Kerry Von Erich was tougher than tough in the wrestling ring, but not tough enough to fight off a terrifying family curse.
1. He Faced Unspeakable Tragedy
Family curses are no joke. Just ask the Kennedys. Kerry Von Erich and his family weren't presidential hopefuls, but they suffered a curse that some call even worse. This clan of wrestlers had six sons before this curse cost them nearly everything.
Of course, Kerry Von Erich had his share of wrestling triumphs—he won 40 championships after all—but there was a dark shadow hanging over his family, and he couldn't escape it in. the end.
2. He Was Born Into Sadness
Kerry Von Erich was born Kerry Gene Adkissen on February 3, 1960 in Niagara Falls, New York. When he came into this world, his family was already dealing with a terrible tragedy. The first son, Jack Jr, touched a wire near the trailer park where they lived a few months before Kerry's birth. The wire electrocuted the six year-old-boy, he fell into a puddle of melting snow, and drowned.
Sadly, it would be best for this family to get used to tragedy. There was a lot more coming their way.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
3. He Didn’t Have Much Choice
As a teenager, Kerry’s dads’ career loomed large in the family. Jack Adkisson Sr. was a professional wrestler who used a very dark theme as his wrestling persona. He dressed like a member of the SS and took the name “Fritz Von Erich” because it fit his macabre character.
When Fritz Von Erich’s wife gave him five strapping young sons, he saw a vision of a squad of professional wrestlers. Kerry had little choice but to follow in dad’s footsteps. But as a trainer, dad had some rather bizarre ideas.
4. He Had Wacko Training
After a move to Texas, dad started training the boys to be wrestlers. In their large barn, dad would tie up Kerry and his brothers, hang them upside down from the ceiling by their ankles, and let them fight it out. Maybe because of this bizarre training, Kerry wasn’t sure that wrestling was for him.
He decided to break away from it and try something completely different. Unfortunately for him, he couldn't escape his father.
George Napolitano, Wikimedia Commons
5. It Was All In The Family
When Kerry got to the University of Houston, he took up the discus and soon he was breaking college records in the sport. But if Kerry thought he was getting away from the family legacy, he was wrong. It turned out that dad had previously held the same record.
Still, Kerry wanted to take his discus tossing career to a level that dad had never reached. Fate was about to get in the way.
BrianReading, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
6. He Was Forced Into A Decision
Kerry was thinking he could skip the family wrestling tradition and become an Olympic athlete. The next Olympics were the 1980 games in Moscow, and Kerry was ready to slay on the international circuit. Sadly, politics got in Kerry’s way. Because of a conflict with Russia in Afghanistan, then President Jimmy Carter called a boycott of the games.
Kerry’s Olympic dreams had come to a sad end. Now he had to make a life altering decision.
Sergey Guneev, CC BY-SA 3.0 , Wikimedia Commons
7. He Joined The Family
With his Olympic dreams crushed, Kerry had no other choice but to turn to the family business of wrestling. Kerry debuted on May 7, 1978 and he was soon fighting alongside brother Kevin. What followed was one brother after the other becoming a big deal in the wrestling community. When they put the boys all together, they created an earth shattering phenomenon.
But nothing could prepare Kerry and his brothers for what happened next.
Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons
8. They Were A Phenomenon
Fans called Kerry and his brothers the “golden-haired gods”, and they basically owned the Dallas Sportatorium. Supporters screamed for Kerry and his brothers like they were members of a boy band. As far as Texans saw it, they were the biggest things in the world.
Kerry, considered the most handsome of the brothers, took this pop star status to a surprising level.
9. He Tasted Weird
When Kerry would arrive at the Sportatorium in Dallas, he’d get a thrill enjoying all the female attention. After a while he developed an interesting habit. He started kissing his most adoring fans. Most women loved getting a lip full of Kerry. But one of these women spilled the dirty details: Apparently his breath smelled like Doritos.
Kerry was using what he had to stand out from his brothers. And he had a few more tricks up his sleeve.
10. He Finished Them Off
To further stand out from his wrestling family, Kerry came out with two signature moves. He borrowed something from his university days and invented what he called his spinning discus punch. The other was the infamous “Iron Claw”. This consisted of relentlessly squeezing his opponent’s temples in order to finish them off.
Kerry was one frightening opponent—and he was about to make a very powerful enemy.
11. He Intimidated A Star
Kerry had two things going for him. He was good looking and he was really, really built. He was so big, in fact, that Arnold Schwarzenegger had a problem with him. The famed bodybuilder—and future Terminator star—reportedly refused to stand next to him during a photo op if they were both topless.
But while Kerry's body put everyone else to shame, he still had his fair share of..."interesting" quirks.
John E. Biever, Wikimedia Commons
12. He Had Strange Footwear
Kerry’s brother Kevin’s method to stand out from the other Von Erichs was to always wrestle with no shoes on. The thing was, Kerry also preferred wrestling bootless. To avoid stepping on his brother’s toes, Kerry painted his feet black. That way everyone would still think that Kevin was the only barefoot brother.
Yes, the brothers were incredibly loyal to each other—but they were already fighting demons.
13. They Only Looked Perfect
From the outside, the Von Erich family seemed to live in a perfect world, but fans didn’t know everything. Kerry and his brothers were using something dangerous. When their bodies were about to give out from too much training, they used something called "deadener" so they wouldn’t feel the pain.
Using this drug would later lead to disaster for Kerry, but at the moment he needed it to survive. After all, he was heading for a career-defining fight.
14. He Faced Off Against The Best
The NWA World Heavyweight Champion is a very big deal and Kerry desperately wanted to hold it. At the time Harley Race held the title, and Kerry needed to beat him to get it. Race was, and is, on many lists as one of the best professional wrestlers of all time. But n June 4, 1982, Kerry dramatically defeated Harley and realized his dream.
As the brand new champion, Kerry would now have to face even more terrifying competitors.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
15. He Wrestled A Giant
In the early 1980s, Kamala the Ugandan Giant was one of the most formidable contenders around. In fact, his manager offered a cash prize to anyone who could slam him. Kerry couldn’t afford to be afraid. He took on Kamala the Ugandan Giant, made him fall, and collected his prize money.
Next on Kerry’s bucket list was something that every wrestler needs: an epic feud.
16. He Chose A Formidable Opponent
Kerry took his first feud seriously and started right at the top. He chose the NWA World Heavyweight Champion title holder Ric Flair, one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. On August 15, 1982, Kerry learned that it was not for nothing they called Flair the greatest. Kerry disastrously lost the match and missed out on the NWA title.
Von Erich would remember the sting of losing to his arch enemy—and he’d soon get his chance for revenge.
17. He Had A Second Chance
On Christmas Day, 1982, Kerry would get his chance to fight Flair again and hopefully win the NWA title. This time it would be a rougher ride as it was a no disqualification, tag team, steel cage match. Midway through the match, Kerry was in trouble. On the sidelines were members of The Fabulous Freebirds offering Kerry some much needed help.
Kerry’s response to the The Fabulous Freebirds would go down in wrestling history.
18. He Was Too Proud
Kerry knew he was in trouble and saw that The Famous Freebirds were offering to help. But Kerry was too proud to accept any kind of help. He wanted to win on his own. Instead, he lost on his own. During the fight, one of Flair’s teammates slammed a door on Kerry’s head, giving Flair the advantage. Flair had won again and kept his title.
Losing the fight was bad enough, but now Kerry had made enemies of the Fabulous Freebirds.
19. He Made Time For Romance
Despite all the drama going on in the ring, Kerry still had time for romance. He met Catherine Murray and the two walked down the aisle on June 18, 1983. The couple wanted to form a real family, and they wasted no time getting down to the task. They had two daughters in rather quick succession: Hollie Brooke in 1984, and Lacy Dawn two years later.
It seemed as though Kerry was on his way to becoming a responsible adult. Sadly, this was not at all the case.
20. He Was Carrying
In 1983, Kerry and his wife were returning from a trip to Mexico. Rumor has it that authorities at the Dallas-Ft Worth International Airport stopped Kerry and searched his luggage, they found a treasure trove of narcotics inside. However, information about this incident is suspiciously slim. Rumor has it that dad paid off the DA, and any charges laid magically disappeared.
Sounds like Kerry had avoided the Von Erich curse this time. Sadly, it was lying in wait to deliver some devastating news.
Quintin Soloviev, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
21. Dad Had A Dangerous Rule
In February, 1984 Kerry’s brother David was in Japan for a fight but had been feeling ill. All the boys knew Dad’s rule was that if you had a fight, you fought, sick or not. David did get in the ring that night—and he later passed in his hotel room.
Kerry and his family later announced the cause as an inflamed small intestine. The truth may have been something much more disturbing.
22. He Stuck To His Story
The Von Erich’s were sticking to a medical explanation for David’s passing. Wrestler Ric Flair—who Kerry had a longtime feud with—thought what ended David’s life was actually a drug overdose. But he wasn't finished throwing around scandalous accusations. He went on to say that someone close to David had disposed of any incriminating evidence down the toilet.
The truth would never come out, but we do know one thing for sure. Kerry had lost a brother. He would soon take his grief to the ring for the fight of his life.
Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons
23. He Took His Place
Before David passed, he was set to fight Ric Flair for the NWA Heavyweight Championship title. Kerry, driven by the pain of his loss, came up with the dramatic idea of taking his brother’s place in the ring. It would be an epic battle. A grieving brother facing his arch enemy.
The stadium was full of 45,000 fanatic fans, and Kerry was more than ready to give them what they so badly wanted.
24. It Was The Match Of His Life
Many consider the night of May 6th, 1984 to be the highlight of Kerry’s career. He faced Ric Flair with an intensity brought on by incredible grief. Family loyalty won that day, and Kerry defeated Flair in front of his adoring fans. He took home the NWA Heavyweight Championship and touchingly dedicated his win to his brother David.
It was a bittersweet win for Kerry, but he had the title he wanted. Sadly, this triumph would be very short lived.
Simon, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
25. He Had To Defend It
Kerry had only 18 days to enjoy his win before he had to face Flair again to hang on to his title. The fight was quickly engulfed in controversy as the rope somehow tangled itself around Kerry’s foot. The referee chose to ignore Kerry’s plight and began his countdown. Kerry lost that day, but he did earn the record for the “12th shortest NWA World title reign in history”.
It was a major defeat for Kerry Von Erich—and it wouldn't help him deal with what was coming next.
Super Festivals, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
26. He Had A Brother From Another Mother
In 1985, an illness sidelined Kerry’s brother Mike. There was an important match coming up, and dad had an outrageous idea. He wanted to add yet another brother to his family of wrestlers. Kerry and his brothers were against this, as they didn’t think lying to their fans about another brother respected their brand.
Dad won out, and the character of Lance Von Erich emerged. Kerry didn’t like it, and had a good reason not to.
Northwest Wrestling News & Views, Wikimedia Commons
27. He Got Caught
Of course, Lance Von Erich hadn’t just come from a puff of smoke. He was Portland area wrestler Ricky Vaughan. It didn’t take fans long to realize that Lance Von Erich wasn’t a real Von Erich, and that meant one thing: the Von Erichs had lied. The brothers were good guys in the wrestling world, and this bold faced lie was bad for publicity.
Kerry was now desperate for some fan love. Well, he was about to get it—but not how he wanted.
28. He Wore Next To Nothing
On June 4, 1986, Kerry was taking a ride on his motorcycle wearing nothing more than silk shorts. Kerry didn’t just have an accident that day; The Von Erich curse sent him crashing right into the back end of an officer’s cruiser. Kerry flew off of his bike and hit the pavement hard.
They rushed him to the hospital and it looked bad. Career ending bad.
29. They Put Him Back Together
The doctors at the Dallas hospital had their hands full. Kerry’s leg was completely crushed, so they got to work taking muscle from other parts of his body to restore it. It was a long process, and after it Kerry would need a whole lot of recovery time if he ever wanted to wrestle again.
The thing was, Kerry’s dad needed his son now, not later. Kerry had to choose. Please his dad or recover properly.
30. It Was Too Soon
Some people believe that it was dad who pushed Kerry back into the ring too soon. Others think that it was Kerry himself who made the decision. What we do know is that a very medicated Kerry entered the ring only six months after an accident that nearly claimed his life. It was way too soon—and made things so much worse.
After the match the doctors had to give Kerry the heartbreaking news.
31. He Made Them Promise
Because Kerry had started wrestling too soon after his accident, the doctors said they had to amputate his foot. This was devastating news to someone who lived off of and loved wrestling. Kerry made a quick decision. He got everyone to swear that they would tell no one about his amputated foot. His plan was to continue wrestling, and keep his competitors and fans in the dark.
Even with an amputated foot, Kerry was anxious to get back in the ring. But he should have learned by now: Nothing good was going to happen in the ring.
32. His Father Collapsed
On Christmas Day 1987, the Von Erichs had just lost a steel cage match. Fritz was having difficulty standing up, so Kerry helped his disoriented dad get out of the cage. The fans started to yell their support for Fritz, but Kerry seemed to realize something was seriously wrong. Suddenly, dad collapsed onto the floor.
It appeared to the horrified fans that Kerry’s dad was having a heart attack. They were in for a surprise.
33. He Made The Fans Angry
Fans soon found out that Fritz Von Erich's heart attack was a hoax, and they were not happy. Maybe some other wrestlers could have pulled this off, but not a Von Erich. Between David's tragic end and Kerry's brutal motorcycle accident, fans were well aware of the Von Erich curse and the fake heart attack hit too close to home.
But as it turned out, this hoax was an omen. The curse was about to strike again, and this time it was going to be all too real.
34. A Note Crushed His Heart
On April 12 of 1987, Kerry and his family found a note that would crush their hearts. It was from Kerry’s brother Mike, and he was talking about ending his life. Four days later they found his lifeless body. He’d gone to Lewisville Lake, drank an enormous amount of booze, and taken a handful of sleeping pills. He was just 23 years old. Kerry had now lost three brothers.
In spite of this horrible loss, Kerry had to carry on wrestling, but it was getting harder and harder. He was still keeping his amputation a secret, and it was about to come out in a spectacular way.
35. It Came Off In His Hand
On November 12, 1988, Kerry was in the ring with Col Debeers for a AWA promotion fight in Las Vegas. Debeers, having no idea about Kerry’s amputation, grabbed his opponent’s right foot and pulled. To Debeers’ horror, the foot came right off in his hand. A few of the fans nearby also saw the macabre scene. Kerry quickly got back into his boots, but now his secret was now out there.
All he could do now was nervously wait for the inevitable response.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
36. There Were Rumors
The wrestling world mercifully decided not to air the footage of Kerry’s missing foot, but that didn’t stop the rumors. Other wrestlers started putting two and two together. They’d noticed that lately Kerry had been coming to the arena already dressed to fight. They also noticed that he’d been showering with his boots on. Hmmm…it was all starting to make sense.
Kerry ignored the rumors and just kept doing what he did best: causing trouble in the ring.
37. He Hit The Wrong Guy
In 1990, Kerry made a blunder that lost him some precious points with his fan base. While in the ring, Kerry didn’t just hit his opponent, he hit his opponent’s father. This was an accident, but that didn’t mean Matt Borne wasn’t angry. Borne went ballistic, and the two wrestlers ended up fighting on the cold hard concrete floor.
This was definitely a low point in Kerry’s career—and yes, he was about to go even lower.
shstrng, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
38. He Lost His Name
In 1989, there was a shake up in the world of wrestling. World Class Wrestling closed down and joined up with USWA, which left Kerry without a home. He’d always resisted signing on with WWF, but now he felt he had no choice. At WWF, he had to change his name to the Texas Tornado, which made him feel even further away from his beloved family.
Wrestling didn’t feel the same for Kerry, so he decided to go out on a limb and try something completely different.
39. He Got On Screen
Kerry thought he’d take his showmanship to a new and exciting area. He got a small role in the 1990’s black comedy . Here he plays a fellow inmate to Michael Richards' character. While panned by the critics, the film was a huge success with audiences. It didn’t appear to be a success for Kerry though. After Problem Child, he gave acting a hard pass.
Something that he couldn’t give a hard pass to was this darn family curse. Sadly, it was time for it to rear its head once again.
Universal, Problem Child (1990)
40. He Lost One More
Kerry’s youngest brother Chris was different from the other Von Erichs. He was small, suffered from health issues, and didn’t really excel in the ring. Chris had recently become depressed because of his limited success, and because of losing his big brother Mike. Sadly, on September 12, 1991, he chose to take his own life.
With each familial loss, Kerry was going to darker and darker places. Clearly, this would not end well.
41. He Partied Hard
The motorcycle accident had cost Kerry his right foot, but there were other, more insidious repercussions. One of them was an addiction to pain medication, which only got worse as he lost his family members. This soon merged into some really hard partying.
Between the prescriptions and the recreational drug use, it was only a matter of time before Kerry met up with the law.
42. He Faced A Judge
Kerry was having trouble getting doctors to give him the prescriptions he needed, so he decided to write some himself. In 1991, the authorities caught him forging prescriptions. When the sentence from the judge came down, there was good news and bad. The judge gave him no prison time, but he would receive a ten year probation.
Now, he’d have to face another judge and jury: from the WWF.
Universal, Problem Child (1990)
43. He Checked Himself In
To try and please the WWF, Kerry enrolled himself into a rehab program. But the WWF wasn’t buying it. They were well aware that their fan base included children, and they had little tolerance for their stars breaking laws. First they suspended Kerry, and then they flat out fired him.
In trouble with the law and fired from wrestling. Kerry had no one to turn to for support. As it turned out, not even his wife.
44. His Marriage Was A Mess
It’s no surprise that with all this turmoil in his life, Kerry’s home life was in tatters. In 1992, his wife Catherine left him, taking their two kids with her. One by one, Kerry was losing every one of his life lines of support. He was continuing his downward spiral, and his next move was going to be the one that finally did him in.
45. He Broke Parole
February 18, 1993 was a sad day in Kerry’s already sad life. On this day, authorities caught him with what they called “1.3 grams of white powder”. This was especially bad news for Kerry because he was already on parole. Clearly, he was now in serious trouble with the law. He vowed to do anything it took to avoid prison.
46. He Went Into The Woods
On February 18, 1993, Kerry would once again appear before a judge. His lawyer assured him he wouldn’t end up in prison at this time, but Kerry had convinced himself he would. Kerry was distraught. He hugged his dad and told him he had some thinking to do.
A few years earlier, he’d given his father a 44 Magnum as a gift. He grabbed it and went off into the woods.
47. He Joined His Brothers
Kerry sat himself at the base of a tree and thought about the mess of his life. He missed wrestling, and mostly he missed his brothers. In the end, Kerry decided that the best decision was to, as Bret Hart put it, “join his brothers in heaven”. He was the fifth Von Erich son to pass under unnatural circumstances. The third to take his own life.
This heartbreaking end might make you believe in things like family curses—but there may be another cause for this family’s problems.
48. The Reason For the Curse
Many people believe that the responsibility for the Von Erich’s curse lies squarely on the shoulders of the patriarch of the family. Fritz Von Erich had a strong desire to create a family of wrestlers and, like many parents of athletes, it’s possible that he pushed Kerry and the other boys too hard.
But if we want to know the real reason for this family’s cursed life, we can just ask the one who survived it.
49. They Were Too Loyal
The only surviving member of the family, Kevin Von Erich, can shed some light on the family curse. In addition to their drug use, he blames Kerry and his brothers’ loyalty to each other for their miserable ends. Kevin said, “All my brothers were super loyal, and that's what it was, the shame and guilt for failing. It was not my dad".
In 2023, A24 released The Iron Claw, starring Zac Efron as Kevin and Jeremy Allen White as Kerry. One scene in the film has a very eerie quality.
50. He Was Reunited
In The Iron Claw, the audience sees the recently deceased Kerry suddenly alive again and rowing in a boat. At the shore, he meets up with the brothers, who have already passed. The five brothers all embrace, and it's clear they have met up again in heaven.
The director says he made this scene up, but Kevin later said that this was the very same image he had used to comfort his mother as she was facing one family tragedy after another.
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