The Funking Conservatory is a professional wrestling school owned by Dory Funk Jr. and established in 1991. It started as a six-day camp, but it later expanded to a three-week program. In 2001, it began running a

professional wrestling promotion A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. "Promotion" also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event. Within ...

called "''!Bang!''" Members of the school and promotion had a chance to appear on its television show ''!Bang! TV''.

School

In 1999, while he was in semi-retirement, Dory Funk Jr. decided to open a professional wrestling camp to train professional wrestlers. It had a branch affiliated with the World Wrestling Federation called the "Funkin' Dojo." The Funking Conservatory began as a six-day camp, and it teaches wrestlers how to perform promos, conditioning, and

weight training Strength training, also known as weight training or resistance training, is exercise designed to improve physical strength. It is often associated with the lifting of weights. It can also incorporate techniques such as bodyweight exercises ( ...

. They also train professional wrestling referees. The school accepts students starting at 14 years old. It also trains wrestlers in

hardcore wrestling Hardcore wrestling is a form of professional wrestling where disqualifications, count-outs, and all other different rules do not apply. Taking place in usual or unusual environments, hardcore wrestling matches allow the use of numerous items, inc ...

—focusing on safety—and includes a hardcore match in every show. It later expanded to a three-week program. In 2001, it began running a

called !Bang!. Members of the school and promotion had a chance to appear on its television show, ''!Bang! TV''. Funk's wife Marti is a producer on the show in addition to acting as the photographer, videographer, and social media director for the school. In 2004, the school moved to the Dory Funk Arena in

Ocala, Florida Ocala ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Marion County, Florida, United States. Located in North Central Florida, the city's population was 63,591 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, up from 56,315 at the 2010 census and making ...

. It consists of a ring, sound stage, and locker rooms.

''!Bang! TV''

The promotion's ''!BANG! TV'' television tapings are held in the Dory Funk Arena on Saturday nights. 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 The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

and

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. The show also transmits online via their website.

Championships

Current

*Funking Conservatory World Heavyweight Championship *Funking Conservatory Tag Team Championship *Funking Conservatory United States Championship *Funking Conservatory Florida Heavyweight Championship *Funking Conservatory Television Championship *Funking Conservatory Hardcore Championship *Funking Conservatory Light Heavyweight Championship *Funking Conservatory Women's Championship

Retired, defunct, and inactive championships

*Funking Conservatory International Championship *Funking Conservatory European Championship *Funking Conservatory Premium Championship *Funking Conservatory Queen of Hardcore Championship

References

External links

!Bang! website
{{Professional wrestling in the United States Independent professional wrestling promotions based in Florida Professional wrestling schools 1999 establishments in the United States