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- The Von Erich wrestling family still holds a spot in the hearts of old-school wrestling fans, and new fans are learning more about the family's history and lineage by the day. The Iron Claw hit theaters in December 2024, a condensed retelling of the story of the Von Erich siblings, growing up under the strict fist of their professional wrestling promoter father before each of them, save one, died. That one sole survivor also just showed up at the end of the year in AEW as Kevin Von Erich brought his sons, Marshall and Ross Von Erich in to wrestle in their home state of Texas, introducing this next generation of Von Erich to a new legion of fans.
Highlights
- Chris Von Erich, despite his passion and heart, was not able to succeed in the wrestling ring due to his smaller stature and health issues.
- Lacey Von Erich, although carrying the Von Erich name, struggled to live up to the family legacy and retired from wrestling after a brief run in Impact Wrestling.
- Lance Von Erich, not a real member of the family, attempted to make it work but was rejected by fans and ultimately fired by Fritz Von Erich.
When it comes to professional wrestling families, the Von Erich wrestling family in Texas is infamous for many reasons - some good and some tragic. On one hand, the wrestling talent that was embedded in the family's history is legendary and produced some of wrestling's greatest talents. Unfortunately, the family is also remembered for experiencing unspeakable tragedy that overshadows some of their accomplishments.
With so many achievements and championships across the family, ranking the wrestlers in the family is not an easy task. Ultimately, some did achieve more success than others or are continuing to carve their own legacies today. The fact remains that the legend of the Von Erich family continues to live on and is a beloved part of wrestling history.
UPDATE: 2024/01/05 14:30 EST BY SHAWN S. LEALOS
The Von Erich wrestling family still holds a spot in the hearts of old-school wrestling fans, and new fans are learning more about the family's history and lineage by the day. The Iron Claw hit theaters in December 2024 , a condensed retelling of the story of the Von Erich siblings, growing up under the strict fist of their professional wrestling promoter father before each of them, save one, died. That one sole survivor also just showed up at the end of the year in AEW as Kevin Von Erich brought his sons, Marshall and Ross Von Erich in to wrestle in their home state of Texas, introducing this next generation of Von Erich to a new legion of fans.
10 Chris Von Erich Was The Youngest Of The Siblings

Birth Date | September 30, 1969 - September 12, 1991 (21) |
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Wrestling Years | WCCW (1990-1991) |
Notable Accomplishments | None |
With brothers like Kerry, David, and Kevin all having very successful wrestling careers, it was natural for Chris Von Erich to want to follow in their footsteps. Unfortunately, for all the passion and heart that Chris had, he was not able to deliver inside the ring for a variety of reasons. He was only 5 feet 5 inches and was smaller than almost every wrestler he stood across from, and even smaller than most managers.

Looking At Kerry Von Erich's Time As The Texas Tornado In WWE, Explained
Kerry Von Erich went from being a major star in the territories to becoming just another guy as the Texas Tornado in WWE.Chris had the desire to become as big of a star as his brothers, but due to health issues preventing him from becoming a physical specimen similar to them, he floundered inside the ring. Ultimately, the pressure of living up to the name allegedly got the better of him, and he died by suicide in 1991.
9 Lacey Von Erich Is Kerry's Daughter

Birth Date | July 17, 1986 |
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Wrestling Years | FCW (2007), Indies (2008), TNA (2009-2010) |
Notable Accomplishments | TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship (1), WCPW Ladies Championship (1) |
While the Von Erich wrestling family carries a massive legacy of technically sound and popular wrestlers at the helm, not all members of the family can be considered equal. Despite having the Von Erich name, Kerry's daughter Lacey struggled to carry the weight of the name.
With a brief stint in WWE developmental followed by a run in Impact Wrestling alongside The Beautiful People, Lacey Von Erich's in-ring performances left much to be desired. Despite being a former Impact Knockouts Tag Team Champion, Lacey was not only carried by her teammates in the stable but by the value of her last name before retiring as quickly as she had started.
8 Lance Von Erich Was The 'Fake' Von Erich

Birth Date | April 24, 1960 |
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Wrestling Years | 1984-1985 (Pacific Northwest), 1985-1987 (WCCW), Indies (1987-1996) |
Notable Accomplishments | NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship (1 as Ricky Vaughan), NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship (1 as Ricky Vaughan), WCWA TV Championship (1), WCWA Six-Man Tag Team Championship (2), WCWA World Tag Team Championship (1) |
Lance Von Erich was not a real member of the Von Erich (Adkisson) family. Instead, his name was Ricky Vaughan, and he was a wrestler whom Fritz Von Erich helped train before sending him to the Pacific Northwest to train under the name Ricky Vaughan. By the time Fritz felt he was ready, he brought him to World Class Wrestling and introduced him as a cousin of the Von Erich family.

MJF Speaks About His Role As Lance Von Erich In 'The Iron Claw' Being Cut Down
In A24's 'The Iron Claw,' MJF had most of his scenes cut in the finished film.Fans knew he wasn't a real Von Erich and rejected him from the start. However, Lance attempted to make it work and even won the tag team titles with a wrestler known as the Dingo Warrior, who would later go to WWE as The Ultimate Warrior. Lance was not a Von Erich for long, as Fritz fired him after two years after he asked for a raise.
7 Mike Von Erich Struggled To Match His Brothers

Birth Date | March 2, 1964 - April 12, 1987 |
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Wrestling Years | 1983-1987 (WCCW) |
Notable Accomplishments | NWA American Champion (1), NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Champions (4), WCCW Middle Eastern Champion (1) |
Following the loss of David Von Erich, the other family members rallied to maintain their spot in the wrestling business. While some of the brothers flourished, others found it difficult to continue. Combined with the fact that Mike allegedly did not want to be an in-ring performer in the first place, this only contributed to the family's tragedies.
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The Tragedy & Legacy Of Kerry Von Erich, Explained
Kerry Von Erich was one of the biggest stars in the territories, but thanks to an accident and personal issues, he ended up taking his own life.Despite having the same look as his more successful brothers, Mike did not have the same level of passion that they did to succeed. Ultimately, he did not reach the same level of stardom and was not comparable to his older brothers.
6 Ross & Marshall Von Erich Are Kevin's Sons
The Only Von Erichs Currently Involved In Wrestling
CloseBirth Date | Ross (June 1, 1988), Marshall (November 10, 1992) |
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Wrestling Years | 2012 (Pro Wrestling Noah), 2014-2015 (TNA), 2019-2022 (MLW), 2023 (AEW) |
Notable Accomplishments | AZW Tag Team Championship (1), IWR Tag Team Championship (1), MLW World Tag Team Championship (1) |
Part of the reason that the Von Erichs were so popular in Texas was due to how cohesively the brothers worked as a tag team. At the height of their popularity, they were collectively considered to be one of the most popular tag teams of all time. Thankfully, that spirit continues to thrive with the next generation.
Ross and Marshall Von Erich are the sons of Kevin Von Erich and have been quietly building up their resumes to live up to the Von Erich legacy. The brothers really started making their mark in MLW, where they held the world tag team titles there. Thankfully, wrestling doesn't seem to be their entire lives, and while they might never reach the level of their dad and uncles, they seem happy with where they are in life.
5 Waldo Von Erich Was Fritz's 'Fake' Brother

Birth Date | October 2, 1933 - July 5, 2009 |
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Wrestling Years | 1950-1979 (Stampede Wrestling, WWWF, NWA Big Time Wrestling, NWA Tri-State) |
Notable Accomplishments | NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (1), NWF Heavyweight Championship (2), NWF North American Heavyweight Championship (1), NWA American Tag Team Championship (2), NWA Brass Knuckles Championship (2), NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship (1), NWA North American Heavyweight Championship (1), NWA United States Tag Team Championship (1), NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship (1), Stampede Wrestling North American Championship (1), IWA World Tag Team Championship (2), NWA Austra-Asian Heavyweight Championship (1), NWA Austra-Asian Tag Team Championship (1), WWWF United States Tag Team Championship (1) |
A lot of fans protested when the "fake Von Erich" showed up in World Class under the name Lance Von Erich. However, what those fans never seemed to connect was that none of these wrestlers were "Von Erichs." Instead, they were part of the Adkisson family. All Von Erich's were wrestling characters. It all started with two men - Fritz and Waldo Von Erich, two wrestlers who portrayed brothers in the 1950s. However, Waldo was not an Adkisson. His real name was Walter Sieber, and he was not related in any way to Fritz Von Erich.
Years before Lance ever showed up, Waldo and Fritz terrorized the territories as the heel Von Erich brothers, winning tag team titles along the way. Waldo Von Erich even achieved huge success when he headlined Madison Square Garden in 1964 for three matches for the WWWF World Championship against Bruno Sammartino, although he never won the big title. When Lance first appeared, he was called Waldo's son.
4 Fritz Von Erich Is The Patriarch Of The Von Erich Family

Birth Date | August 16, 1977 - September 10, 1997 |
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Wrestling Years | 1953-1982 (Stampede Wrestling, AWA, JWA, WCCW) |
Notable Accomplishments | AWA World Heavyweight Championship (1), NWA World Tag Team Championship (4), NWA North American Heavyweight Championship (4), NWA American Heavyweight Championship (13), NWA American Tag Team Championship (7), NWA Brass Knuckles Championship (5), NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship (4), NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (1) |
While most of the narrative around the Von Erich family is centered around his sons, Fritz Von Erich also enjoyed a solid wrestling career and was the main event player in many different companies. Before settling into his role as the promoter for World Class Championship Wrestling, Fritz was a very dependable wrestler in his own right.

How Fritz Von Erich's Fake Heart Attack Tarnished The Von Erichs' Legacy
Fritz Von Erich once faked a heart attack in World Class Championship Wrestling and lost the trust of the Von Erich's loyal and large fan base.Beginning his career in the mid-1950s, Fritz traveled the world as an evildoer with a mean streak. He solidified himself as a top guy with title reigns as AWA World Heavyweight Champion and other regional belts. In his later years, he would hold tag team championships alongside his sons, capping off his career.
3 Kevin Von Erich Is The Lone Surviving Von Erich Brother
CloseBirth Date | May 15, 1957 |
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Wrestling Years | 1976-1990 (WCCW), 1991-1995 (indies) |
Notable Accomplishments | NWA American Heavyweight Championship (5), NWA American Tag Team Championship (4), NWA Texas Tag Team Championship (2), NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (7), NWA World Tag Team Championship (1), WCCW Television Championship (1), WCWA Texas Heavyweight Championship (2), WCWA World Heavyweight Championship (1), WCWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (4), WCWA World Tag Team Championship (3), NWA North American Heavyweight Championship (1), NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship (1), NWA Western States Tag Team Championship (1) |
As the sole-surviving Von Erich brother, Kevin Von Erich has a lot of grief and sorrow to carry. While the wrestling world mourned alongside him and relived it during recent episodes of Dark Side of the Ringfocusing on the Von Erich curse, Kevin's wrestling career is something to be celebrated.
As one of the pillars of the Texas wrestling community, Kevin teamed with his younger brothers to incredible success. While he did not reach the levels of either David or Kerry, he was an essential piece of the Von Erich puzzle which helped make them incredibly popular.
2 Kerry Von Erich Was The NWA World Champion
CloseBirth Date | February 3, 1960 - February 18, 1993 |
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Wrestling Years | 1978-1989 (WCCW), 1990-1992 (WWE), 1992-1993 (indies) |
Notable Accomplishments | WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship (1), NWA American Heavyweight Championship (5), NWA American Tag Team Championship (6), NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship (3), NWA Texas Tag Team Championship (3), NWA World Heavyweight Championship (1), NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (6), NWA World Tag Team Championship (3), WCWA World Heavyweight Championship (4), WCWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (2), WCWA World Tag Team Championship (4), NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship (1), USWF Texas Heavyweight Championship (1) |
As the most recognizable Von Erich family member, Kerry Von Erich reached levels of stardom that most other members of his family deserved as well. After David passed away, Kerry became his successor as the main event player in the family and defeated Ric Flair to become the NWA World Heavyweight Champion at the 1984 tribute show for his brother.
Kerry was also the only member of his family to have an extended stint in WWE as The Texas Tornado, holding the Intercontinental Championship during the title's heyday. While Kerry would experience a similar tragedy to so many in his family, his legacy has made him a fondly remembered part of wrestling history.
1 David Von Erich Was Considered The Best Of Them All
While Not The Biggest Star, David Von Erich Was The Most Talented Member Of His Family
CloseBirth Date | July 22, 1958 - February 10, 1984 |
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Wrestling Years | Missouri (1977-1981), Florida (1981-1982), WCCW (1982-1984) |
Notable Accomplishments | NWA American Tag Team Championship (1), NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship (1), NWA Texas Tag Team Championship (2), NWA United National Championship (1), NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (2), NWA World Tag Team Championship (1), All Asia Tag Team Championship (1), NWA Florida Television Championship (1), NWA North American Tag Team Championship (1), NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (1), NWA Western States Tag Team Championship (1), NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship (1) |
If there was one wrestler poised to become the breakout member of the Von Erich family, it was David. With great in-ring abilities and great mic skills, he was in line for big things in his wrestling career before his passing in 1984.
After proving himself as a leader in tag team matches alongside his brothers, David positioned himself to become NWA World Heavyweight Champion and was actively feuding with Ric Flair. Had he not left the world prematurely, David may have reached incredible heights as a wrestler and found his place among some of the greats. While his titles and longevity were not the best, he was still the best Von Erich family member when he stepped into the ring based on pure talent.
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