Growing up as a wrestling fan in the South during the 80s, you couldn’t not know the name of the Von Erich family. But since I wasn’t in Texas, I don’t think I understood the depth of just how famous the Von Erich family was.
Jack Adkinson parlayed a failed professional football career into a career in professional wrestling. Jack got his start during the 50s and wanted to be a “heel” or a bad guy. His gimmick was of Nazi Fritz Von Erich and he became incredibly popular. Eventually, he became a promoter of the World Class Championship Wrestling territory in Dallas, Texas.
Fritz and his wife Dottie had six sons. Their oldest Jackie Jr. died in a freak accident when he was only 7 years old.
While Fritz Von Erich was a staunch heel, their remaining sons were all the very definition of clean-cut “babyfaces” in the wrestling business. A babyface is the good guy in a wrestling storyline.
Kevin is the oldest surviving brother. David, Kerry, Mike, and Chris were all incredibly close. Kevin, David, and Kerry were the most famous of the wrestling brothers. Mike was reluctantly dragged into the family business. Chris loved the wrestling business, but health issues and a lack of size kept him from attaining the fame that his older brothers reached. Chris was almost a foot shorter than David, Kerry, and Kevin.
The Von Erich boys were all good-looking, muscular, athletic, and charismatic. Four characteristics that pro wrestling promoters wish they could bottle! Those characteristics are where money is made!
Here’s where the wheels fall off the story.
David Von Erich was tapped to win the National Wrestling Alliance World Championship in Texas Stadium in May of 1984 from the iconic “Nature Boy ‘’ Ric Flair. As his fame started to grow, David started using anabolic steroids and started partying very hard.
While on a tour of Japan mere months before what would’ve been his crowning achievement in Texas Stadium, David was found dead in his hotel room. His official cause of death was listed as enteritis which is an inflammation of the intestines. But many — including Ric Flair who wrote this in his memoir — believe that David overdosed from painkillers.
Mike was always smaller and more reserved than his older brothers. Mike’s true passion was playing the guitar and his music. After David passed away, he was reluctantly pulled into the family business. During a tour of Israel, Mike severely injured his shoulder and had to have surgery. During the surgery, Mike went into toxic shock and was placed into a coma. After he was released from the hospital, he, Fritz, and Kevin held an ill-advised press conference promising a return to the ring. But Mike suffered brain damage during his illness. He became severely depressed and eventually overdosed on sleeping pills, taking his own life.
Kerry was a world-class discus thrower at the University of Houston and had Olympic aspirations. But the 1980 Olympic Boycott shattered those dreams. He eventually got into the family business and attained huge success. After David died, Kerry was tapped to beat Ric Flair in Texas Stadium for the World Championship.
Side note, if you’re a fan of masterful wrestling storytelling, the ending of that Kerry/Flair match is on YouTube.
Kerry was severely injured in a motorcycle crash that eventually led to the amputation of his foot. He wrestled with a prosthetic that nobody publicly knew about. He was the only one of the Von Erich brothers who worked for the WWF, winning the Intercontinental Championship from “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig (speaking of a tragic end to HIS story.)
Kerry developed an addiction to painkillers, his marriage fell apart, and he eventually took his own life in 1993.
Then there was Chris. Chris’s size ended up keeping him from attaining the success in the wrestling business his older brothers had. However, he did have feuds with Percy Pringle (who became the Undertaker’s manager, Paul Bearer,) and a young Steve Austin several years before he became Stone Sold.
Chris took his life in 1991 at the criminally young age of 21.
I saw the film The Iron Claw on Christmas night. And while I knew of how the Von Erich brothers’ story ended up, I sure as hell wasn’t ready for seeing what I saw.
Zac Efron plays Kevin. And if he doesn’t get some Oscar love, you might as well shut down the award. This isn’t the same “himbo” from Baywatch! He’s never been better.
Fritz is portrayed as the textbook definition of toxic masculinity. He told his sons not to cry at David’s funeral! He was an awful father! In retrospect, I feel like Fritz has several of his son’s blood on his hands because of his complete absence of empathy — especially how badly he pushed and almost bullied Mike to get into wrestling.
And Chris’ story was never mentioned. The director chose to cut his arc because it was similar in many ways to Mike’s (and that must’ve been one hell of an awkward phone call with Kevin.)
The wrestling sequences were all very well done. Chavo Guererro was the wrestling stunt coordinator. He trained all the actors to be able to make the moves look realistic on camera and even had a cameo during a wrestling sequence. And current AEW star Maxwell Jacob Friedman was a producer on the film and even had a short cameo as “Lance Von Erich”, a storyline cousin of the Von Erich boys.
The film itself I give an 8/10. Thank God Ric Flair was only in one scene because the actor who played him was so poorly cast. And I almost feel like the film could’ve been a five-part miniseries with each episode focusing on the adult Von Erich boys.
I certainly recommend the movie. Even if you’re not a wrestling fan, I recommend the movie for the Greek tragedy that it is.
And being the music nerd that I am, I couldn’t help but appreciate the way the Rush song Tom Sawyer was used. According to the film, Mike was responsible for introducing Kerry to what became his most famous entrance song.
Was it really that way? Who knows? But I loved how well that was done.
Kevin is the only one of the Von Erich brothers who survived. He and his wife Pam (their relationship was by far the most hopeful part of the entire film) have been married for over 40 years and have a huge roster of grandchildren. Kevin and Pam’s sons Marshall and Ross are attempting to make a name for themselves in the wrestling business.
I cannot imagine the pain that Kevin has experienced. And I want to flashback to a story I heard a few years ago on a pro wrestling radio show called Busted Open Radio. I wish I could remember how this story was shared but it stuck with me and I flashed on it several times as I watched the film.
This old man was working the counter at a gun store. He was a wrestling fan who witnessed Kevin Von Erich come into his store. Kevin stole a pistol, stuffed it down the front of his pants, and walked out of the store.
Knowing the story of what happened with his family, the old man said something that has forever changed Kevin’s life.
“Hey Kev?” he calls out. “I love you.”
Kevin gets to his car and puts the key in the ignition. He started thinking about what he was about to do (presumably about to take his own life.) He takes the gun back inside the store and puts it back on the counter.
He and the old man look at each other. Kevin broke down sobbing into this strange man’s embrace. He prayed with Kevin. And obviously, he didn’t take his own life.
I don’t give a damn how tough or famous you are, everybody needs a little kindness in their life.
At the end of the film, Kevin is sitting on the grass of his home, watching his kids playing, watching his dogs running around, and watching his pregnant wife in her flower garden.
Kevin’s sons notice tears streaming down his face.
“What’s wrong, Daddy?” one of them asks.
“I was just thinking how once I had five brothers. Now I’m no longer a brother.” That line wrecked me!
The story of the Von Erich family is a Greek tragedy of the highest order. Even if you’re not a wrestling fan, I hope you can see some of your resilience in Kevin’s story arc.
