Watching a legacy rise and fall, only to rise again, is an incredible thing to see — especially when it comes in the form of an incredibly unlucky Texan family with giant genes, incredible moves, and tragedy laced through nearly every member’s life. The Von Erich family isn’t the only lineage of wrestling superstars, but their story certainly makes for good cinema. With The Iron Claw coming to theatres in late December of this year, some viewers are wondering what could make an arthouse studio like A24 interested in making a sports biopic in the first place. The Von Erichs are no normal family, and the legacy of greatness — and tragedy — left in the wake of the three-generation-long Adkisson name is well worth a closer inspection.
Fritz Von Erich (1929 – 1995)
Fritz Von Erich, whose given name is Jack Adkisson, was born in Texas in 1929. The patriarch of the Von Erich family started his career in college football, though he never played the sport professionally after graduating — despite relocating to Canada to join the Canadian Football League. His bad luck in football turned out to be in his favor. While visiting the country he was tapped by legendary wrestler-turned-trainer Stu Hart. An icon of the wrestling world, Hart saw Adkisson’s potential as a “heel” — the primary villain in wrestling. His massive size and natural athletic ability made him a perfect match for a German villain, and in 1952, Adkisson and Walter Sieber started their iconic run as the Von Erich brothers, a role they would play until 1959. During that time, Adkisson and his wife welcomed their first son, Jack Jr.
It was the accidental death of Jack in ’59 that broke the Von Erich Brothers apart. At the age of 6, Jack Jr. suffered an electrical shock that led to an accidental drowning death outside of the family’s Niagara Falls home. Though Jack Sr. never stopped pursuing his career, he stopped touring the East Coast and left the region to his former partner. Adkisson continued his career grind, becoming a wrestling promoter and inheriting World Class Champion Wrestling (WCCW) after his business partner died of a heart attack in 1969. He continued to tour the country scouting talent, participating in matches, and even travelled overseas to rebuild the Japanese wrestling scene in the 1970s. His “Iron Claw” grip became one of the most popular moves in the country and helped to combine Japan’s predominant “Puroresu” Sumo style of wrestling with the more theatric elements of televised American wrestling.
Adkisson’s last match came in 1986, just as the WCCW talent pool was running dry. By 1989, his company merged with the Continental Wrestling Association. Shortly after, Adkisson and his wife divorced in 1992 after 42 years of marriage. Jack Adkisson died of brain and lung cancer in 1997 at the age of 68, after all but one of his children had passed.
Kevin Von Erich (1957-present)
This eldest Adkisson son, Kevin made his wrestling debut in 1976. With his natural good looks and charming personality, he was frequently used as a headliner for the WCCW, which he spent most of his life wrestling for. His first major success came in the late 1970s wrestling tag team with his brother, David. He wrestled for the WWF and the NWA and made a name for himself in the singles category by taking down Bruiser Brody, a hardcore brawler known for making his opponents bleed.
Kevin participated in the Fabulous Freebirds feud with his younger brothers. The multi-year-long feud is still considered to be one of the best-worked stories in wrestling and one of the most memorable long-term feuds to date. David’s untimely death in 1984 put an end to the Freebirds story, but Kevin wrestled for years after, even mentoring a young “Stone Cold” Steve Austin in the late 80s.
Adkisson never approved of his father’s decision to sell the WCCW and took a brief hiatus in the early 90s to focus on rebuilding the brand. His attempt was ultimately unsuccessful, and within the year he was forced to close it down yet again. He took a hiatus from wrestling during the venture but returned to the sport in 1991 when he joined the WWF.
Kevin retired in 2005, but two of his sons have continued on the Von Erich line. In 2017 at the age of 60, Adkisson made a brief comeback after a 22-year-hiatus when he appeared with his sons at The Rage Wrestling Mega Show. Kevin Von Erich was the only member of the Adkisson family to live to accept his induction into The WWE Hall of Fame in 2009.
David Von Erich 1958-1984
David Von Erich was considered the breakout star of his family when he started his career in 1977. He was married to his first wife in 1978 and welcomed his first child that same year. His daughter would only live a few short weeks, dying of SIDS at just 13 weeks old. Von Erich and his wife never managed to reconcile after her death and divorced in 1979, the same year his wrestling career took off.
With a fiery disposition that led to memorable interviews, Von Erich was an instant hit after his mainstream debut. He made his first, and only, WWF appearance that year before transitioning to Florida and following in his father’s footsteps as a heel for Champion Wrestling. During his time in Florida, he teamed up with wrestler Gorgeous Jimmy Garvin, and the two began a year-long feud, becoming nemesis for the remainder of their season. By 1983, Von Erich had returned to Texas to compete with the Fabulous Freebirds in the first-ever Six-Man Championship, with his brothers, Kevin, and Kerry.
Just a few weeks later, David Von Erich died in a Tokyo hotel from enteritis, swelling of the small intestine. The disease can be caused by a number of things, such as autoimmune disorders like Crohn’s disease, or contaminated food and drink. He was only 25 years old.
Kerry Von Erich 1960- 1993
Kerry Adkisson spent more than a decade working for his father’s company, the WCCW. He made his debut in 1978, and had a consistent running feud with Ric Flair, one that would tie into the Fabulous Freebirds storyline. Kerry defeated Flair in 1984, just three months after David’s death, declaring the victory tribute to his late brother. He lost the championship belt just 18 days later in a controversial match; it was later revealed that the short reign was agreed upon before the match.
In 1986 Kerry was in a near-fatal motorcycle accident that left his right foot mangled. According to Kevin, doctors managed to save his brother’s foot, but Kerry exacerbated the injury while attempting to walk after surgery. The resulting damage resulted in amputation, but Kerry hid the news until after his death in 1993. He continued to wrestle, working for various promoters across the globe and won several championship titles despite his hidden injury. Kerry became addicted to painkillers after the injury.
Kerry told Bret Hart, son of his father’s business partner Stu Hart, that his brothers were calling to him from heaven. In 1993, Adkisson took his own life with a single .44 round to the heart. He was 22 years old.
Kerry Von Erich was posthumously accepted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009.
Mike Von Erich (1964-1987)
Mike Adkisson made his wrestling debut in 1983, just before the Von Erich’s famous family feud with the Fabulous Freebirds. The feud made up most of Adkisson’s career, but the young wrestler found success in Japan and in Israel. Though his brother Kerry tried to give Mike a feud of his own after his 1986 accident, Mike never lived to see the match-up.
The young wrestler would tragically take his life in 1987 after overdosing on pills. Many attributed his death to the pressure of living up to his late brother, David, but the wrestler suffered several traumatic brain injuries before his death. He was diagnosed with Toxic Shock Syndrome after undergoing surgery for a shoulder injury, and brain damage resulted from the infection. The year he took his own life, Adkisson again suffered from a Traumatic Brain Injury. Kevin later said that his brother attacked a streetlight out of frustration over his condition.
Mike Von Erich was posthumously accepted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009.
Chirs Von Erich (1969-1991)
The youngest son of Jack Adkisson grew up watching his brother’s successes. He frequently did odd jobs backstage and behind the WCCW’s cameras and won his first wrestling match at the age of six. His youth prevented him from taking the stage during the company’s heyday, and though he made his debut at 20 in 1990. At just 5’ 5”, Adkisson was already disadvantaged against his giant brothers, but chronic illness prevented him from matching their strength. He suffered from severe asthma from a young age and took Prednisone to suppress his immune system. The drug causes bone and skin thinning and Chirs regularly broke or fractured bones while performing basic wrestling moves.
Though he was less athletic than his brother, Chris remained a fan favorite. Just before his 22nd birthday, the youngest Adkisson took his own life with a gunshot to the head. His elder brother, Kevin, and his mother found him injured outside of the family’s Texas home. Despite their quick action, his injuries were too severe, and he died 20 minutes after arriving at the hospital. Chris Von Erich was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame posthumously in 2009.
The Iron Claw hits theaters December 22, 2023. For a look at how the actors stack up to their on-screen counterparts, check out our coverage here.
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