Top 10 Things The Iron Claw Gets Factually Right and Wrong
#10: The Von Erich “Curse”
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Right While it’s debatable if curses exist, there’s no denying that the Von Erich family was consumed with tragedy. Some assume that the so-called curse started with the death of Fritz and Doris’ firstborn son, Jack Barton Jr. As the film touches upon, misfortune plagued the Von Erich name well before Fritz became a father. Von Erich was Fritz’s grandmother’s maiden name. Growing up, Fritz heard stories about how his grandma would lose things and hurt herself. His grandfather often said that his grandma was cursed, which Fritz interpreted as a joke. After losing Jack, Fritz began to wonder if there truly was a family curse. Fritz’s concerns intensified when he learned that much of his grandma’s family died from a virus outbreak and starvation.
#9: The Von Erich Name’s Full Backstory
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Wrong In need of a catchy stage name, Jack Barton Adkisson started going by Fritz Von Erich. Although Von Erich was a family name on his grandmother’s side, the film overlooks one of its more controversial aspects. Being a distinctly German name, Fritz Von Erich modeled his in-ring persona after a nazi. Fritz knew that if he got people to hate him, it’d be a surefire way to succeed in professional wrestling. He eventually dropped the nazi villain persona, forming a more heroic identity in the ring. However, Fritz kept the Von Erich name, which he passed on to his sons. While the Von Erich name was already supposedly cursed, superstitious wrestling fans couldn’t help but wonder if Fritz’s nazi gimmick brought his family bad karma.
#8: The Von Erich Family Lived in a Trailer
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Right When we first meet the Von Erich family, Fritz, Doris, and their two young boys have their entire lives packed up in a trailer. As seen in the film, Fritz surprised Doris by purchasing a new Cadillac, despite not being on steady financial ground. Fritz would drive around the U.S. and Canada, participating in wrestling matches while his family remained at various trailer parks. Staying in Niagara Falls, New York, Jack Jr. tragically drowned in a puddle of melted snow after being electrocuted by a trailer tongue. Several years later, the Von Erichs decided to make Texas their permanent residence. With Fritz’s career finally taking off, they sold the mobile home and bought a house where they hoped to move on from the past.
#7: Fritz Von Erich Ranked His Sons
Right Most parents will likely tell you that they love their children equally. Fritz Von Erich wasn’t like most parents, however. In “The Iron Claw,” the family sits around the breakfast table where Fritz ranks his children. Mike comes in last, but as Fritz reminds him, the ranking isn’t set in stone. According to the real Kevin Von Erich, his father wasn’t above playing favorites. Jack Jr. was excluded from the ranking, as he had died years ago. Fritz showed favoritism to Kerry with Kevin happy to be in second. The Von Erich patriarch was harder on David, although, at one point, he showed the most promise in the ring. Mike, meanwhile, was less likely to become a champion and therefore fell short in Dad’s ranking.
#6: The Timing of Kerry Von Erich’s Accident
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Wrong In the wake of David’s death, either Kevin or Kerry would take his place in the Heavyweight Championship match against Ric Flair. As the movie depicts, Kerry won the coin toss, going on to take the belt from Flair. Almost immediately after this victory, Kerry is involved in a motorcycle accident that claims his right foot. Although an accident did transpire, the film condenses the timeframe. Kerry’s fateful crash took place on June 4, 1986, almost two years after he fought Flair. “The Iron Claw” also excludes a key detail following Kerry’s career highlight. Only 18 days after Kerry claimed the belt, Flair won it back in Japan. Kerry’s time as the NWA World champ would be among the shortest reigns in the title’s history.
#5: David Von Erich’s Death in Japan
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Right 25 years after Jack Jr., David became the second Von Erich boy to prematurely leave this earth. Gearing up for a major match against Ric Flair, David’s body was found in his hotel room in Tokyo, Japan. According to the Von Erich family, David’s death was caused by an inflammation of the intestines. “The Iron Claw” gives this explanation as well, although it leaves out some of the conspiracy theories surrounding David’s demise. At the time, rumors started circulating that David died from a drug overdose. Ric Flair would feed into this theory, claiming that fellow wrestler Bruiser Brody got rid of the evidence to protect his family’s legacy. Based on the evidence, though, all signs point to ruptured intestines as the Von Erichs claim.
#4: Mike Von Erich’s Spiral After Surgery
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Right Although he was more interested in music, Mike Von Erich attempted to join the family business. A wrestling tour in Israel marked the beginning of the end for Mike, who suffered a shoulder injury. Returning to Texas, Mike went in for a routine shoulder surgery. Things took an unexpected turn when Mike ran up a temperature no less than 105 °F, developing toxic shock syndrome. Overcoming the odds, Mike survived the ordeal, but he was never the same physically or mentally. About a year after his surgery, he mixed alcohol and sleeping pills. Driving to an outdoor area, Mike zipped himself in a sleeping bag and was never seen alive again. Mike left multiple letters behind for his family, including one saying he’d be watching.
#3: Kevin Von Erich Found Kerry’s Body
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Wrong The film builds to a heartbreaking scene where Kevin arrives at the family ranch, concerned for his only living brother. Hearing a gunshot, Kevin finds Kerry’s body by a tree. Taking his anger out on his father, Kevin carries his brother’s body inside and places it on the table. It’s true that Kerry took his own life near the family ranch after years of medical issues and run-ins with the law. However, Kevin wasn’t the one who discovered his body. Rather, it was Fritz who found his son. Shortly before his death, Kerry gave Fritz a hug, telling his father that he loved him. Since his accident, Kerry had expressed a desire to be reunited with his brothers, which the film portrays.
#2: Kevin Von Erich Gave Ric Flair The Iron Claw
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Right Grieving the loss of David and Mike, Kevin takes his rage out on Ric Flair during a match. Kevin delivers his family’s signature Iron Claw move, but he loses control. As others tell him to stop, Kevin continues to press down upon his rival’s head. Kevin is eventually pried away, getting disqualified. This sequence remains mostly faithful to what transpired between Kevin and Flair at the 2nd Von Erich Memorial Parade of Champions. Fritz intervened in the fight, convinced that Kevin would kill Flair if he continued. The match concluded in a double count-out with Kevin failing to take the title. The one major difference is that this happened in 1985, which was a year after David’s death but two years before Mike’s.
#1: There Were Five Von Erich Brothers
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Wrong Kevin wasn’t the one who found Kerry dead, but he did stumble upon another brother’s body. Along with his mother, Kevin discovered his brother Chris with a self-inflicted gunshot wound outside of the family property. The sixth and youngest brother, Chris Von Erich is absent from “The Iron Claw.” The filmmakers decided to exclude Chris simply because of the runtime. In terms of pacing, Chris’ absence makes sense seeing how his death was eerily similar to Kerry’s. Chris was also the least involved in wrestling, struggling with health problems throughout his youth. While Chris became a professional wrestler in 1990, he’d take his life the next year. Kerry followed two years later, leaving Kevin as the only remaining Von Erich brother.
