The story of the Von Erich wrestling family is that of incredible triumph and incomparable tragedy. The misfortune of the Von Erichs is unmatched, and for many, it will often overshadow the amazing highs the family accomplished. Make no mistake, The Von Erichs were unparalleled megastars in the world of wrestling.
The Von Erich Dynasty
Fritz and his sons David, Michael, Chris, Kerry, and Kevin Von Erich are one of the greatest families in wrestling history. That fact often gets blown over by the sheer tragedy the family faced, 5 of Fritz Von Erich’s sons died young, 3 of them to suicide. When one thinks of the Von Erichs, it can be easy to think only of the heartbreak, but the Von Erich family also achieved the highest of highs in the wrestling world.
Fritz Von Erich was one of the greatest heels in wrestling in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, with the ring persona of a Nazi-sympathizing thug, he had an iconic Iron Claw submission, in which he would squeeze his opponent’s head until they bled. Fritz Von Erich became an immediate success, winning the NWA USA Heavyweight Championship three times. Over time, Fritz took on bigger roles behind the curtain, and his growing influence led him to be elected President of the National Wrestling Alliance, the most powerful position behind the scenes in wrestling at the time.
By the 1980s, the Von Erichs had achieved worldwide fame with their own syndicated TV show, World Class Championship Wrestling. WCCW was a very popular promotion in its time and many will say it was ahead of its time as it was one of the first promotions to use many features that are commonplace in the wrestling world today. Things like entrance music, pyrotechnics, colorful characters, and long-form, elaborate storylines which take place outside of the ring as much as inside, were first used in the WCCW, under the control of Fritz Von Erich. This was a momentous change to how wrestling was viewed at the time.
The Von Erichs Had Massive Popularity
The faces of the WCCW were undeniably Fritz’s sons, Kevin Von Erich “The Golden Warrior,” David Von Erich “The Yellow Rose,” and Kerry Von Erich “The Texas Tornado,” and they all achieved huge success in the promotion. All 3 Von Erich children used their real first names, something that was not common at the time, and were presented as a family of clean-cut, young men from Texas. All the Von Erich children were popular with men, women, and children for their strength, positive values, and enthusiasm to fight for all the right causes.
It isn’t easy to grasp just how popular the Von Erichs were in the early 80s. WCCW was one of the highest-rated shows in syndication and while they were well known around the world, the Von Erichs were practically gods in Dallas, Houston, and the rest of the WCCW territory.
Before wrestling went national, the Von Erichs were selling out arenas across the globe, including with events in Japan and even Israel, and were able to draw crowds of 30,000 and 40,000 in their home state of Texas. WCCW TV ratings were huge wherever they were broadcast and the Von Erich brothers were so popular that they had endorsement deals with businesses all over the Dallas area. The Von Erichs became merchandise machines, selling out anything that had their face on it. Fritz, Kevin, and Kerry Von Erich even starred in their own comic book series, a sci-fi story in which the Von Erichs were beamed up to an alien planet to rescue its kidnapped emperor. The Von Erichs were truly ahead of their time.
If Fritz had decided to take the WCCW national in the early 80s, which many were suggesting he should do, WCCW could perhaps be standing in the same position WWE stands now.
The Von Erich family had a combined 144 professional wrestling championships throughout the years. They were one of the greatest family’s in wrestling history, and they all showed that through their work in the ring. Kevin Von Erich is the only surviving member of the Von Erich family, and he honored his family’s legacy by inducting the Von Erich family into the WWE Hall Of Fame in 2009.
The Von Erich legacy is one of a horrible tragedy, but few Texas wrestling fans will look upon the days of World Class Championship Wrestling for the heartbreak of the Von Erichs; personal lives. For them, WCCW and the legacy of the Von Erich family remains a halcyon day of right versus wrong in professional wrestling.