Von Erich Family Tree — The Iron Claw
There are a lot of legendary people in the fascinating world of professional wrestling, but the Von Erich family has left the most lasting impression. “The Iron Claw,” a new historical drama directed by Sean Durkin, gives a moving look into the troubled lives of this famous wrestling family. In reality, five Von Erich brothers entered the wrestling ring. The movie doesn’t show Chris, the youngest brother, though, because his story is similar to that of two of his bigger brothers, Kerry and Mike. tvacute will look at the Von Erich family tree from generation to generation and learn about the successes, failures, and impacts that live on in the annals of wrestling history.
About the family of Von Erich:
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Von Erich family became the first family of Lone Star professional wrestling. The Von Erich family is now linked to Texas-based wrestling. Fritz Von Erich, whose real name was Jack Barton Adkisson Sr., was the patriarch. Fritz Von Erich, whose real name was Jack Adkisson, changed his family name at the advice of his wrestling trainer Stu Hart so that it would fit better with his role as a Nazi officer. He had a successful wrestling career and later became president of the World Class Championship Wrestling company.
In the 1950s, Fritz played a patriotic German “heel” character. In some areas, witchcraft beliefs said that the family curse had its roots in Fritz’s Nazi act. There were scary stories about the Von Erich family, including the idea that the family was cursed by the ghost of a Holocaust victim.
Fritz Von Erich
Fritz’s marriage to Doris J. Smith in 1950 started a family line that would last for many generations. Together, they had six boys, named Jack Barton Jr., Kevin, David, Kerry, Mike, and Chris. Sadly, their first child, Jack Barton Jr., died when he was only seven years old. Fritz was a very strong wrestler who won the NWA United States Championship 20 times and the NWA World Championship 3 times. His signature move, “The Iron Claw,” became famous and stood for both his power in the ring and the difficulties his kids had to face. Fritz and Doris got a divorce in 1992, after being married for 42 years. Fritz Von Erich passed away on September 10, 1997, from brain and lung cancer.
Jack Barton Jr. (1952–1959), Kevin (born 1957), David (1958–1984), Kerry (1960–1993), Mike (1964–1987), and Chris (1969–1991) are all in the family line. Each son added to the family’s fighting history in his way.
Jack Barton Jr.
Kevin Von Erich’s younger brother Jack Jr. died in a terrible accident on March 7, 1959. He was only seven years old. The event happened when the family was younger and they lived in a trailer. When Jack Jr. was outside playing, he touched an electric trailer tongue by mistake. He was shocked and drowned in a pool of melting snow. This terrible event had a huge impact on the Von Erich family, especially Fritz Von Erich. It changed the way the family worked together and Fritz’s personality. Jack Jr.’s death is still a sad part of the Von Erich family’s past.
The family of Kevin Von Erich:
The second boy who lived, Kevin, made wrestling history that will never be erased. The start of a new era was when he married Pam Adkisson in 1980. Kevin, the last boy still alive, took on the job of continuing the Von Erich family name. The couple runs a family trading business out of Hawaii where they live. Their four kids — Kristen, Jillian, David Michael Ross, and Kevin Marshall — carry on the family name. Kevin even won a world title once.