Wrestling Hall of Fame – The Von Erichs
It was The Von Erichs who displayed what it really means to be a family in the professional wrestling world. It was initially the father who entered the wrestling circle. Then his 5 out of 6 sons followed the footsteps of their father and fought in the squared circle for many years.
It was Fritz Von Erich who initially rose to fame in the world of professional wrestling by displaying a set of elite fighting skills. Fritz Von Erich ruled the wrestling ring throughout most of the 1960s and 1970s. There were many reasons for his popularity but the most important of them was his unique but highly effective finishing maneouver.
This wrestling finisher became famous as the “Iron Claw”. During the Iron Claw, Fritz Von Erich applied extreme pressure to the face of his opponents with both his hands. Many wrestlers faded and normally tapped out when they were trapped by Fritz Von Erich.
The dominant wrestling maneouvers and The Iron Claw of Fritz Von Erich transcended his popularity over national boundaries. Fritz Von Erich rose to new levels of popularity in Japan where he was praised in wrestling circles all over the country.
Fritz Von Erich eventually retired from the in ring fighting. But his love for wrestling made his stay near the ring in another capacity. Fritz Von Erich took over the promotional role and started the promotion of many other wrestlers in and outside the ring. It was in 1982 when Fritz Von Erich bought the Dallas based wrestling promotion company called Big Time Wrestling. Fritz Von Erich changed its name to World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW).
Fritz Von Erich took this small company and made it into one of the most respected names in the professional wrestling world. World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) went on to produce some of the greatest names of the professional wrestling world who reined the ring in the years to come.
Many famous wrestlers like Jake “The Snake” Roberts and the legendary Shawn Michaels fought and trained in this organization. If it was not for World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) the world would never see the classic matches of these wrestlers when they came in WWE and inspired millions of fans around the world.
It was the Von Erich brothers who took the name of their father and took it new heights of success in and outside the ring. Among these brothers it was Kevin and David who almost spent their careers fighting in the World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW).
However it was Kerry who made the most success stories among his brothers. He is the same wrestler who won the NWA World Heavy Weight Championship after defeating the legendary Hall of Famer, Ric Flair in 1984.
The success of Kerry did not end in World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) or NWA. Kerry joined World Wrestling Federation in 1990 and assumed the name of “The Texas Tornado”. It was the Summer Slam of 1990 when Kerry clashed against Mr. Perfect.
Kerry defeated Mr. Perfect after a tough and grueling match and won the prestigious Inter Continental Championship belt. His two younger brothers (Mike and Chris) also followed the footsteps of their father and his brothers and fought in the ring. Though the younger brothers did not win a lot of championships but they certainly kept the family tradition alive.
The man who started it all, Fritz Von Erich died in 1997. By 2009, it was only Kevin Von Erich who was left. The Von Erichs received the highest honour in the world of professional wrestling when they were inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame.
Many young and old wrestlers paid tribute to this great wrestling family. Many wrestling families will come and go but The Von Erichs will always hold a high place in the world of professional wrestling as they continue to inspire young wrestlers around the world.
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