TV television tapings are held in the Dory Funk Arena, in Ocala, Florida. Billed as "the most exciting pro-wrestling show on the air" and hosted by Dory Funk, Jr., !Bang! TV transmitted weekly on WOGX TV-51, and also My65. A special one-off edition of !BANG! TV was shown on The Wrestling Channel to viewers in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The show currently transmits online via their website.
A NWA World Heavyweight Championship bout between the champion Jeff Jarrett and Dory Funk, Jr., was held at !BANG! on January 22, 2004 and was later broadcast on !BANG! TV. Dory Funk, Jr., was also a guest at the TNA Against All Odds 2006 press conference (shown on TNA Impact!) regarding the upcoming NWA World Heavyweight Championship match between Jeff Jarrett and Christian Cage. Dory Funk, Jr., is a former NWA World Heavyweight Champion, having held the title for 1,502 days. He had previously wrestled Jarrett for the title in 2004, and was also Cage's coach in the late 1990s.
