Originally from Texas, the Von Erich family is well-known in the wrestling world – but perhaps they're even more infamous for their “curse,” which resulted in a series of deadly tragedies for some members.
When top athlete and patriarch Fritz, who was called “The Iron Claw” in the ring because of a characteristic move, died in 1997 at the age of 68, five of his six sons had already died; three of them by suicide.
His firstborn, Jack Jr., had died after a horrific drowning accident when he was just six years old.
Chris, Mike, David and Kerry all died between the ages of 21 and 33.
Kevin – who is played by Zac Efron in The Iron Claw, an A24 film about the famous family out today – is the last surviving son.
Originally from Texas, the Von Erich family is well-known in the wrestling world – but perhaps even more infamous for their “curse.” Pictured: Fritz Von Erich in the middle and his sons (from left to right) Kevin, David and Kerry
The film delves not only into the harrowing deaths that plagued the Von Erichs, but also the pressure their father Fritz put on them and the legacy of their celebrity status in wrestling.
Here, FEMAIL delves into the inexplicably devastating events that befell the father and sons in real life…
JACK ADKISSON JR.
Fritz's first-born son, Jack Jr., died in 1959 at just six years old. He was electrocuted after touching a live wire while playing in their trailer park in Niagra Falls, New York.
The boy then fell into a puddle of melting snow and drowned.
According to D Magazine, the horrific accident was “a nightmare” for Fritz and his wife Doris – who told her husband she “wanted to die too.”
The outlet revealed that Doris was so devastated by the tragedy that she would continue to measure time related to Jack Jr.'s death years later.
“It happened almost 12 years after Jackie died,” she will say of a family event.”
The film delves not only into the harrowing deaths that plagued the Von Erichs, but also the pressure their father Fritz put on them and the legacy of their celebrity status in wrestling. Pictured from left to right: Kerry, Fritz, Kevin, Chris (front), Mike and David
Kevin – who is played by Zac Efron (above left) in The Iron Claw, an A24 film about the famous family out today – is the last surviving son. Holt McCallany is pictured. Pictured in the middle: Harris Dickinson and right: Jeremy Allen White
DAVID VON ERICH
David Von Erich – played by Harris Dickinson in the film – died in 1984 at the age of just 25.
The reason given was acute enteritis, which is an acute inflammation of the intestines.
As the Dallas Morning News reported at the time, the sports star was in Tokyo, Japan, for a game and was found dead in his hotel room by a referee when he failed to show up in the lobby.
The disease is not usually fatal, but can be fatal if the intestines become inflamed and lose their protective coating, the outlet explained.
In an interview with D Magazine, the family said he vomited before leaving for Japan.
However, many also believe that the true cause was actually a fatal drug overdose.
In his autobiography, To Be The Man, fellow professional wrestler Ric Flair, with whom David famously had a professional feud, claimed that “everyone” in the industry believes that David died after taking narcotics that another athlete had previously taken would have been flushed down the toilet. The authorities arrived.
David – known for his towering stature and in-ring prowess – was nicknamed “The Yellow Rose of Texas” and was notorious in interviews for his fiery temper.
He was married twice. In 1978, David married Candy McLeod and the couple had a daughter that same year.
Tragically, she died in infancy and the couple divorced in 1979. He then married Patricia Matter in 1982, two years before his death.
Pictured left to right: Marshall Von Erich, Kristen Nikolas, Kevin Von Erich, Pam Adkisson and Ross Von Erich at the premiere of The Iron Claw in Texas last month
MIKE VON ERICH
Just three years after David's death, tragedy struck again when it was revealed that Mike von Erich had committed suicide at the age of 23 after a drug and alcohol overdose.
The family's shy, quiet son – played by Stanley Simons in The Iron Claw – is said to have been hesitant to pursue professional wrestling but felt pressure to follow his family's fame.
In 1985 he suffered a shoulder injury while wrestling and had to undergo surgery.
However, complications during the procedure led to toxic shock syndrome, which left him significantly physically weaker.
Mike – whose in-ring name was “Inspirational Warrior” – returned to wrestling but was never the same.
As D Magazine reported, “He tried to do a dropkick in a match and landed right on his face.”
His brain functions were also impaired – Mike would forget movements when he started them and lose track of what he wanted to say.
At a match in Austin, he grabbed the microphone and yelled at the opponent, but he froze because he couldn't remember the line.
In 1987, Mike's body was found in a sleeping bag at Lewisville Lake, Texas, not far from his childhood home.
In his car, which was parked nearby, there was apparently a suicide note that read, “Mom and Dad, I'm in a better place. I'll take care.”
He is survived by his wife, Shani Danette Garza, whom he had married just two years earlier.
CHRIS VON ERICH
Chris – the baby of the family – was known for his weaker physical stature, being only 5ft 7in tall and suffering from asthma and brittle bones.
In 1991, at the age of 21, he injured his head with a pistol.
It is understood that he was not only affected by the tragic loss of his older brothers, but also his lack of success in the industry.
As Today reported via the Baltimore Sun, he was found by his mother and one of his brothers on their ranch in Texas.
KERRY VON ERICH
Kerry Von Erich is portrayed in the film by Jeremy Allen White – known for his success in Shameless and The Bear.
The professional wrestler died at the age of 33 after shooting himself in the chest in 1993.
At his time he was considered the most successful athlete in the Von Erich family.
According to Pro Wrestling Stories, Kerry experienced tragedy after crashing his motorcycle into a police car in 1986.
He was taken to hospital and required surgery where doctors were unable to save the foot – and Kerry's leg was amputated.
Kerry Von Erich is portrayed in the film by Jeremy Allen White (left) – known for his success in Shameless and The Bear
Amazingly, he managed to return to his wrestling career and get back into the ring – but he kept his disability a secret from the public.
Despite his challenges, Kerry still won the WWE – but was also struggling with a painkiller addiction at the time.
He faced two drug arrests and faced possible prison time.
Just days after his 33rd birthday, Kerry shot himself in the heart on his father's ranch in Denton County, Texas.
He is survived by his two children – including Lacey Von Erich, now 37, who also became a professional wrestler after divorcing her mother Catherine Murray just a year before his death.
Kerry's last words to his father Fritz were reportedly: “Dad, I love you.”
Last year, before he began filming The Iron Claw, Jeremy told GQ that he planned to gain 40 pounds of muscle of his own
Professional wrestler Bret Hart wrote in his autobiography, My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling, that Kerry had told him of his plans years ago and expressed that he wanted to join his late brothers.
Last year, before he began filming The Iron Claw, Jeremy told GQ that he planned to gain 40 pounds of muscle of his own.
He also shed light on his personal connection to his character, musing, “There's something human about never feeling like you're truly your own man.”
The Shameless star added: “All great dramas are about family, whether there's blood or not. “It's about acceptance, about belonging and just escaping loneliness.”
FRITZ VON ERICH
Fritz von Erich – played by Holt McCallany in the clip – is considered the patriarch of the family's sporting legacy.
The Von Erich wrestling tradition began not with the brothers, but with their father Jack, who adopted the ring persona of a Nazi named Fritz Von Erich.
When Fritz realized that the last name was sticking, he kept it as a stage name for the family.
The Von Erich wrestling tradition began not with the four brothers, but with their father Jack, who adopted the ring persona of a Nazi named Fritz von Erich (pictured).
Fritz died of cancer in 1997 at the age of 60, leaving behind a legacy as the mastermind of his family's wrestling clan.
He was also known for his prowess in the ring. In his signature move – the Iron Claw – he would extend a hand across an opponent's face and squeeze tightly.
Speaking to D Magazine in 1988, he criticized her family's “curse.”
“The damn thing is that people are watching us now to see what tragedy will happen next.” “I wish I could explain it, but I can't,” he said. “We are better known now because we are dying,” he said.
The outlet also reported on Fritz's strict upbringing of the boys, with the father saying he was “absolutely” not too strict with his children
“One time Kerry shouted at me that he shouldn't be hit, so I ripped his ass off even harder,” he added.
Fritz also said he taught his sons everything from hunting to riding motorcycles and encouraged them to stand up to bullies if they ever harmed them.
KEVIN VON ERICH
Kevin Von Erich is the last surviving son of the family and is now 66 years old. He is played by Zac Efron in the film.
He is married to Pam Adkisson and the couple has four children together. Two of them – Ross, 36, and Marshall, 31, are also professional wrestlers.
Kevin is also a one-time world champion in the sport.
Last week in his Variety cover story, Zac Efron talked about how hard he worked for his upcoming film.
Ahead of the pro wrestling biopic's premiere, the 36-year-old actor opened up about the intense preparation for the film, admitting he was “obsessed.”
“It was a singular focus for months,” he said of working on the film. “And your life goes out the window while you’re preparing.”
Kevin Von Erich is the last surviving son of the family and is now 66 years old. He is played by Zac Efron in the film (pictured)
“This need to be perfect…became an obsession,” he confessed.
For his latest project, he told the outlet that he worked out several hours a day and did volume training to gain 15 pounds of muscle.
He also revealed that he would actually wrestle several times a day and on consecutive days a week during the filming of the matches, which lasted seven to 15 minutes.
He noted that his intensive training helped him prepare.
“I was able to incorporate old-school bodybuilding and Olympic weightlifting and really achieve the specific look of a pro wrestler,” he explained, adding that it was “really hard.”
Zac explained that the physical transformation helped him live in character, but he found that he had become “withdrawn” just like his character.
“It was an unexpected ally,” he said. “With all that weight, you don’t feel normal.”
“And the delayed onset muscle soreness went through the roof,” he admitted.
Zac explained that the physical transformation helped him live in character, but he found that he had become “withdrawn” just like his character
“During preparation, it's one thing to get it under control – you don't have to be particularly social. I found myself becoming quite withdrawn.
In an interview with TMZ last year, the real Kevin Von Erich showered Zac with praise, saying with a laugh, “I saw a picture of the guy – he looked great, man, I don't think I've ever looked that good!”
Kevin also had some warm words for Sean, adding: “I spoke to the director.” “He seemed like a really nice guy.”
Although he predicted that the film would be a “hard work” due to the amount of “information” and long amount of time that had to be put into the script, he was optimistic that “they will do great.”