The Shocking True Story of the Von Erich Curse

The Shocking True Story of the Von Erich Curse

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be discussing The Shocking True Story of the Von Erich Curse.

The 2023 film “The Iron Claw” dramatized the lives and careers of The Von Erich Family, a name synonymous with professional wrestling in the 1970s and ‘80s. However, is there any basis to the conjecture that this First Family of Texas Wrestling was cursed?

The short answer to our first question is “no,” at least according to the real life Kevin Von Erich. The last surviving Von Erich brother told Vice as much during his appearance on the season 1 episode of “Dark Side of the Ring” titled, tellingly, “The Last of the Von Erichs.” However, this hasn’t stopped many wrestling fans and journalists from musing about how so much misfortune and personal tragedy can afflict one family line so deeply, from a father to his sons.

Zac Efron’s portrayal of Kevin in “The Iron Claw” presents a Von Erich who lends more weight to the apparent “curse” that’s seemed to follow his family since the days his father, Jack Adkisson, changed his name to “Fritz Von Erich.” The elder Adkisson portrayed a “heel,” or bad guy, during his wrestling heyday in the 1950s and ‘60s. The name “Fritz Von Erich” was actually given to Jack from the patriarch of another famous wrestling family, the Harts. Specifically, it was Stu Hart who paired Jack as “Fritz” alongside wrestler Walter Sieber, dubbed Waldo, as the fictional, villainous, German Von Erich Brothers.

Fritz Von Erich and his kayfabe (a.k.a. “storyline”) brother Waldo were billed as German nationals with sympathies to that country’s historical connections to World War II. Thus, Fritz became a feared heel in Stu Hart’s Canadian territory of Stampede Wrestling (then known as Klondike Wrestling). It was the relatively early days of his career where Fritz would develop his feared “Iron Claw” finishing maneuver. Described simply: it was when he would grasp his opponent’s head in a vice-like grip, and squeeze until his foe succumbed to the pressure.

The “Iron Claw” was passed down by Fritz to his sons, as they, too, entered the wrestling business. The powerhouse trio of Kevin, Kerry and David Von Erich were the first to achieve stardom, but they and the rest of the family were already no strangers to tragedy. “The Iron Claw” also touches upon the story of their older brother Jack Adkisson, Jr., who passed away following an accidental electrocution in 1959.

It was the loss of Jack, Jr. that, in part, helped push Fritz to slow down his in-ring career in order to focus on promotion. This would enable the Von Erichs to establish roots, buy a home and hopefully become more financially stable. It would be in World Class Championship Wrestling where the Von Erich’s legacy as The First Family of Texas Wrestling would be forged. The company was founded by Ed McLemore in 1966, but run and operated by Fritz until he passed WCCW to his sons Kevin and Kerry in 1988. This was during an age where professional wrestling was largely split into state-run territories that worked under the larger banner of the National Wrestling Alliance, a.k.a. The NWA. The vagabond life of a traveling wrestler may have been over for Fritz, but WCCW’s television deal with ESPN (as well as its array of impressive talent) enabled his sons to become stars.

Kevin, Kerry and David Von Erich became household names in Texas, gaining the love and respect of their fans, while becoming celebrities in the process. Fritz’s children worked as “babyfaces” or good guys, and exemplified the Von Erich family’s cultivated public persona of virtuous, God-fearing Texans who fought for the straight-and-narrow. In-ring battles with high-profile names like Bruiser Brody, “Gentleman” Chris Adams, Abdullah the Butcher and particularly The Fabulous Freebirds made the three Von Erich sons some of the most popular professional wrestlers, full stop.

However, the path of a professional wrestler at that time historically necessitated at least one trip to Japan. It was here where one’s mettle as a superstar could be tested, new goals achieved and new legacies forged for that country’s rabid pro wrestling faithful. Unfortunately, the journey east would prove fatal for David Von Erich, who died at only 25 years of age, while working there in 1984. The official cause of death provided by the U.S. embassy in Japan was labeled as acute enteritis, resulting in ruptured appendix. Other theories abound, however, including one by Ric Flair that alleges his overuse of painkillers. Another, backed by both Kevin Von Erich and family friend David Manning, surmises that it was perhaps a heart attack that felled The Yellow Rose of Texas.

The story of the Von Erich Family doesn’t get any easier at this point, because no less than three other of Fritz’s sons would die by their own hand in the following years. The first would be Mike Von Erich, who was thrust into the pro wrestling spotlight as a replacement for David. “The Iron Claw” highlights the younger Von Erich’s preferential desire to work behind the scenes in WCCW, as opposed to in the ring. The film also leans into Mike’s interest in music and songwriting. Yet, Mike Von Erich debuted in 1983 for WCCW, and even embarked upon a semi-successful tour of Japan in 1987, near the end of his career.

Prior to this, a 1985 trip to Tel Aviv, Israel, would result in an in-ring shoulder injury. The surgery to repair this injury took a turn for the worse, and Mike suffered toxic shock syndrome as well as some brain damage. He did return to the ring, however, a feat not showcased in “The Iron Claw.” Still, the shadow of David Von Erich loomed large over Mike’s career, and a number of personal setbacks, including a car accident and an arrest for DUI, pushed the young man to a dark place in the spring of 1987. Mike Von Erich was only 23 when he intentionally mixed a combination of alcohol and an excess amount of Placidyl, a sleeping medication.

Chris Von Erich was even younger than Mike, just 21, when he tragically took his own life on September 12th, 1991. The smallest Von Erich brother had followed a similar path to his brother Mike, although by all accounts Chris Von Erich did harbor a deep desire to become a professional wrestler. Unfortunately, the young man’s asthma (and comparatively diminutive stature) made acclimating to wrestling difficult. The portrayal of Mike Von Erich in “The Iron Claw” seems to be an amalgamation of both brothers, since a training sequence underlines the younger Von Erich’s struggles during training. Chris Von Erich’s in-ring career lasted barely a year before his struggles with depression became fatal.

If Mike and Chris struggled to find their footing in professional wrestling, then it’s perhaps Kerry Von Erich that saw the highest profile and the most success. A one-time Olympic hopeful, Kerry would see his career blossom into a tenure with the WWF, after leaving his father’s company in 1990. Kerry’s time working for Vince McMahon would be short-lived, however, and it was during this time where the struggles of Von Erich’s personal life-including arrests, a divorce and substance use-would eventually come to a head. Amazingly, Kerry was still able to wrestle at this elite level, despite enduring a 1986 motorcycle accident that resulted in the amputation of his foot.

Still, Kerry Von Erich’s frustration with his career setbacks and personal challenges proved to be too much for the young man to bear. Kerry Von Erich died on February 18th, 1993. Industry folk such as Bret Hart claim to have had conversations with Kerry, where Von Erich expressed admiration for the self-destructive actions of his brothers, and expressed a desire to follow down their path.

Kevin Von Erich echoed these sentiments during his appearance on “Dark Side of the Ring,” even mentioning how his father, Fritz, once threatened to do the same. Kevin tells the story of an armed Fritz, then suffering from severe brain and lung cancer, admonishing his son for not having “the guts” to follow in his brothers’ footsteps. Fritz Von Erich would eventually succumb to his cancer on September 10th, 1997.

Kevin, meanwhile, is the last surviving original Von Erich. The pro wrestling legend credits family with keeping him grounded amidst that industry’s often tumultuous world. The image presented during his “Dark Side of the Ring” appearance paints a portrait of a grateful man who doesn’t take his success for granted. The relationship between Fritz and his sons is also not painted with as many heavy, dramatic strokes as in “The Iron Claw.” Kevin, by all accounts, paints Fritz Von Erich as a man haunted by the death of his firstborn, Jack, Jr.

Fritz, according to Kevin, was a man who “was at war with the world,” and in deep, personal pain. Unfortunately, there’s no way to go back and paint the Von Erich story with any colorful brushes. We need to look at the present, and perhaps the future, to see how Kevin’s connection to religion and family have borne fruit, and brought peace. Kevin’s sons entered the business, and currently wrestle under the names Ross and Marshall Von Erich. Kerry Von Erich’s daughter Lacey also wrestled for the WWE and TNA until retiring in 2010.

So, is the Von Erich Family cursed? No, but their legacy within the professional wrestling industry is one of public success and private pain. A bittersweet tragedy that’s gone on to both inspire others in its wake, while also serving as a cautionary tale for surviving professional wrestling’s one-of-a-kind way of life.