Over the years, World Wrestling Entertainment has had numerous Japanese wrestlers in his ranks, from accomplished modern stars like Asuka and Shinsuke Nakamura, legends like Bull Nakano and the Jumping Bomb Angels, and misfires like Yoshi Tatsu and Kenzo Suzuki. Then there’s Funaki, who came into prominence in WWE during the Attitude Era and stuck around for about 12 years.
As an in-ring competitor, Funaki has been a tag team specialist, cruiserweight singles star, and more, and remains a presence in WWE in a non-competitive capacity. However, fans may not be entirely aware of Funaki and his accomplishments, so let’s go over his career and what fans need to know.
10 Shoot Style Origins
With training from Animal Hamaguchi and Yoshiaki Fujiwara — innovator of the famed armbar — Shoichi Funaki debuted in 1993 for Fujiwara’s shoot-style promotion Pro Wrestling Fujiwara Gumi. There, he wrestled impressive names like Minoru Tanaka, Shinjiro Otani, Yuji Nagata, Fujiwara himself, and even a future Kane in Glen Jacobs. PWFG folded in 1996, but Funaki continued on with the style as part of the new promotion Fighting Investigation Team Battlarts along with many of his PWFG compatriots.
9 Michinoku Pro
In 1995, Funaki debuted for the Michinoku Pro Wrestling, which was founded by The Great Sasuke and featured a more lucha libre inspired approach to pro wrestling. Soon enough, Funaki would begin to focus on that style of wrestling, becoming a staple in the promotion. It was here that he’d form a tag team with Taka Michinoku, after which the two would become part of the Kai En Tai DX stable alongside Dick Togo and Men’s Teioh (a.k.a. Terry Boy), among others.
8 Kai En Tai in WWE
The spring of 1998 saw Kai En Tai DX — Funaki, Men’s Teioh, and Dick Togo — making their way stateside and becoming a part of WWE, dropping the DX from their name to avoid confusion with another WWE faction, D-Generation X. Eventually, the group would gain a manager in journalist turned Japanese wrestling industry figure Wally Yamaguchi, renamed “Yamaguchi-San.”
Taka Michinoku had already been wrestling for the company since 1997, which set the stage for the group’s first storyline, in which Kai En Tai would target their former friend for becoming too “Americanized.”
7 Feud With Val Venis
No discussion of Funaki or Kai En Tai in general would be complete without its biggest feud — one so infamous that it’s often cited when discussing the crude excesses of the Attitude Era. When porn star gimmick wrestler Val Venis slept with Yamaguchi-San’s wife, “Mrs. Yamaguchi-San,” Venis found himself feuding with the entirety of Kai En Tai. Taka Michinoku would oppose the group alongside Venis but end up turning heel and joining Kai En Tai, who attempted to sever Venis’ genitals with a samurai sword.
6 Comedy Jobber With Taka Michinoku
In 1999, most of Kai En Tai would depart WWE, leaving only Funaki and Taka Michinoku. Now a tag team, Kai En Tai would become comedy jobbers, delivering promos where they poorly mouthed out words to be dubbed over like an old school Godzilla movie. It was through these promos that Funaki would gain a catchphrase. Michinoku would go first, and when it was Funaki’s turn, whatever he mouthed into the microphone would simply be translated as “INDEED.” Over the course of their two-year run as a duo, they only challenged for that tag team title twice.
5 “SmackDown!'s No. 1 Announcer”
In 2001, Taka Michinoku would depart WWE, returning to Japan while Funaki would remain with the company, bringing Kai En Tai to an end. Rather than find a new partner, Funaki ended up not only becoming a singles wrestler, but also turning babyface and getting a new gimmick. In 2002, Funaki became part of the SmackDown roster following the brand split and became “SmackDown’s No. 1 Announcer,” conducting backstage interviews as a gag and losing matches in the ring.
4 Cruiserweight Champion
With his smaller size and experience wrestling in a high flying style in Michinoku Pro, Funaki was a natural fit for WWE’s cruiserweight division, which came over to SmackDown in 2002. His first challenge would come in August of 2002, where he’d lose to then-champion Jamie Noble on Velocity.
After winning a battle royal in December of 2004, Funaki finally reached the top of the division days later when he defeated Spike Dudley for the Cruiserweight Championship at Armageddon. This reign would last 70 days, ending when Chavo Guerrero won a six-way bout at No Way Out in February 2005.
3 Kung Fu Naki
In late 2008, Funaki experienced another, more baffling gimmick change. In a backstage skit, R-Truth asked Funaki what his full name was, prompting the Japanese star to reveal that his middle name was Fu and his first name was Kung. From then on, Funaki was presented as Kung Fu Naki, a comedy jobber wearing a karate gi who did exaggerated kung fu poses. Despite the gimmick change, his in-ring appearances grew even more sporadic, and in April of 2010, WWE released Funaki from his contract.
2 Japanese Commentator For WWE
After his release, Funaki wrestled on the American indies, in Japan, and for Impact Wrestling, but his relationship with WWE wouldn’t fully end. Along with making appearances at WWE house shows in Japan, Funaki occasionally showed up on WWE television as an interpreter and liaison for Japanese stars like Hideo Itami in NXT. In 2016, Funaki scored an on-screen gig as one half of WWE’s Japanese language broadcasting team, alongside Shun Yamaguchi, brother of the aforementioned Yamaguchi-San, and would be regularly seen at pay-per-views.
1 Runs a Wrestling School
Like many veteran wrestlers, Shoichi Funaki also branched out into training pro wrestling hopefuls, and opened up his own school. In the early 2010s, he founded Funaki Dojo in San Antonio, Texas, which was affiliated with local indie Branded Outlaw Wrestling. In 2015, he became part of another San Antonio-based school, the new Hybrid School of Wrestling, which in addition to Funaki’s expertise has hosted training seminars with names like Billy Gunn, Molly Holly, Christian Cage, and Ricky Steamboat.
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