The Von Erich family (from left to right): Kerry, Fritz, Kevin, Chris (front), Mike and David. Only Kevin remains alive as of 2024.
The Von Erich family is an American professional wrestling family. Originally from Texas, their actual surname is Adkisson, but every member who has been in the wrestling business has used the ring name "Von Erich," after the family patriarch, Fritz Von Erich (Jack Adkisson). Jack took on the name as part of his wrestling gimmick (i.e. in-ring persona) as he originally portrayed a Nazi heel, hence his use of a German name.
By the time Fritz died of cancer in his Denton County home in 1997 at age 68, five of his six sons had predeceased him, three by suicide. His firstborn, Jack Jr., was accidentally electrocuted by a downed power line and drowned in a puddle at age 6 in 1959, outside his Niagara Falls home. In 1984, David Von Erich died in a Tokyo hotel from enteritis at age 25. Mike, Chris, and Kerry all died by suicide; Mike took an overdose of Placidyl near Lewisville Lake in 1987 at age 23, Chris shot himself in the head with a 9mm handgun in 1991 at age 21, and Kerry shot himself in the chest in the family yard in 1993 at age 33. Kevin Von Erich is the last surviving son.
These deaths are the main basis for a widespread myth about a family curse. The term "Von Erich curse" is also used colloquially to refer to the chain of events leading to each brother's death, as well as associated tragedies (such as the death of David von Erich's two-month-old daughter of SIDS in 1978). The story of the Von Erich family has been presented as a cautionary tale about parental influence and the various dangers of the professional wrestling business.[1]
The Von Erichs' involvement in wrestling has continued to a third generation: Kevin's sons Marshall and Ross began wrestling in 2012, and Kerry's daughter Lacey wrestled from 2007 until her retirement in 2010.
^Grater, Tom (January 22, 2020). "'Martha Marcy May Marlene' Director Sean Durkin Plots Pic On Von Erich Wrestling Family; Tessa Ross & BBC Films Onboard". Deadline. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
The VonErichfamily is an American professional wrestling family. Originally from Texas, their actual surname is Adkisson, but every member who has been...
longtime Texas wrestler and wrestling promoter Fritz VonErich and a member of the VonErichfamily. Mike had five brothers: David, Kerry, Kevin, Jack and...
professional wrestler, better known by the ring name David VonErich. A member of the VonErichFamily, VonErich is best known for his appearances with World Class...
wrestler, better known by his ring name, Kevin VonErich. A member of the VonErichfamily, VonErich is best known for his appearances with his father's...
known under the ring name Chris VonErich of the VonErichfamily. The smallest and youngest of the VonErichfamily at 5'5" and 175 pounds, Chris aspired...
known by her ring name Lacey VonErich. She is the daughter of Kerry VonErich and the granddaughter of Fritz VonErich. She is best known for her time...
better known by his ring name Kerry VonErich, was an American professional wrestler. He was part of the VonErichfamily of professional wrestlers. He is...
his ring name Fritz VonErich, was an American professional wrestler, wrestling promoter, and the patriarch of the VonErichfamily. He was a 3-time world...
Ross VonErich are an American professional wrestling tag team, consisting of brothers Marshall and Ross Adkisson. They are the sons of Kevin VonErich. They...
VonErich and was billed as the son of Fritz VonErich's "brother" Waldo. In reality, neither Vaughan nor Waldo were related to the Adkisson family or...
the ring name Waldo VonErich, playing the character of a villainous Prussian Nazi. He was billed as the brother of Fritz VonErich, making him a kayfabe...
promoted by Fritz VonErich's World Class Championship Wrestling first in 1961, in 1972 and then annually from 1984 through 1988. VonErich used the "Parade...
Mantell, David VonErich, Gary Hart, Bruiser Brody and Kevin VonErich provided fans with hard hitting action centered on the popular VonErich brothers and...
Fritz Erich Georg Eduard von Manstein (born Fritz Erich Georg Eduard von Lewinski; 24 November 1887 – 9 June 1973) was a German Generalfeldmarschall (Field...
Erich's mother, Klara Jeanette Henriette von Tempelhoff (1840–1914), was the daughter of the noble but impoverished Friedrich August Napoleon von Tempelhoff...
Wrestling. Gower was a classmate of Kerry VonErich in high school and a longtime friend of the VonErichfamily. Gower was ranked 5th in the nation in High...
General Erich Georg Sebastian Anton von Falkenhayn (11 September 1861 – 8 April 1922) was a German general who was the second Chief of the German General...
Harris Dickinson, and Lily James. The film is a biography based on the VonErichfamily of wrestlers. Durkin participated in the 2012 Sight & Sound critics'...
Sedgwick family, another prominent New England family that faced similar experiences VonErichfamily, an American professional wrestling family that faced...
Dallas promotion (formerly WCCW), which was 40 percent owned by the VonErichfamily, withdrew from the USWA in September 1990 due to a revenue dispute...
Erich Moritz von Hornbostel (25 February 1877 – 28 November 1935) was an Austrian ethnomusicologist and scholar of music. He is remembered for his pioneering...
Brody April 24, 2019 (2019-04-24) 0.214 4 4 "The Last of the VonErichs" VonErichfamily May 1, 2019 (2019-05-01) 0.225 5 5 "The Mysterious Death of Gorgeous...
joined the World Class Championship Wrestling. He was developed by the VonErichfamily as the babyface "Big Daddy Bundy" (after Shirley Crabtree's "Big Daddy"...
Bundy in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019) and Kevin VonErich in The Iron Claw (2023). In 2021, he won a Daytime Emmy Award for hosting...
high-profile feud with the VonErichfamily. They wrestled David VonErich, Kerry VonErich, Mike VonErich and Kevin VonErich numerous times in 1986. Roberts...
Maeve Kennedy McKean) The Dangbar Family The Sedgwick family[relevant? – discuss] The VonErichfamily The family of Bruce Lee, also known as "The Curse...
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