Re: O/T Dead Wrestlers
Posted: 03 Oct 2008, 04:47
David Von Erich
"The Yellow Rose of Texas" David Von Erich is the third son of Fritz Von Erich. He was born on July 22, 1958 in Dallas, Texas.
David had many memorable feuds, mostly in Fritz's World Class Championship Wrestling promotion. It was there that he faced off with Harley Race and later Ric Flair several times for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship (never winning), as well as teamed with brothers Kevin and Kerry against the Fabulous Freebirds. David also wrestled in Missouri, winning the Missouri Heavyweight Championship on a couple of occasions.
David died in 1984, reportedly shortly before he was booked to win the NWA World Heavyweight Title from Ric Flair. (Although many insist that, before he died, David was scheduled to carry the NWA belt, there has never been anything concrete to substantiate this fact, nor have any NWA board members come out and confirmed this story.)
The official doctor's report states that he died of acute enteritis, but Ric Flair stated in his autobiography To Be the Man that "everyone in wrestling believes" it was a drug overdose that really killed him and that Bruiser Brody (a fellow wrestler who found David) disposed of the narcotics by flushing them down a toilet before the police arrived. Mick Foley also claims that he died from an apparent drug overdose. Brody, a close friend of Von Erich, would later admit that he overreacted in the moment of tragedy and flushed David's pain killers down the toilet. It has been confirmed that David Von Erich's official cause of death was a heart attack caused by ruptured intestines, which were the result of acute enteritis.
A tribute show was held a couple of months later in his honor, during which his younger brother, Kerry Von Erich, won the NWA title from Ric Flair.
Mike Von Erich
Mike Von Erich, born March 2, 1964 in Dallas, Texas, was the fifth son of Fritz Von Erich.
Mike replaced David in the feud the Von Erichs had with the Fabulous Freebirds following David's death. According to the DVD Heroes of World Class, Mike wanted to work for World Class as a cameraman and had no interest in being in the ring, but Fritz forced him into the ring after David's death.
After suffering a shoulder injury in 1985 on a tour of Israel, Mike was forced to have surgery. Shortly after, it was discovered that he suffered from Toxic shock syndrome, a rarity in men, and according to Ric Flair, was forced back into the ring by Fritz much too early. Eventually, Mike had to retire after not being able to return to the ring at full strength anymore. He committed suicide in 1987 by intentional overdose of a tranquilizer.
Chris Von Erich
Born September 30, 1969 in Dallas, Texas, Chris Von Erich was the youngest, shortest, and least athletic of the Von Erich family. He made many attempts to succeed in the squared circle due to an incredible love of wrestling that kept him going despite numerous injuries. He managed one major feud with Percy Pringle in the USWA/World Class, but his career didn't take off like the rest of the family's.
After several years of not being able to succeed in the wrestling business, Chris became depressed and frustrated. He was also heartbroken over the loss of his brothers. He committed suicide in 1991.
Kerry Von Erich
Kerry Von Erich is the fourth son of Fritz Von Erich. He was born on February 3, 1960 in Niagara Falls, New York. Known as "The Modern Day Warrior" and "The Texas Tornado," Kerry was by far the best-known of the Von Erich Family.
Much like his brothers, Kerry spent the majority of his career wrestling in World Class Championship Wrestling. Amongst the many major feuds he had were those against Gino Hernandez, Iceman Parsons, Chris Adams and The Fabulous Freebirds.
Kerry became the most successful of the Von Erich family when he won the NWA World Heavyweight Title from Ric Flair at the David Von Erich Memorial Parade of Champions, a tribute show to his deceased older brother. Kerry lost the belt three weeks later to Flair. Kerry also wrestled for several months in both the World Wrestling Federation (where he won the WWF Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam on August 27, 1990) and Global Wrestling Federation, two national promotions that were rising to fame at the expense of regional promotions such as WCCW.
On June 4, 1986, Kerry was in a motorcycle accident that nearly ended his life. With a dislocated hip and a badly injured right leg, Kerry was in bad shape. Doctors tried hard, but could not save his foot, eventually amputating it. According to brother Kevin, Kerry injured the foot following surgery by attempting to walk on it prematurely, thus forcing the doctors to amputate it. He was able to continue wrestling after the accident with a prosthesis and until his death kept the amputation secret to the majority of fans and even some fellow competitors.
Kerry had a history of drug problems. Amongst the many of them were two arrests, the first of which resulted in probation. After the second, which violated the probation and likely would have resulted in extensive jail time, Kerry committed suicide by a shot to the heart in 1993 on his father's ranch.
"The Yellow Rose of Texas" David Von Erich is the third son of Fritz Von Erich. He was born on July 22, 1958 in Dallas, Texas.
David had many memorable feuds, mostly in Fritz's World Class Championship Wrestling promotion. It was there that he faced off with Harley Race and later Ric Flair several times for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship (never winning), as well as teamed with brothers Kevin and Kerry against the Fabulous Freebirds. David also wrestled in Missouri, winning the Missouri Heavyweight Championship on a couple of occasions.
David died in 1984, reportedly shortly before he was booked to win the NWA World Heavyweight Title from Ric Flair. (Although many insist that, before he died, David was scheduled to carry the NWA belt, there has never been anything concrete to substantiate this fact, nor have any NWA board members come out and confirmed this story.)
The official doctor's report states that he died of acute enteritis, but Ric Flair stated in his autobiography To Be the Man that "everyone in wrestling believes" it was a drug overdose that really killed him and that Bruiser Brody (a fellow wrestler who found David) disposed of the narcotics by flushing them down a toilet before the police arrived. Mick Foley also claims that he died from an apparent drug overdose. Brody, a close friend of Von Erich, would later admit that he overreacted in the moment of tragedy and flushed David's pain killers down the toilet. It has been confirmed that David Von Erich's official cause of death was a heart attack caused by ruptured intestines, which were the result of acute enteritis.
A tribute show was held a couple of months later in his honor, during which his younger brother, Kerry Von Erich, won the NWA title from Ric Flair.
Mike Von Erich
Mike Von Erich, born March 2, 1964 in Dallas, Texas, was the fifth son of Fritz Von Erich.
Mike replaced David in the feud the Von Erichs had with the Fabulous Freebirds following David's death. According to the DVD Heroes of World Class, Mike wanted to work for World Class as a cameraman and had no interest in being in the ring, but Fritz forced him into the ring after David's death.
After suffering a shoulder injury in 1985 on a tour of Israel, Mike was forced to have surgery. Shortly after, it was discovered that he suffered from Toxic shock syndrome, a rarity in men, and according to Ric Flair, was forced back into the ring by Fritz much too early. Eventually, Mike had to retire after not being able to return to the ring at full strength anymore. He committed suicide in 1987 by intentional overdose of a tranquilizer.
Chris Von Erich
Born September 30, 1969 in Dallas, Texas, Chris Von Erich was the youngest, shortest, and least athletic of the Von Erich family. He made many attempts to succeed in the squared circle due to an incredible love of wrestling that kept him going despite numerous injuries. He managed one major feud with Percy Pringle in the USWA/World Class, but his career didn't take off like the rest of the family's.
After several years of not being able to succeed in the wrestling business, Chris became depressed and frustrated. He was also heartbroken over the loss of his brothers. He committed suicide in 1991.
Kerry Von Erich
Kerry Von Erich is the fourth son of Fritz Von Erich. He was born on February 3, 1960 in Niagara Falls, New York. Known as "The Modern Day Warrior" and "The Texas Tornado," Kerry was by far the best-known of the Von Erich Family.
Much like his brothers, Kerry spent the majority of his career wrestling in World Class Championship Wrestling. Amongst the many major feuds he had were those against Gino Hernandez, Iceman Parsons, Chris Adams and The Fabulous Freebirds.
Kerry became the most successful of the Von Erich family when he won the NWA World Heavyweight Title from Ric Flair at the David Von Erich Memorial Parade of Champions, a tribute show to his deceased older brother. Kerry lost the belt three weeks later to Flair. Kerry also wrestled for several months in both the World Wrestling Federation (where he won the WWF Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam on August 27, 1990) and Global Wrestling Federation, two national promotions that were rising to fame at the expense of regional promotions such as WCCW.
On June 4, 1986, Kerry was in a motorcycle accident that nearly ended his life. With a dislocated hip and a badly injured right leg, Kerry was in bad shape. Doctors tried hard, but could not save his foot, eventually amputating it. According to brother Kevin, Kerry injured the foot following surgery by attempting to walk on it prematurely, thus forcing the doctors to amputate it. He was able to continue wrestling after the accident with a prosthesis and until his death kept the amputation secret to the majority of fans and even some fellow competitors.
Kerry had a history of drug problems. Amongst the many of them were two arrests, the first of which resulted in probation. After the second, which violated the probation and likely would have resulted in extensive jail time, Kerry committed suicide by a shot to the heart in 1993 on his father's ranch.
