A pro rassling family patriarch , Fritz Von Erich ( real name : Jack Adkisson ) , and his married woman , Doris , married new in 1950 . A few years after , they welcomed their first son , Jack Jr. , apace conform to by brothers Kevin , David , Kerry and Mike .
What happened to the Von Erich brothers?Well , Fritz worm for nearly 30 eld between 1953 and 1982 , remaining a vital fixture of the National Wrestling Alliance ( NWA ) during his long land tenure . Although he never accomplished hisdreamof winning an NWA World Heavyweight Championship , he create a family dynasty of world - division patronage grappling talent that would see celebrity and glory in the golden age of the professional wrestling business enterprise .
However , as sports fan of the A24 Studio film " The Iron Claw " ( 2023 ) sadly know , the glitz and glam of their rise to fame was just the beginning . The tragic story of the Von Erich folk bequest is get stuck in pain , substance abuse and an overwhelming belief in a sept hex .
Who Were the Von Erich Brothers?
Much of the sidekick ' lives revolved around the wrestling clientele , and almost every one of them would eventually fall dupe to the " Von Erich Curse . "
Jack Adkisson Jr.
The oldest child of the Von Erich wrestling family never stepped into the halo . woefully , Jack Adkisson Jr. passed away from a monster chance event at the vernal age of 6 in Niagara Falls , New York .
The small son step on an electrified trailer lingua , fell unconscious into a melting blow puddle grimace - first , and drowned .
Kevin Von Erich
Kevin , the oldest surviving sidekick , was known during his career with World - Class Championship Wrestling ( WCCW ) as the barefoot " Golden Warrior " who took on succeeding legends such as Chris Adams and Ric Flair .
Although Kevin established himself as a healthy athlete in the professional wrestling industry , he primarily focused on his family , lift two sons ( David Michael and Kevin Marshall ) and two daughters ( Kristen Rain and Jillian Lindsey ) with his wife , Pamela .
At Wrestlemania 25 in 2009 , Kevin stand for the Von Erich Family ’s installation into the World Wrestling Entertainment ( WWE ) Hall of Fame .
David Von Erich
The second - eldest of the Von Erich boys ( played by Harris Dickinson in the biopic ) was a talented wrestler who faced off against big - fourth dimension names like Ric Flair and Harley Race in several Heavyweight Championship matches .
David died in Tokyo , Japan , in 1984 from acute enteritis ( fervour of the small gut ) . However , other matman conceive that a drug overdose do David ’s death and that his friend and fellow grappler " Bruiser Brody " flush the evidence to protect his image .
Kerry Von Erich
Kerry , the " Texas Tornado " ( played by Jeremy Allen White ) , became the most renowned of the Von Erich brothers after snatching the NWA Heavyweight Championship title from Ric Flair in 1984 . Kerry ’s time in the spotlight was unawares - last , as he lost his right foot in amotorcycleaccident in 1986 .
After the accident , he developed an dependency to painkillers and other drugs that led to multiple arrests and a speedy decline . Kerry pass by suicide on February 18 , 1993 , when he shot himself in the chest at his founding father ’s ranch in Denton County , Texas .
Mike Von Erich
In 1985 , Mike was married , divorced , injured and suffered from toxic stupor syndrome , leading to brain damage and severe weighting loss . The following class , he was hurt in a car accident , receive a failed riposte to the anchor ring , and was arrest on DUI andmarijuanapossession charges .
or so four days after making bail , Mike took his own life with alcohol and ataractic .
Chris Von Erich
The young brother of the Von Erich family essay to join the family business , but his slight figure and health issue maintain him out of the spotlight . get by with the loss of his brother Mike and his failed attempts in the ring , Chris also succumbed todrugaddiction and croak by suicide at the immature age of 21 .
Do the Von Erichs Believe in a Family Curse?
Although many believe that the Von Erich curse caused this family ’s cataclysm , Kevin Von Erich has told reporter several times that he does not believe there is a supernatural reason for the tragical consequence in his family history .
A Third Generation of Von Erichs
Kevin ’s son , third - generation wrestlers — Ross von Erich and his brother , Kevin Marshall Von Erich — continued the family ’s wrestling industry bequest .
Although retired as of 2010 , Kerry ’s daughter , Lacey Von Erich , developed a successful career at Total Nonstop Action ( TNA ) and became a Knockout Tag Team Champion .
