Biography WWE Legends Season 5 Episode 1

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Transcript

00:00:22I think I had to grow up to realize that life is not about just laughing it up all day.

00:00:30There's a lot of terrible things that happen, but in between those moments are those good ones, too, you know,

00:00:38the laughing children.

00:00:41You remember being a little kid, too, and it's just beautiful.

00:00:47I love life.

00:00:50Can't wait to wake up in the morning.

00:00:53So I just say thank you, Lord, for another day.

00:00:56You know, he doesn't owe me a thing but a place to be born and a place to die.

00:01:03There was a time I thought life is too long, and now I think life is too short.

00:01:10Here comes the Von Eriks.

00:01:14You've got to understand how big a star the Von Eriks were in Texas.

00:01:17If you knew anything about professional wrestling, you knew who and what the Von Eriks were.

00:01:21The Von Eriks, the royal family of wrestling, with Father Fritz as the king of the ring and each of

00:01:28his sons waiting to take over the throne.

00:01:30Fritz had six kids.

00:01:32Each of these boys are going to be world heavyweight champions.

00:01:36I'm dedicating my life to it.

00:01:38The greatest name in professional wrestling today, the Von Eriks.

00:01:41We began to really understand how important the Von Eriks were to the state of Texas.

00:01:46They were superheroes.

00:01:47The Von Eriks are a prime attraction.

00:01:49They were on their way to greatness until all the tragedies struck.

00:01:54At six years old, Uncle Jackie is just gone.

00:01:58David Von Eriks was found lying across his bed early this morning.

00:02:01As it's awfully hard to believe it could have been a heart attack.

00:02:05Michael Von Eriks remains in critical condition at Baylor Medical Center.

00:02:09Doctors say the rest of the world has toxic shock syndrome.

00:02:12Investigators found a handwritten note.

00:02:14Mom and Dad, I'm in a better place.

00:02:18Gary Von Eriks was in an accident recently.

00:02:20This crumpled wreckage is all that's left.

00:02:22Some call it the curse of the Iron Claw.

00:02:25It doesn't get easier.

00:02:27Lord, please don't take any more of my children.

00:02:29Was it a curse?

00:02:30Was it just a series of tragic coincidences?

00:02:34Was it the pressure of the wrestling business?

00:02:35The pressure of family?

00:02:37The pressure of the fans?

00:02:38They did go through a lot of tragedy.

00:02:41It was made for movie.

00:02:42It's a new film.

00:02:43It's called The Iron Claw.

00:02:44Don't you dare question me.

00:02:46Great acting.

00:02:47Zac Efron did a phenomenal job.

00:02:49But it would have been nice if they'd have had the real story.

00:02:52This one is a little different.

00:02:54I've never talked about the things I've talked about.

00:02:56But I wanted it to be said.

00:02:59It might sound like the craziest story you ever heard,

00:03:02but I know it's true.

00:03:17Down, set, hit.

00:03:19Right now.

00:03:21There you go.

00:03:23When I'm out here with my grandkids,

00:03:26to me, this is as good as it gets.

00:03:30Had I not been raised the way I was,

00:03:32maybe I'd be different,

00:03:33but that's just important to me.

00:03:37Oh, Benji!

00:03:39When I think about my youth,

00:03:40my time with my brothers,

00:03:43it was so great,

00:03:44so much fun we had then.

00:03:46And then my dad,

00:03:49he didn't have any idea

00:03:50what it was like to have brothers.

00:03:54It's too bad, too,

00:03:55because he was an only child,

00:03:59and I can't imagine

00:04:01what that would like to be

00:04:01to be an only child.

00:04:08Fritz von Erich is my father.

00:04:10He was born Jack Atkinson

00:04:12in Jewett, Texas.

00:04:15He had a pretty rough life, I think.

00:04:17He's only child,

00:04:18and my granddad was busy

00:04:20and didn't have a lot of time for him.

00:04:23My granddad didn't really pay any attention to my dad.

00:04:26It was like,

00:04:26if they weren't hunting,

00:04:27well, they weren't talking.

00:04:30Any stories I have about granddad being little

00:04:33are things that he told me.

00:04:35In their town,

00:04:37the dads would bet on their boys

00:04:39and have them fight in the woods.

00:04:41And when granddad would lose,

00:04:44his dad would just beat him

00:04:46in front of everyone.

00:04:49The one person that my granddad felt like loved him

00:04:53was his daddy Ross,

00:04:55his grandfather.

00:04:56And so daddy Ross lived a few hours away,

00:04:59and for granddad,

00:05:01that was his one source of love and encouragement.

00:05:05There was a guy in town

00:05:07who asked my granddad if,

00:05:10you know,

00:05:10he was maybe 12 or 13 years old.

00:05:12My granddad was at the time.

00:05:14And he said,

00:05:15you know, Jack,

00:05:16if you want to ride,

00:05:17I'll give you a ride.

00:05:18You can ride in my truck with me,

00:05:19and I go out there every weekend.

00:05:21I'd be happy to take you.

00:05:23And granddad was so excited

00:05:25to take that chance.

00:05:28The man drove him.

00:05:30In the truck on the way there,

00:05:32the man molested my granddad.

00:05:38My granddad said,

00:05:39I wanted to see daddy Ross so bad

00:05:41that I let that happen every couple of weeks,

00:05:44you know,

00:05:44to go see daddy Ross,

00:05:45and it was worth it.

00:05:47So that, you know,

00:05:49broke my heart whenever he told me about that.

00:05:52That he was molested as a little boy.

00:05:57I didn't know that.

00:05:59There were things he didn't tell me,

00:06:01but he did tell Kristen.

00:06:03It's just really,

00:06:04I guess he had no reason to tell me.

00:06:07I didn't need to know, I suppose.

00:06:09But kind of surprising.

00:06:15I think that granddad had felt invisible

00:06:19for a large part of his childhood

00:06:22and recognized that the best way

00:06:27to get people to notice him

00:06:29was his athletic ability,

00:06:32his size.

00:06:34And so he went to college

00:06:35and he actually had a scholarship

00:06:37for football

00:06:39and he threw discus at SMU.

00:06:42Here you were at SMU with a scholarship

00:06:44and you met this young lady named Doris.

00:06:48At the time that my grandparents met,

00:06:50they loved each other so much.

00:06:53And Mimi,

00:06:55she wasn't going to let this boy go,

00:06:57you know,

00:06:57like this was a boy

00:06:58that was going places.

00:07:00And you eventually married Doris,

00:07:02but what did that cost you?

00:07:04You mean up till now,

00:07:05aren't there?

00:07:06At that time.

00:07:08Well,

00:07:08it cost me my scholarship.

00:07:10When I started as a freshman at SMU,

00:07:12they put a non-marriage rule in

00:07:14that any freshman that came in

00:07:15from then on at that time

00:07:16and later,

00:07:17if they got married,

00:07:18they lost their scholarship.

00:07:19So because you married...

00:07:19Oh no, I didn't think they meant me.

00:07:21I was too great.

00:07:22Uh-huh.

00:07:23And you lost their scholarship?

00:07:24Yes, sir.

00:07:25Just to condense it, brother,

00:07:26that's what happened.

00:07:28All this time went on.

00:07:30I had a wife

00:07:31and a young baby on the way

00:07:32and I really didn't know

00:07:35what I was going to do yet.

00:07:42He tried lots of jobs.

00:07:44He was a detective

00:07:45and a bus driver.

00:07:49Ed Stringer-Lewis

00:07:50belonging to Oled

00:07:51as one of the greatest

00:07:51all-time wrestlers

00:07:52I guess ever was.

00:07:54I said,

00:07:54French, you got a big name

00:07:55at SMU.

00:07:56He said,

00:07:56man, we can train you

00:07:57for about six months,

00:07:58put you in that sport of tournament,

00:07:59you'll sell that building out.

00:08:01And when he mentioned

00:08:02how much money

00:08:02I was going to make,

00:08:03partner,

00:08:03I mean to tell you,

00:08:04he got my attention.

00:08:05Yes.

00:08:05He said,

00:08:06you're liable to make

00:08:06$20,000 to $25,000

00:08:08your first year in the business.

00:08:10Man, I belong to him

00:08:11after that.

00:08:12That's when my dad

00:08:13started professional wrestling.

00:08:15Jack Atkinson of Dallas,

00:08:17251-pounder.

00:08:19Atkinson is the tall boy

00:08:20on the right.

00:08:22So Jack Atkinson

00:08:23started off as a local hero,

00:08:25football player from SMU,

00:08:26but he set out to travel

00:08:28far and wide

00:08:29to really make this

00:08:30his full-time career.

00:08:32In wrestling,

00:08:33there's no middle ground.

00:08:35You either want the people

00:08:35to love you

00:08:36or to hate you.

00:08:38People love to cheer

00:08:39for the good guy

00:08:40and boo the bad guy.

00:08:41I think he was really smart

00:08:44in seeing the opportunity there

00:08:46to be a memorable heel,

00:08:51a bad guy.

00:08:52And so that's what my dad did.

00:08:54He thought,

00:08:55well, the most detestable person

00:08:57I can think of

00:08:58would be a Nazi.

00:08:59He changed his name

00:09:01to Fritz von Erich,

00:09:02basically the most German name

00:09:04he could think of.

00:09:05From Berlin, Germany,

00:09:08Fritz von Erich.

00:09:09And there was a lot of

00:09:11potential in that character.

00:09:13Well, he is rough and tough

00:09:15and nasty.

00:09:16Growing up as a fan,

00:09:17if you watched TV,

00:09:18you knew Fritz.

00:09:19This guy is just vicious.

00:09:21He just looked the part

00:09:22of a villain

00:09:22and he played the part

00:09:24of a villain,

00:09:25unbelievably.

00:09:25Fritz von Erich,

00:09:26the master of the Iron Claw.

00:09:28The Iron Claw was Fritz's

00:09:30infamous finishing hold,

00:09:32where he would take

00:09:33his big mitts

00:09:33and just wrap it around

00:09:35the skull

00:09:35and just squeeze

00:09:37until sometimes

00:09:38until blood came out

00:09:39or until they gave up.

00:09:42That character

00:09:43was beneficial

00:09:44for his family

00:09:45and he was a family man.

00:09:46He wanted Jackie

00:09:47to have everything

00:09:48and his wife

00:09:48to be taken care of.

00:09:56Granddad,

00:09:57what year were you born?

00:09:59Um, 1957.

00:10:04Oh, that is,

00:10:05so that's Daddy, right?

00:10:07Okay.

00:10:08Okay, so Uncle Jackie

00:10:09and you.

00:10:09Yeah.

00:10:11By 1957,

00:10:12it was just the two of us,

00:10:13me, Jackie,

00:10:14and my mom and dad.

00:10:19My mother loved

00:10:20her children.

00:10:21She loved me

00:10:22and Jackie so much.

00:10:24My mother was

00:10:25so full of love

00:10:27and my dad loved her.

00:10:28We were happy

00:10:30and jovial

00:10:30and it was

00:10:31a great time.

00:10:33There you are.

00:10:34Look at that cute baby.

00:10:36That's me.

00:10:37Jackie,

00:10:38he was my big brother.

00:10:41He kissed me.

00:10:43He loves you.

00:10:46He had the best personality.

00:10:48He was funny.

00:10:51Like he's trying

00:10:51to make you laugh.

00:10:54Jackie.

00:10:55Big brother stuff.

00:10:56Oh, oh, oh.

00:10:59It was in 1959

00:11:01up in Niagara Falls.

00:11:03We didn't have money

00:11:04back then.

00:11:05We lived in a trailer house

00:11:07and one day

00:11:09Jackie wanted to go play

00:11:10and my mother was busy

00:11:12and so she said,

00:11:14yeah, go play.

00:11:15Uncle Jackie

00:11:16asked if he could go

00:11:18to his friend's house

00:11:19a couple of mobile homes

00:11:21down

00:11:21and Mimi said,

00:11:23yes,

00:11:23just go ahead.

00:11:24You can come home

00:11:25for lunch,

00:11:25but yes, go.

00:11:29Later on,

00:11:30Mimi called her friend

00:11:32and they chatted

00:11:34for a few minutes

00:11:35and then she said,

00:11:36you can send Jackie home.

00:11:38Thank you so much

00:11:39for having him

00:11:39and her friend said,

00:11:41well, Jackie's not here.

00:11:44Mimi said her heart dropped.

00:11:46She immediately knew

00:11:47something was wrong.

00:11:54That day,

00:11:56Mimi was cleaning

00:11:59and it was cold outside

00:12:02and when she called

00:12:03her friend and said,

00:12:04hey, will you please

00:12:05send Jackie home?

00:12:05She said,

00:12:06Jackie never came over.

00:12:07Oh, I mean,

00:12:09as a mother,

00:12:11when you say,

00:12:12when you hear that,

00:12:13that's,

00:12:14I just can't imagine.

00:12:19Mimi dropped the phone

00:12:21and just ran outside

00:12:23looking,

00:12:24screaming his name.

00:12:27And they couldn't find him.

00:12:29So everybody

00:12:30in the little town

00:12:31that was looking for him.

00:12:34Eventually,

00:12:34the neighbors say,

00:12:35just go home and wait.

00:12:37Go home and wait

00:12:38and we're looking.

00:12:39Cops are on their way.

00:12:41So Mimi goes home.

00:12:43So an officer

00:12:44knocked on the door.

00:12:46When she opened it,

00:12:47he said,

00:12:48we found him.

00:12:53But she said

00:12:54his countenance

00:12:55didn't match his words.

00:12:56And she was just like,

00:12:58okay, give him to me,

00:12:59give him to me.

00:13:00But she said,

00:13:00there was this siren

00:13:02in her mind,

00:13:03like, why is this,

00:13:04why is he not happy?

00:13:05Why does his face

00:13:06not match what I'm hearing?

00:13:09And he just,

00:13:10you know,

00:13:10said we found him.

00:13:11And Mimi said

00:13:12that she like,

00:13:13he went to hug her

00:13:14and she just punched him

00:13:15in the chest

00:13:16over and over

00:13:17and screamed and cried.

00:13:22At six years old,

00:13:25he was just gone.

00:13:26Just like that.

00:13:30What happened was,

00:13:32in this mobile home park,

00:13:33someone had a little

00:13:35trailer or equipment room

00:13:37or something

00:13:37that had the sheet metal

00:13:38siding.

00:13:40And so he was walking by,

00:13:42rubbing his finger along it,

00:13:44and he touched a spot

00:13:46where the skin

00:13:46on the trailer

00:13:47had been electrified.

00:13:50and the guy wired

00:13:51his trailer wrong.

00:13:53He touched it.

00:13:54It knocked him out.

00:13:55He was face down

00:13:57on the ground.

00:13:59Some snow had melted,

00:14:00so his face

00:14:01was in a puddle.

00:14:02And I think the actual

00:14:04cause of death

00:14:05was drowning.

00:14:08And then whenever

00:14:09Granddad finally

00:14:10did get home,

00:14:12I cannot even imagine,

00:14:14but just holding

00:14:16that news,

00:14:16and then he comes home

00:14:18and you say,

00:14:19here's what happened today.

00:14:21My dad came home

00:14:23and punched the car window

00:14:25and broke the glass,

00:14:26and it was a,

00:14:28oh, such a terrible time.

00:14:31Losing Jackie,

00:14:32our first baby,

00:14:35was a terrible blow to me.

00:14:39Listening to her

00:14:40tell that story

00:14:41made me realize,

00:14:43oh, she changed

00:14:44at that point.

00:14:49she had an anger

00:14:50towards God.

00:14:52God, if you're real,

00:14:54why did you let

00:14:54my little boy die?

00:14:56She loved him,

00:14:57but she felt like,

00:14:58almost like,

00:14:59but God owed her one

00:15:00for letting her baby

00:15:02be taken.

00:15:05And at the time,

00:15:07Granddad blamed himself

00:15:08for being gone.

00:15:10Mimi blamed herself too,

00:15:12but she also blamed Granddad

00:15:14for being gone.

00:15:15So I think that

00:15:16sort of

00:15:18cumulatively,

00:15:19as time went on,

00:15:20that, you know,

00:15:22anger,

00:15:22that resentment

00:15:23sort of

00:15:24just built upon itself.

00:15:32Anyone that loses a child,

00:15:34there's no pain

00:15:35and no hurt

00:15:36anyone can ever go through

00:15:37unless you lose

00:15:38one of your children.

00:15:39How did you feel

00:15:40about God at that time?

00:15:41I didn't have a Lord

00:15:43at the time.

00:15:44I didn't know he was there.

00:15:45I didn't think he was there.

00:15:46I just turned.

00:15:47I said,

00:15:47Lord, if you're there,

00:15:48if you're getting me

00:15:49back to Texas,

00:15:51I said,

00:15:51I will follow you

00:15:52the rest of my life.

00:15:54He got me back to Texas.

00:15:55It took a long time

00:15:57and I walked in a straight line.

00:15:58We went like this,

00:15:59but we got there.

00:16:02After Uncle Jackie died,

00:16:05Granddad,

00:16:06when he had the opportunity

00:16:07to wrestle in Dallas

00:16:09regularly or in Texas,

00:16:10I think that they wanted

00:16:12to pursue that for sure

00:16:14because it meant

00:16:15that they could,

00:16:16you know,

00:16:17be together more

00:16:18and wouldn't have

00:16:18to be separate.

00:16:20So my grandparents

00:16:21and my dad,

00:16:23they moved back to Texas.

00:16:31Oh, wow.

00:16:32There's a ranch.

00:16:34That's where your

00:16:35great uncles grew up.

00:16:37Oh, my God.

00:16:39So after I was born,

00:16:41my mother had four kids,

00:16:43all boys.

00:16:44Dave was born in 1958,

00:16:46Carrie in 1960,

00:16:49Mike was born in 1964,

00:16:52and then Chris was born in 1969.

00:16:55Look at Uncle Chris.

00:16:57What's he riding?

00:16:58There's Chris.

00:17:00My little brothers

00:17:01thought the world of me

00:17:02and I was really

00:17:03protective of them

00:17:04and I just fell into the job.

00:17:06That was me and my big brother

00:17:08and I loved my brothers.

00:17:11Look at you

00:17:12and Uncle Dave, Daddy.

00:17:14Yeah, skinny Dave.

00:17:16We always hunted

00:17:18and fished

00:17:19and spent time together.

00:17:23Oh, what great memories

00:17:24we had.

00:17:25We all had horses.

00:17:27We rode horses everywhere.

00:17:28Didn't everyone have

00:17:30their own motorcycle

00:17:30and their own dog?

00:17:31Yeah, we sure did.

00:17:33And our own BB gun

00:17:34and that's what we did

00:17:35all day.

00:17:37There's Carrie

00:17:37with his first .22.

00:17:39Carrie and I

00:17:40grew up together

00:17:42at their house

00:17:43out there

00:17:43and their ranch.

00:17:44It was like Disneyland.

00:17:47Wear shorts

00:17:48and barefooted

00:17:49and no shirt

00:17:50all through summer

00:17:51so that type of stuff.

00:17:52Oh, that was me.

00:17:53That's a flip.

00:17:54Really?

00:17:54It was a twist and flip.

00:17:55You never told me

00:17:56you could do a

00:17:57Oh, yeah.

00:17:57A back of the morning

00:17:58to you.

00:17:59I said to my dad one day,

00:18:01Dad, what should I do

00:18:02for a living?

00:18:02I like to brag

00:18:04and I'm a show-off.

00:18:05He said,

00:18:05you might want to try

00:18:06pro wrestling, son.

00:18:07It's fine.

00:18:10After Uncle Jackie

00:18:12passed away,

00:18:13Mimi and Granddad

00:18:15had this idea

00:18:16that the world

00:18:18is dangerous

00:18:21and they both

00:18:22had the desire

00:18:22to keep

00:18:24their family

00:18:25safe

00:18:26from

00:18:27the

00:18:29ugliness

00:18:29of this world.

00:18:31So they tried

00:18:32to make their house

00:18:33be

00:18:34the fun house

00:18:36where you wouldn't

00:18:37want to leave.

00:18:38At that time,

00:18:39my Mimi was

00:18:42unbelievably strong.

00:18:44I mean,

00:18:45she had to

00:18:46keep it together.

00:18:47To lose

00:18:48a six-year-old

00:18:49is

00:18:50how do you go on?

00:18:51And whatever she did,

00:18:52I think she did it right.

00:18:54I just think

00:18:54it's amazing

00:18:55that

00:18:57both of them

00:18:59had this

00:18:59mentality

00:19:00to

00:19:02hold it all together

00:19:03like that,

00:19:04both of them.

00:19:06Tell me about

00:19:07raising the boys.

00:19:09The greatest memories

00:19:09I have in my life

00:19:10is raising those youngins.

00:19:12Gosh, it was fun.

00:19:13I wish I could do it again.

00:19:14I think that my dad

00:19:15learned a lot

00:19:17from his youth.

00:19:18Even though his father

00:19:19wasn't around,

00:19:20he learned from that.

00:19:22He's going to be

00:19:23the kind of father

00:19:24that is around.

00:19:25Don't misunderstand me.

00:19:26I made a lot of mistakes

00:19:27raising my children.

00:19:28But my wife and I

00:19:29loved to have a minute of it.

00:19:30That may be the difference

00:19:31to a lot of folks.

00:19:31They don't love it.

00:19:33A lot of the home movies

00:19:34that we have,

00:19:35you can hear Granddad talking.

00:19:36He's narrating

00:19:37the whole thing

00:19:38and just laughing

00:19:38and chuckling.

00:19:44He didn't have parents

00:19:45that wanted to spend

00:19:46time with him,

00:19:46so he wanted to be a dad

00:19:48that did,

00:19:49that wanted to spend

00:19:50time with his kids.

00:19:52In the history of wrestling,

00:19:53who would you say

00:19:54is the greatest wrestler

00:19:55of all time?

00:19:58That's a rather

00:19:59leading question,

00:20:00don't you think?

00:20:00What do you think

00:20:01the answer's going to be there?

00:20:02I would say

00:20:02Fritz Von Erich.

00:20:03Right.

00:20:04There's no doubt about that.

00:20:05The most winning wrestler,

00:20:06the wrestler that's

00:20:06throwing the most money

00:20:07in the world today

00:20:08has got to be

00:20:08Fritz Von Erich.

00:20:09At the time,

00:20:11Fritz,

00:20:11he just became

00:20:13an idol around here

00:20:15in Dallas-Waltworth area.

00:20:17Fritz Von Erich,

00:20:18by his own admission,

00:20:20the world's greatest wrestler.

00:20:21People in Texas

00:20:22loved Fritz Von Erich.

00:20:24I mean,

00:20:24he was,

00:20:24that guy could have been

00:20:25king of Texas.

00:20:26I remember

00:20:27Coach Landry

00:20:28and guys from the Cowboys

00:20:30would call my dad

00:20:30for advice

00:20:31and I just never really

00:20:33dawned on me

00:20:34how important he was.

00:20:36Not just Texas,

00:20:37but all over,

00:20:39all over the world.

00:20:41My dad was a big star

00:20:43in Japan

00:20:43and he took

00:20:45each one of us.

00:20:46Kevin's the first

00:20:47one of my sons

00:20:48to go on the trip.

00:20:50I don't think Kevin

00:20:51even had any idea

00:20:53of what to expect

00:20:55when he got there.

00:20:57The first time

00:20:58I went with him,

00:20:59I looked out

00:21:00the window

00:21:01and there were

00:21:02all these photographers,

00:21:03like so many,

00:21:06at least 100 photographers.

00:21:08I said,

00:21:09Dad,

00:21:09there's some kind

00:21:10of movie store.

00:21:11You should see

00:21:11all the photographers

00:21:12outside and my dad,

00:21:15that's who they were

00:21:15there to see.

00:21:16I couldn't believe it.

00:21:18But they just wanted

00:21:19to see us.

00:21:19They wanted to see

00:21:20the guy,

00:21:21the Iron Glover.

00:21:23Kids, you know,

00:21:24just like any other

00:21:24little fellow out there,

00:21:25we wanted to be

00:21:26just like our dads.

00:21:27I guess all y'all

00:21:28are the same way.

00:21:29That's true.

00:21:30And, you know,

00:21:31so we tried extra hard

00:21:32to, I guess,

00:21:33you know,

00:21:33young kids are just

00:21:34that way.

00:21:35Anything my dad did,

00:21:36you know,

00:21:36he was like,

00:21:37we just wanted

00:21:38to be like him.

00:21:39Someone with Jack

00:21:40Atkinson's mindset,

00:21:41he wants to conquer

00:21:42the world.

00:21:43And by this time,

00:21:45you know,

00:21:45he knew how the business

00:21:46of pro wrestling worked.

00:21:48And I think he probably

00:21:50just thought,

00:21:50if I'm going to make

00:21:51a go of this,

00:21:52if it's worth my time

00:21:53to be a wrestler,

00:21:53it's more worth my time

00:21:55to be running everything.

00:21:56He kind of took over

00:21:58the Dallas promotion.

00:21:59Now,

00:22:01Fritz was the promoter,

00:22:02and Fritz

00:22:03then used that opportunity

00:22:05to exert his power

00:22:07and to kind of take over

00:22:09the booking

00:22:10of the Texas territory

00:22:12and all of the Texas towns.

00:22:14Nobody realizes it

00:22:15at the time,

00:22:16but the path

00:22:18for the Von Erich boys

00:22:19is being set here.

00:22:21And in a lot of ways,

00:22:22that would be a shadow

00:22:24over the family forever.

00:22:30All of my brothers

00:22:31were in sports.

00:22:33Me, Dave, Kerry, Mike,

00:22:35were all athletes,

00:22:37and we were good at it.

00:22:39But with Chris,

00:22:40he had asthma

00:22:41and had to take medicine

00:22:43for it,

00:22:43and it stunted his growth.

00:22:47And it,

00:22:49he couldn't breathe.

00:22:50He really couldn't get

00:22:51enough air

00:22:51to really be

00:22:53a successful athlete.

00:22:55And it's just too bad.

00:22:55It was just the way it is.

00:22:57But me, Dave, Kerry, Mike,

00:23:00we just had a gift for it.

00:23:03Kevin, I mean,

00:23:04in high school,

00:23:05he really loved football, man.

00:23:08Nobody could tackle him.

00:23:10He'd just run over everybody.

00:23:11You know, so,

00:23:12there's one game,

00:23:13he averaged like

00:23:1421 yards a carry.

00:23:15When Dad would come

00:23:17to the football games,

00:23:18it'd be a touchdown

00:23:19or something,

00:23:19I'd look up in the audience

00:23:20and I'd see his hands

00:23:22do this.

00:23:24And that's all I cared about.

00:23:25That's all I wanted to see

00:23:26was how he felt about it.

00:23:28David was 6'7",

00:23:30so he was a great

00:23:31basketball player.

00:23:33In Lake Dallas,

00:23:34the only All-State athletes

00:23:35that that school

00:23:36has ever had

00:23:36were my sons.

00:23:38David's All-State

00:23:39in basketball

00:23:39two consecutive years.

00:23:41It was kind of cool.

00:23:49David and Kevin

00:23:49both got scholarships

00:23:50to North Texas,

00:23:52which when North Texas

00:23:53was really a Division I,

00:23:55you know, powerhouse,

00:23:56Kevin went first

00:23:57and then David went

00:23:58the next year

00:23:59and played basketball

00:24:00and football.

00:24:03I went to college

00:24:04to play football.

00:24:05I didn't care about

00:24:06my degree

00:24:07or anything like that.

00:24:08I loved football

00:24:10and that's all

00:24:10I could think about.

00:24:12It was his freshman year.

00:24:14I was there.

00:24:15Wayne Carey went

00:24:15to watch the game

00:24:16in Denton at North Texas

00:24:18and I think somebody

00:24:20got blocked into him,

00:24:21his own man or something

00:24:22and just tore his ACL,

00:24:24you know,

00:24:24just one of the worst things

00:24:25and he came back

00:24:27with a vengeance

00:24:28and I'll be dadgum

00:24:29if he didn't hurt

00:24:29the other one

00:24:30his sophomore year.

00:24:33With my knees out,

00:24:35I could tell

00:24:36it took something

00:24:37from my quickness.

00:24:39Football wasn't

00:24:39as much fun.

00:24:40Tony.

00:24:42And so

00:24:43it was just

00:24:44a matter of time

00:24:45before I quit playing

00:24:46and it was over.

00:24:48Not time to make a living.

00:24:51So

00:24:51I dropped out of college

00:24:53and

00:24:54I gave wrestling a try.

00:24:58Kevin Von Erich

00:24:59was the oldest son

00:25:00and the first

00:25:01to give pro wrestling

00:25:02a shot.

00:25:03When he decided

00:25:04to get in

00:25:04he didn't have

00:25:05to look far.

00:25:06I mean,

00:25:06his dad ran

00:25:07and the local promotion.

00:25:08By then,

00:25:09Jack had taken over

00:25:10the Dallas promotion,

00:25:11what's now known

00:25:12as world-class

00:25:13championship wrestling.

00:25:14So this is slowly

00:25:15becoming a family business.

00:25:19I remember when Kevin debuted

00:25:21like it was yesterday.

00:25:23I remember it because

00:25:24I was such a big fan

00:25:25of Fritz Von Erich.

00:25:26And then Kevin debuts

00:25:27and he's this really

00:25:29good-looking young guy

00:25:30with this great body.

00:25:31It's this incredible

00:25:32star athlete.

00:25:34And you're like,

00:25:34wow,

00:25:35this guy could carry on

00:25:36the Von Erich legacy.

00:25:37Kevin majored in football

00:25:39and suffered an injury

00:25:40and football's loss

00:25:41became professional wrestling game.

00:25:43In fact,

00:25:44when I started out wrestling,

00:25:45we had to change buildings

00:25:47because the crowd

00:25:47was getting bigger.

00:25:49From the Will Rogers complex

00:25:51in Fort Worth,

00:25:52here's Saturday Night Wrestling.

00:25:54There was the writing

00:25:55on the wall,

00:25:55I could never make

00:25:56this kind of money

00:25:58cleaning catfish

00:25:59and washing dishes.

00:26:02Meanwhile,

00:26:02David starts to take notice

00:26:05of what his brother Kevin

00:26:06was doing out there

00:26:07in the wrestling ring.

00:26:08So even as a college student,

00:26:10he begins to dabble

00:26:11in his dad's business as well.

00:26:12David Von Erich,

00:26:14high school all-stater

00:26:15in basketball.

00:26:17Dave loved basketball.

00:26:19When Dave got his first

00:26:20wrestling paycheck,

00:26:25he thought,

00:26:27goodbye basketball.

00:26:29Introducing from Den, Texas,

00:26:31weighing 236 pounds,

00:26:33David Von Erich.

00:26:34David was the one

00:26:36that picked up on the psychology

00:26:37of matches really well.

00:26:39Three breaths,

00:26:40rolling cradle by David.

00:26:41Man, he was really good.

00:26:43David blocks race,

00:26:44a suplex,

00:26:45lifts race,

00:26:46suplex by David Von Erich.

00:26:48David had all the tools.

00:26:50David was a natural.

00:26:52It has been simply

00:26:53all David Von Erich

00:26:54who has dominated Harley Race.

00:26:5718 years old,

00:26:58he had his first sell-off.

00:27:01That's pretty young

00:27:02to sell out a building

00:27:03like he did

00:27:03with David Harley Race.

00:27:04Oh, he caught him

00:27:06in the claw.

00:27:07He caught race

00:27:08in the claw.

00:27:09That's it.

00:27:12David Von Erich.

00:27:15I've known his old man

00:27:17for a long time.

00:27:19He's legend.

00:27:21And this kid right here

00:27:23is not damn far behind.

00:27:28All right, race.

00:27:34Dave and I

00:27:35were pro wrestlers now.

00:27:37My dad,

00:27:38he never really wanted us

00:27:40to wrestle.

00:27:41He really didn't.

00:27:42He wanted us

00:27:43to go to college

00:27:45or have desk jobs.

00:27:48I never wanted

00:27:48my boys to be in wrestling.

00:27:50What I didn't realize

00:27:51was that's the only

00:27:52last they'd ever known.

00:27:53My dad was a pro wrestler

00:27:55and so that's the way

00:27:55we were brought up.

00:27:56We wanted to be the best

00:27:57we possibly could

00:27:58and so my dad

00:27:59never pressured us

00:28:00into wrestling

00:28:01or pressured us

00:28:02into anything.

00:28:02We just wanted to compete.

00:28:03They literally had to talk

00:28:05Fritz into letting him

00:28:05start working.

00:28:07And there's David.

00:28:08Look at that.

00:28:08Over the top

00:28:09and a big drop kick.

00:28:10Dad really didn't like that.

00:28:12I say he didn't like it

00:28:13but the buildings

00:28:14were packed.

00:28:15You know,

00:28:15sell out crowds

00:28:16every week.

00:28:17Kevin Von Erich,

00:28:18that's what the people

00:28:19here want to see.

00:28:21My dad was a promoter too

00:28:22so he liked that.

00:28:24I think we have

00:28:25the very finest

00:28:26professional wrestlers

00:28:27in the world.

00:28:27Coming up,

00:28:28my son Kevin,

00:28:29my oldest boy

00:28:29Kevin Von Erich.

00:28:30Just say with us

00:28:31you're going to enjoy this.

00:28:32I don't believe this.

00:28:33Look at Kevin.

00:28:34Oh!

00:28:36The oldest brother wrestled

00:28:37so the younger brother

00:28:38wanted to wrestle

00:28:39and my grandmother

00:28:41she said

00:28:42whatever they did

00:28:43my granddad made them

00:28:45do it 110%.

00:28:47So he did give them

00:28:49a choice

00:28:49but if they wanted to

00:28:51he made sure

00:28:51that they committed

00:28:52100%

00:28:53and she was supportive

00:28:54of that.

00:28:55And then also

00:28:56my dad didn't have to pay us

00:28:58like he did the other guys.

00:28:59We didn't mind

00:29:00that dad didn't pay us

00:29:01like the other wrestlers.

00:29:02It was okay with us

00:29:03you know

00:29:03because everything

00:29:04was working out great.

00:29:06We have probably

00:29:07the greatest wrestling

00:29:08father of all times

00:29:09a man by the name

00:29:10of Fritz Von Erich.

00:29:12Our ambition in life

00:29:13is to live up to his name

00:29:14and to do as well

00:29:15as he's done

00:29:16in this sport.

00:29:18We had a family

00:29:19and we're a family

00:29:20and we did it

00:29:21for the family

00:29:21and it's not

00:29:24for my family

00:29:25or for Dave's family

00:29:26it was for

00:29:26the family.

00:29:30At the time

00:29:31my brother Dave

00:29:33got married

00:29:33young.

00:29:35He had a girlfriend

00:29:36and

00:29:40wanted to do

00:29:41the right thing

00:29:42and marry her

00:29:43and he did.

00:29:44Around this time

00:29:45David's girlfriend Candy

00:29:46gets pregnant

00:29:47and in 1978

00:29:48their daughter

00:29:49Natasha is born.

00:29:51David was real excited

00:29:53about her

00:29:54you know

00:29:54and Candy

00:29:56was just a wonderful mother.

00:29:59Once they had the child

00:30:00he was already talking

00:30:01like man

00:30:02I don't want to be

00:30:03on the road as much

00:30:04it makes it hard.

00:30:05He was so excited

00:30:06about the cruise

00:30:07I'll never forget

00:30:07they were going

00:30:08on a cruise

00:30:09they'd never been

00:30:10on a cruise

00:30:10and back then

00:30:11hardly anybody

00:30:12had been on a cruise

00:30:13but

00:30:15and then

00:30:16sure enough

00:30:17Dave

00:30:18he gets a phone call

00:30:20they were able

00:30:21to get a hold of him

00:30:22and let him know

00:30:23that the child

00:30:25had died.

00:30:28It was SIDS

00:30:29sudden infant death syndrome

00:30:32it was just

00:30:33horrific man.

00:30:36We didn't understand

00:30:37I mean how does

00:30:38a child just

00:30:39you know

00:30:39back then

00:30:41SIDS was a huge question

00:30:42and you know

00:30:43that a child

00:30:44could just

00:30:45a baby could just

00:30:46die in the middle

00:30:46of the night

00:30:47that had been

00:30:47perfectly healthy

00:30:49but that's what

00:30:50happened you know.

00:30:53obviously that was

00:30:54a big blow

00:30:55for Dave

00:30:57David and Candy

00:30:59it affected

00:31:00their relationship

00:31:00they just kind of

00:31:01drifted apart

00:31:02and they ended up

00:31:03getting a divorce

00:31:04it was tough

00:31:06you know

00:31:06nobody

00:31:07nobody wants to

00:31:08bury their kids

00:31:10Jack Junior

00:31:11Fritz's firstborn

00:31:12son

00:31:13had died

00:31:14and then

00:31:15Jack's first

00:31:17grandchild

00:31:19dies of SIDS

00:31:20I don't know

00:31:21at that point

00:31:22if you start

00:31:22thinking in terms

00:31:23of a curse

00:31:24but it really

00:31:25does seem like

00:31:25there's a bad

00:31:27moon hanging

00:31:28over this family.

00:31:32On my lap

00:31:33the sensational

00:31:34Von Eric brothers

00:31:35David and Kevin

00:31:39Dave and I

00:31:40were on the road

00:31:41a lot

00:31:42Off the ropes

00:31:43and a big drop kick

00:31:45We were performing

00:31:46and so we weren't

00:31:47at home

00:31:47like

00:31:49like Kerry was

00:31:51At home

00:31:52when Kerry

00:31:53was the big brother

00:31:54and Dave and I

00:31:56were out

00:31:57Kerry was a lot

00:31:58more permissive

00:31:59than Dave and I

00:32:00were

00:32:00Kerry was that way

00:32:02with Mike and Chris

00:32:03and he let things go

00:32:04things like

00:32:07drinking

00:32:07staying out

00:32:08Dave and I

00:32:10would have never

00:32:11let that go

00:32:12Kerry

00:32:13was all about

00:32:15fun

00:32:16everybody loved him

00:32:17and he was so good

00:32:18inside

00:32:19he just wanted

00:32:20to make you laugh

00:32:22Kerry was pleasant

00:32:24all the time

00:32:24laughing and joking

00:32:27playing ribs

00:32:28constantly

00:32:29but also

00:32:30Kerry was

00:32:32really

00:32:33an elite

00:32:34athlete

00:32:35The Von Erics

00:32:36were all

00:32:37athletes

00:32:38but

00:32:39my brother

00:32:40Kerry was gifted

00:32:42in fact

00:32:43Kerry

00:32:44was offered

00:32:45a full

00:32:46Rod Scholarship

00:32:47at University of Texas

00:32:48to play football

00:32:50and Kerry

00:32:51I heard him say it

00:32:52I was sitting right there

00:32:53he said

00:32:53I don't want

00:32:54I don't really like

00:32:55football coach

00:32:56I don't think

00:32:56I want to do that

00:32:57I'll throw the discus

00:33:00He was number one

00:33:01in the nation

00:33:02when we were seniors

00:33:03in the discus

00:33:05I'll tell you what folks

00:33:06every day

00:33:07my mother was out there

00:33:09lugging four or five

00:33:10discuses

00:33:11that weighed four pounds

00:33:12apiece

00:33:13throwing them back to me

00:33:14every day

00:33:15and she couldn't

00:33:15thaw it that far

00:33:16she had run it in that far

00:33:18but my mother was there

00:33:19every

00:33:20every workout

00:33:21and he wound up

00:33:22throwing the discus

00:33:23but for the University of Houston

00:33:25Tom Tellez

00:33:26was the University of Houston coach

00:33:28he was the Olympic coach

00:33:30so that's another reason

00:33:31Kerry went to Houston

00:33:32he was really wanting to go

00:33:34to the

00:33:34tryout for the 1980 Olympics

00:33:36and then they boycotted it

00:33:40Kerry said

00:33:40I don't want to wait

00:33:41until 1984

00:33:42that's four

00:33:43five years away

00:33:44basically nearly

00:33:45and he

00:33:45he wanted to

00:33:47leave college

00:33:49so that's when

00:33:50Kerry came back home

00:33:51and I knew

00:33:53Kerry

00:33:54from his younger

00:33:56brother

00:33:56Mike

00:33:57because Mike and I

00:33:58were in

00:33:59in class together

00:34:00since third grade

00:34:02and so Mike

00:34:03was the strongest

00:34:04male athlete

00:34:06in school

00:34:06and I was the strongest

00:34:08female athlete

00:34:09in school

00:34:11so we used to get

00:34:12all the awards together

00:34:13and things like that

00:34:14so Mike and I

00:34:16were best friends

00:34:16one day

00:34:18Mike said to Kerry

00:34:20can I have a party

00:34:21and Kerry said

00:34:23only if you invite

00:34:25Kathy Murray

00:34:26Kerry and I got to talking

00:34:28and the rest is history

00:34:29we just

00:34:30stayed together

00:34:31after that

00:34:31you know that

00:34:33young love

00:34:34that's so raw

00:34:35and so real

00:34:36and you're so young

00:34:38and it's your first

00:34:39and so that was

00:34:40really powerful

00:34:42for me

00:34:43hi guys

00:34:47hey Kim

00:34:47get your shot here

00:34:50my dad

00:34:51and my mom

00:34:52what a beautiful

00:34:53love story

00:34:54they have

00:34:55my mom

00:34:56adores my dad

00:34:57and my dad

00:34:58loves and treasures

00:34:59my mom

00:35:00I got married

00:35:01I got married in 1980

00:35:02my sweet Pam

00:35:04I've been so happy

00:35:05with her

00:35:06we've been married

00:35:0645 years

00:35:10I mean yes

00:35:11it probably was scary

00:35:13to her to see

00:35:14this is a

00:35:14semi-famous family

00:35:16they're all wrestlers

00:35:17but I think

00:35:19when she saw

00:35:20what a beautiful family

00:35:21they were

00:35:21behind closed doors

00:35:22and she wanted

00:35:24to be a part of that

00:35:25and they cherished her

00:35:26and she said

00:35:28she had always prayed

00:35:29I want to marry

00:35:29a godly man

00:35:30that's who my dad was

00:35:32and on the outside

00:35:33that's not what

00:35:34my dad looked like

00:35:35he just looked like

00:35:36this handsome jock

00:35:38you know

00:35:40here's what

00:35:41they're waiting for

00:35:41Kevin Von Erich

00:35:43David Von Erich

00:35:44Kevin and Dave

00:35:45I mean

00:35:46the story was already

00:35:47of the Von Erichs

00:35:48they were drawn

00:35:49everywhere they go

00:35:50and look at this

00:35:52pen of audience

00:35:53but the other thing

00:35:54was it was

00:35:56it was eating on Carrie

00:35:58Carrie saw that

00:35:59and was just thinking

00:36:01wow

00:36:02this is a really big deal

00:36:04Carrie wanted to wrestle

00:36:06but Fritz wanted him

00:36:06to finish college

00:36:07Carrie was adamant

00:36:09matter of fact

00:36:10Carrie literally

00:36:11had a meeting with Fritz

00:36:13he said

00:36:13I want a meeting

00:36:14with my dad

00:36:15and he told Fritz

00:36:16either I start working here

00:36:18or I'll go somewhere else

00:36:21you are looking

00:36:22at the spotlight

00:36:23on Carrie Von Erich

00:36:24as he makes his way

00:36:25to the ring

00:36:26after the Olympics

00:36:27I don't really know

00:36:30that he ever thought

00:36:31of doing anything else

00:36:35Carrie just had this

00:36:36innate ability

00:36:37of this charisma

00:36:38some guys just walk

00:36:39into a room

00:36:40and have this light

00:36:41come on

00:36:42Carrie Von Erich

00:36:43listen to the crowd

00:36:45Carrie! Carrie!

00:36:47Now you got

00:36:47Kevin, Dave, and Carrie

00:36:49so three Von Erichs

00:36:50on the corner

00:36:51they had the look

00:36:52they had the feel

00:36:53and they could work

00:36:54Dave was the best

00:36:55worker of all of them

00:36:56the head scissors

00:36:57Carrie had the good looks

00:36:59and the charisma

00:37:00look at Carrie

00:37:01up top

00:37:02Kevin had kind of

00:37:04a little mix

00:37:05of all of them

00:37:07all these boys

00:37:08who just dominated

00:37:10every aspect

00:37:12of Texas wrestling

00:37:13there was a short time

00:37:15where Carrie

00:37:15me and Dave

00:37:16could all be

00:37:17in the same town

00:37:18there they are

00:37:19the Von Erichs

00:37:20eventually after about

00:37:22a year

00:37:23we'd one town

00:37:24have Carrie

00:37:25one town

00:37:25have me

00:37:26one town

00:37:26have Dave

00:37:27and the houses

00:37:28were all good

00:37:28you know

00:37:29they're all sellouts

00:37:30they were great

00:37:31listen to this crowd

00:37:33roar

00:37:33they're on their feet

00:37:34it was like

00:37:35a fairy tale

00:37:36for two or three years

00:37:37not long

00:37:42a good wrestler

00:37:43is one that

00:37:44you know

00:37:45a natural athlete

00:37:46first of all

00:37:47like my sons

00:37:48and his kids like this

00:37:49that make wrestling

00:37:50what it is today

00:37:51Carrie Von Erich

00:37:52as his brother

00:37:53David and Kevin

00:37:54have almost

00:37:55a religious

00:37:56responsibility

00:37:57to learn

00:37:58the art of wrestling

00:37:59from their father

00:38:00since they were

00:38:01small children

00:38:02winning something

00:38:03our dad instilled

00:38:03in us a long time ago

00:38:04and we do it

00:38:05as fairly as we can

00:38:06but number one

00:38:07goal is to win

00:38:08two three

00:38:09oh what a dazzling

00:38:11show of wrestling ability

00:38:18there's

00:38:18a misconception

00:38:20that Fritz

00:38:21sort of dragged

00:38:22all his sons

00:38:22into the ring

00:38:23kicking and screaming

00:38:24but

00:38:25I think for

00:38:26Kevin and then

00:38:27David and then Carrie

00:38:27it was hard to turn down

00:38:29the allure of the

00:38:30pro wrestling ring

00:38:31and once they got in there

00:38:32and the crowd

00:38:33started reacting to them

00:38:34Fritz basically said

00:38:35well if they're all in

00:38:36let's make the most of it

00:38:41fantastic

00:38:42what excitement

00:38:43there's just

00:38:43there's just nothing

00:38:45like it in the whole world

00:38:47they would come out

00:38:48through the crowd

00:38:50to

00:38:50different songs

00:38:52it would look

00:38:52range by ZZ Top

00:39:04we wanted to put the kind of wrestling out there

00:39:07that we'd like

00:39:09so rock was a big part of our presentation

00:39:13son of a prize piper

00:39:14of the youth

00:39:15in this area

00:39:15all of a sudden

00:39:16you have something

00:39:17that becomes this rock show

00:39:18and it was a rock show

00:39:20you watched the other matches

00:39:21they were all good

00:39:22but when they came out

00:39:23that was the show

00:39:26it was just

00:39:27pure

00:39:28energy

00:39:29the guys wanted to be like them

00:39:31the girls wanted to be with them

00:39:33everyone trying to

00:39:34grab a hole

00:39:35and carry

00:39:36perhaps get a kiss

00:39:37boy she's lucky

00:39:38isn't she

00:39:38it was just a spectacle

00:39:39anytime that they would come to the ring

00:39:41every match that you'll see tonight

00:39:43is not from a studio

00:39:45it's from a live arena

00:39:47one of the oldest

00:39:47most well-known arenas

00:39:49certainly in Texas

00:39:49probably in the world itself

00:39:51the world famous sportatorium

00:39:53if it's there

00:39:54it's the best

00:39:54in professional wrestling

00:39:55the home of the Von Erics

00:39:57the sportatorium

00:39:58the greatest building in the world

00:39:59and atmosphere personified

00:40:01this crowd is going wild

00:40:05one of the wildest nights

00:40:07in the history

00:40:08of Texas wrestling

00:40:10I only was able to go once

00:40:12at the sportatorium

00:40:14I bragged to my friends

00:40:17for weeks

00:40:18bro

00:40:19I saw the Von Erics live

00:40:21watch this

00:40:25it wasn't your daddy's wrestling anymore

00:40:28they changed the demographic

00:40:30and I think also

00:40:31the show on TV

00:40:33was completely different

00:40:34hi

00:40:35I'm Kerry Von Erics

00:40:36and this is my dog Shay

00:40:38for several weeks now

00:40:39we've been telling you

00:40:40about the changes

00:40:41in the new world-class wrestling show

00:40:42and this is just some

00:40:44of the improvements we've made

00:40:45we want to put boom mics

00:40:47in the ring

00:40:48cameras not just by the ring

00:40:50they climb up on the ring

00:40:52I'll never forget it

00:40:54Fritz set Kerry and I

00:40:55down in his office

00:40:56and he said

00:40:57I'm getting ready to do

00:40:58this thing called syndication

00:41:00that we're going to go

00:41:01all over the country

00:41:02and all over the world

00:41:03it's cable TV

00:41:04and we were like

00:41:05what is that?

00:41:06you know when we first

00:41:07started syndication

00:41:08we had 10 or 12 markets

00:41:10then we got 20

00:41:10pretty soon we were in 47 markets

00:41:12when cable started coming around

00:41:15we finally got world-class wrestling out of Dallas

00:41:18and that's when I was exposed to the Von Erics

00:41:20and how important the Von Erics were to the state of Texas

00:41:24you know I would watch KTTV channel 11 in my dorm

00:41:28it was absolutely amazing

00:41:30the rock concert atmosphere

00:41:35the sportatorium craze

00:41:37the way they looked on TV

00:41:40all of this combined

00:41:41to make the Von Erics

00:41:43like the hottest thing

00:41:45in all of Texas

00:41:46the Von Erics in Texas

00:41:48was almost religion

00:41:50it was a family of superheroes

00:41:52here obviously the Dallas Cowboys

00:41:54how popular they were

00:41:55if there's anything a Texan loves more than chili

00:41:57it would have to be the sport of football

00:41:59if you saw a Dallas Cowboy

00:42:01at the local sports store

00:42:03you didn't know who he was

00:42:04because he didn't have the helmet

00:42:05the number on

00:42:06to wear with wrestling

00:42:07you know there they were

00:42:08right there in your living room

00:42:09every Saturday night

00:42:10doing an interview

00:42:11right in your face

00:42:12yeah baby

00:42:13we told you Bill

00:42:14there's something magic

00:42:16with Kevin and I

00:42:16in that ring together

00:42:17we would get tickets

00:42:19to go watch them wrestle

00:42:20and so

00:42:20they were pretty popular

00:42:22in terms of what we would

00:42:23talk about in the locker room

00:42:25there was two things

00:42:26that were big in Texas

00:42:27it was football and the Von Erics

00:42:28it wasn't football and wrestling

00:42:29it was football and the Von Erics

00:42:32I think what really made

00:42:34the Von Erics more popular

00:42:35than a lot of other great

00:42:37baby faces around the country

00:42:39was you saw them grow up

00:42:41and everybody felt like

00:42:42almost like

00:42:44they're part of the life

00:42:45they're part of what's happening to them

00:42:46they've really come behind us

00:42:48they were like their kids

00:42:49and they're like all parents

00:42:50and all the young kids around

00:42:51and everything else

00:42:52they're really nice to us here

00:42:53so we love it

00:42:54they're part of us

00:42:55we took an ownership

00:42:57of the Von Erics boys

00:42:58these were salt of the earth guys

00:43:00tell us a little bit about Kevin

00:43:02I've been getting into

00:43:03some cliff diving

00:43:04I went to cliff diving

00:43:05out in Acapulco

00:43:06a couple weeks ago

00:43:07and I like to write poems

00:43:09I like to ride horses

00:43:10I like to fish

00:43:12and Kevin and I

00:43:13have just gotten into

00:43:14a little bit of sky diving

00:43:16we've been doing that

00:43:17for about two months now

00:43:18we weren't big shots

00:43:20we acted like

00:43:20we were your big brother

00:43:22your son

00:43:23your grandson

00:43:24your uncle

00:43:25your cousin

00:43:26Von Erich was the name

00:43:28dad gave me

00:43:29and I'm proud to have it

00:43:30it was so important

00:43:31to be a good role model

00:43:32be respectful

00:43:34my dad was like that

00:43:36I didn't think any of them

00:43:38were presumptuous

00:43:39about who they were

00:43:40or ever even said

00:43:42hey do you know who I am

00:43:43or hey

00:43:44I'm this

00:43:44I'm that

00:43:45now

00:43:46I think that's Fritz

00:43:48teaching them

00:43:49hey

00:43:49you're somebody

00:43:50but you're nobody

00:43:51the people make you

00:43:53who you are

00:43:54with my brothers and I

00:43:55if we lose a fight

00:43:56the people are right there

00:43:58they're cheering for us

00:43:59just as loud as if we lose

00:44:01because they want us to know

00:44:02that they're behind us

00:44:03all the way

00:44:05it was just a great life

00:44:07you know

00:44:08I can remember the three of us

00:44:10just being young

00:44:11and getting in the car

00:44:12and head up to Oklahoma

00:44:14for spot shows

00:44:15or down to the middle of Texas

00:44:16for spot shows

00:44:17and we were kids

00:44:18everything was fun

00:44:19everybody was our friend

00:44:21the police all knew us

00:44:23we all liked each other

00:44:25it just kind of spoils you

00:44:27because you can get in your car

00:44:28all you gotta do

00:44:29is take your boots

00:44:30and your trunks

00:44:30and go to another town

00:44:32and make a living

00:44:34and swim in the rivers

00:44:35all the way up

00:44:36and all the way back

00:44:38and just laugh

00:44:39the whole time

00:44:41man that was fun

00:44:43just me and my brothers

00:44:46the greatest name

00:44:47in professional wrestling today

00:44:48the Von Erichs

00:44:49have been for years

00:44:50today the allegiance

00:44:52of a lot of wrestling fans

00:44:53belongs to the Von Erichs

00:44:55to father Fritz

00:44:56and his three wrestling sons

00:44:57and there are still

00:44:58two more Von Erichs

00:45:00waiting to jump into the ring

00:45:01Mike and Chris

00:45:04right now

00:45:05the Von Erichs

00:45:05are a prime attraction

00:45:06a guaranteed draw

00:45:08at dozens of wrestling arenas

00:45:10but as successful as they are

00:45:12they've never forgotten

00:45:13that the most important ingredient

00:45:15in any family business

00:45:17is the family

00:45:18you talk about Fritz

00:45:20family man

00:45:21business man

00:45:22his business

00:45:23is his family

00:45:24they're your meal ticket

00:45:26right now

00:45:26the dramatic arrival

00:45:28of the Von Erichs

00:45:29as hundreds of youngsters

00:45:30come to the ring

00:45:31seeking autographs

00:45:32their pictures

00:45:33but there's this

00:45:34just constant demand

00:45:35the feeling that

00:45:37like if we let anything slip

00:45:39then this could all

00:45:40come crashing down

00:45:40it was just a ton of pressure

00:45:42on them to keep it going

00:45:48we would have a weekly

00:45:49family reunion

00:45:50in there you know

00:45:51on Friday nights

00:45:53good evening

00:45:54and welcome to the

00:45:55world famous

00:45:56sportatorium

00:45:57the home of

00:45:57world class

00:45:58championship wrestling

00:46:00I'd come down

00:46:01right here

00:46:01always be people here

00:46:03you know

00:46:03and hanging their arms out

00:46:05and I've got scars

00:46:07all over my shoulder

00:46:08for the girls

00:46:08scratching like this

00:46:10you should see my shoulders

00:46:11Kevin Von Erich

00:46:12what a beautiful specimen

00:46:15well I grew up in here

00:46:16you know

00:46:17it's like my little playground

00:46:18oh

00:46:19after what

00:46:23yeah

00:46:23that's some good memories

00:46:26that's where it all started

00:46:29Kevin was

00:46:29he was an entertainer

00:46:31but as a person

00:46:32he was a pretty simple guy

00:46:33you know

00:46:33like he just wanted

00:46:35to have that sort of isolation

00:46:37that sort of getting away

00:46:38from everything else

00:46:39you're working nearly every night

00:46:41this must be a great way

00:46:42to just take some edge off

00:46:44oh man

00:46:45you're right

00:46:46I'd probably crack up

00:46:48if I didn't have

00:46:48the country to come out to

00:46:50I don't get off

00:46:50on disco dancing

00:46:51and this is really

00:46:53where I'm at

00:46:53this is where my head is

00:46:55wait for your daughter

00:46:56to get old enough

00:46:57to come out

00:46:58we'll have to see about that

00:47:01once I had

00:47:02my first baby

00:47:03once Pam had Kristen

00:47:05well

00:47:06my priorities changed

00:47:08and wrestling

00:47:09became work

00:47:10I don't think

00:47:12wrestling

00:47:13was the number one

00:47:14priority for Kevin anymore

00:47:16he's obligated to do the wrestling

00:47:18he wanted to do the family thing

00:47:19he would show up

00:47:21at the matches

00:47:22he would leave immediately

00:47:23you know

00:47:24he didn't hang around

00:47:24and go home

00:47:25and be dad

00:47:26and then also

00:47:27my life went from

00:47:29loving my dog

00:47:30and my 22

00:47:30to that baby

00:47:33and Pam

00:47:34my queen

00:47:34that gave me that baby

00:47:35I had somebody to protect

00:47:39Kristen

00:47:40give me your

00:47:41good love

00:47:43you pretty girl

00:47:44my father

00:47:46big mean tough fritz

00:47:48he loved being a grandfather

00:47:50Kristen and him

00:47:53were like that

00:47:53come here

00:47:59my granddad

00:48:02was one of the best men

00:48:04that I've ever met

00:48:06my baby girl

00:48:07he was just the epitome

00:48:11of safety

00:48:12for us

00:48:14now that's what I call

00:48:15pretty, pretty, pretty

00:48:18now me, all of a sudden

00:48:19you're pretty pretty

00:48:21Mimi was also so loving

00:48:24and my grandparents

00:48:26did a really good job

00:48:27of making us feel like

00:48:29we were all

00:48:30a community

00:48:31and we had each other

00:48:33look at me question

00:48:34I love you

00:48:35good daddy

00:48:35I love you

00:48:36good daddy

00:48:37the first time

00:48:39I realized

00:48:39that there was something

00:48:40maybe different

00:48:41about our family

00:48:42we were gonna have

00:48:43a Six Flags Day

00:48:44as a family

00:48:45and when we

00:48:46arrived at the park

00:48:48there were police

00:48:49everywhere

00:48:49and they put us

00:48:51right on a golf cart

00:48:52and we had a couple

00:48:53hours of the park

00:48:54exclusively

00:48:55but they opened

00:48:57the gate

00:48:57and I just have

00:48:58this image

00:48:58in my mind

00:48:59of I was sitting

00:49:00on the back

00:49:00of this golf cart

00:49:01and these people

00:49:02chasing us

00:49:03and screaming

00:49:04and this one lady

00:49:05had mascara

00:49:06running down her face

00:49:08and I remember

00:49:08thinking

00:49:09you know

00:49:10they're not chasing

00:49:10anybody else

00:49:11and don't they know

00:49:12how boring

00:49:13my dad is

00:49:15and how boring

00:49:15my uncles are

00:49:16like why do they

00:49:17think it's so cool

00:49:19you never realized

00:49:20what kind of rock stars

00:49:22these kids

00:49:24had become

00:49:25and here they come

00:49:26the trio

00:49:28of wrestling

00:49:29personified

00:49:30everybody wanted

00:49:31to see the Von Erics

00:49:32but they needed

00:49:33a nemesis

00:49:34you know

00:49:34and when the Freebirds

00:49:35came in

00:49:36that's when wrestling

00:49:37just blew up

00:49:39Michael Hayes

00:49:40and Terry Gordy

00:49:41Buddy Roberts

00:49:43the Freebirds

00:49:44you finally had

00:49:45somebody

00:49:46that could go

00:49:46against the Von Erics

00:49:47boys

00:49:48and that was the

00:49:49perfect antithesis

00:49:50in the Freebirds

00:49:51hey man

00:49:51we're running

00:49:52these Von Erics

00:49:52out of Texas

00:49:53when it comes

00:49:54to notorious

00:49:56bad

00:49:58that you love

00:49:59to hate

00:50:01that'd be us

00:50:02if we gotta run

00:50:04over the Von Erics

00:50:05we'll do it

00:50:06with pleasure

00:50:07oh my goodness

00:50:08well the Freebirds

00:50:10were just

00:50:10so easy

00:50:11to hate

00:50:13the Freebirds

00:50:14brought their own

00:50:14flags from Georgia

00:50:15into Texas

00:50:16which is something

00:50:17you don't do

00:50:17it kind of became

00:50:19like a college

00:50:20football rivalry

00:50:21in a sense

00:50:21Georgia versus Texas

00:50:23this war is not

00:50:25between Texas

00:50:25and Georgia

00:50:26it's between decency

00:50:27and filth

00:50:30it was like

00:50:32setting a nuclear

00:50:33bomb off

00:50:33in the state of Texas

00:50:34I've never seen

00:50:36anything like it

00:50:36we're gonna say

00:50:37thanks to the people

00:50:38of Dallas, Texas

00:50:38cause it's the biggest

00:50:39crowd ever to be

00:50:40in this auditorium

00:50:41shows that used to

00:50:42on a Saturday night

00:50:43do 500 people

00:50:45all the time

00:50:45we were doing

00:50:468,000

00:50:47just packed

00:50:49to the walls

00:50:49and so this one

00:50:51is gonna start

00:50:52in a hurry

00:50:53the rivalry worked

00:50:54I think

00:50:55because

00:50:56when we would

00:50:57get in that ring

00:50:58you could tell

00:50:59that these guys

00:51:00really don't

00:51:01like each other

00:51:02it may take

00:51:03everybody in the arena

00:51:04to separate these two

00:51:05but there was

00:51:06a respect

00:51:07between us

00:51:08that really

00:51:09made it work too

00:51:13you're supposed

00:51:14to make a man

00:51:15that's your job

00:51:16and of course

00:51:17fans ate it up

00:51:18the whole family

00:51:19sticks together

00:51:20that's been their motto

00:51:21and their creed

00:51:22for two hours

00:51:23or three hours

00:51:24they got to cheer

00:51:25for the good

00:51:26it's not just

00:51:26Arwen

00:51:27it's all of Arwen

00:51:28and boo the evil

00:51:30and that's what

00:51:31wrestling is

00:51:32I get so wrecked up

00:51:33and I just love it

00:51:34and I really do

00:51:35this is one of the few

00:51:37places where you come

00:51:37and holler and scream

00:51:38and they don't take you

00:51:39to jail

00:51:40me and my buddies

00:51:41ride down there

00:51:41every Friday night

00:51:43I was there watching

00:51:44the Ron Erickson

00:51:44the Free and Birds

00:51:45go at it

00:51:46you could see

00:51:47those TV ratings

00:51:48shooting up

00:51:49and all we had to do

00:51:50was keep doing

00:51:51what we're doing

00:51:51just make it a little

00:51:52more dangerous

00:51:53and a little more reckless

00:51:54this looks like

00:51:55it's gonna be

00:51:56a wild plug fest

00:51:57whoop it over

00:52:00when you watch

00:52:00those guys

00:52:01you're like

00:52:01they're beating

00:52:02the shit out of each other

00:52:03I mean this is incredible

00:52:04and that's what Texans

00:52:06love so much about it

00:52:07people love to fight

00:52:08I never wanted

00:52:10to be a fake

00:52:10I really enjoyed

00:52:12what I did

00:52:13I loved it

00:52:14and I felt real

00:52:14doing it

00:52:15I gave people

00:52:16real entertainment

00:52:18some of my brothers

00:52:19I mean they were

00:52:21really into it

00:52:22really really believed

00:52:24that what we were doing

00:52:26was real

00:52:27Kevin Von Erick

00:52:28is now covered in blood

00:52:30a lot of times

00:52:31after the matches

00:52:32I felt like it was real

00:52:33because it hurt

00:52:35and the free bird

00:52:36is a loose bird

00:52:37as he goes to the floor

00:52:38and says

00:52:39man alive

00:52:40what hit me

00:52:49when you're young

00:52:50you feel like

00:52:51you're bulletproof

00:52:51nothing can hurt you

00:52:54and now

00:52:55Kevin Von Erick

00:52:58struggling

00:52:59you can break a bone

00:53:00and keep going

00:53:02boys got a broken nose

00:53:03hey

00:53:05when you're right

00:53:06you win every time

00:53:07this doesn't hurt a bit

00:53:08there's plenty more

00:53:09you were pretty much

00:53:10always playing with pain

00:53:12you had to wrestle

00:53:13or you didn't get paid

00:53:15my nose has been broken

00:53:16dozens of times

00:53:17I got broken ribs

00:53:18my elbows have been

00:53:19both dislocated

00:53:20my shoulder

00:53:21my knee operations

00:53:23a tooth knocked out

00:53:24from Michael Hayes' boot

00:53:25we used to take

00:53:26injections

00:53:28xylocaine

00:53:28marcane

00:53:29procaine

00:53:29but they're not drugs

00:53:31they just numb

00:53:33nerve endings

00:53:35and I didn't want to live

00:53:36like that anymore

00:53:38and so

00:53:39to deal with that pain

00:53:42I grew my own marijuana

00:53:45look what's brought it up here

00:53:46in the carpet

00:53:49I don't want to be a proponent

00:53:50for such a thing

00:53:51but I have to say

00:53:52that I took a healthy approach

00:53:54by growing it myself

00:53:55hey man

00:53:56where are we going to smoke

00:53:57one again

00:53:58Kevin

00:53:58if God makes it

00:54:00if it's a vegetable

00:54:01if it grows on a tree

00:54:02or in the ground

00:54:03I want it

00:54:04but I don't want

00:54:05anything made by man

00:54:08and here comes

00:54:09the modern day warrior

00:54:11Carrie Von Erich

00:54:12for Carrie

00:54:14the business

00:54:15was becoming

00:54:17very taxing

00:54:18on the body

00:54:19in general

00:54:20with

00:54:22the amount of time

00:54:23in the gym

00:54:23and pumping iron

00:54:24and then

00:54:25just getting hurt

00:54:26in the ring

00:54:27oh Carrie is

00:54:29pretty well shaken

00:54:30when you're getting hurt

00:54:32all the time

00:54:32and you

00:54:35start asking

00:54:36for prescription drugs

00:54:37right

00:54:37and then

00:54:39how much is enough

00:54:41and do I need something

00:54:42even harder

00:54:43stronger

00:54:44to relieve this pain

00:54:47you know

00:54:48you can just get

00:54:49caught up in that

00:54:51and there were

00:54:52there's doctors

00:54:54doctors because of

00:54:54who they are

00:54:55they're famous

00:54:55who would just

00:54:56write a prescription

00:54:58and here you go

00:55:00and then you take it

00:55:01and you go

00:55:02well it does help me

00:55:03feel better

00:55:04well the doctor

00:55:05just prescribed it

00:55:06it's legal

00:55:07and I think a lot

00:55:08and I think a lot of

00:55:08people got fooled

00:55:09by that

00:55:11Carrie felt a big

00:55:12responsibility

00:55:13to the business

00:55:15he took care

00:55:16of his fans

00:55:17it's tough

00:55:18but we know

00:55:19it's a job

00:55:20it's a responsibility

00:55:21that we have to do

00:55:22and my father

00:55:23bred us

00:55:24to be winners

00:55:25not losers

00:55:26and to fight

00:55:26100% every night

00:55:27whenever we were

00:55:29in that ring

00:55:29so Carrie fought

00:55:32between his health

00:55:33and keeping up

00:55:36with the image

00:55:38that was so important

00:55:40to the Von Ericks

00:55:44Dave has been drinking

00:55:46Southern comfort

00:55:46so he's on the bed

00:55:49I know there's over there

00:55:51I said Dave what

00:55:52have you been in too

00:55:58Dave was the only one

00:55:59of all of us

00:56:00that liked

00:56:02strong liquor

00:56:03had a bottle of it

00:56:04in his bag

00:56:07and then he

00:56:09told us he had

00:56:10a really bad stomach

00:56:11ache and a booze

00:56:12was helping him

00:56:13stomach pain

00:56:14must have been

00:56:15something else

00:56:15I mean he said

00:56:16it was like a knife

00:56:18he had diarrhea

00:56:20for months

00:56:22at the time

00:56:23Dave was married

00:56:24to Trish

00:56:25I know she didn't

00:56:26think he had a virus

00:56:27or something

00:56:27because it

00:56:28you know

00:56:28had some symptoms

00:56:29but he didn't

00:56:31want her to worry

00:56:31you know

00:56:32so he wouldn't

00:56:33have said anything

00:56:36so Carrie and I

00:56:37made sure

00:56:37he went to the

00:56:39doctor about it

00:56:40a proctologist

00:56:41I guess it was

00:56:43they told Dave

00:56:44to lean against

00:56:44this little wall

00:56:45thing

00:56:46they put his

00:56:47elbows down

00:56:48strapped them in

00:56:49strapped his elbow

00:56:50here in

00:56:50his knees

00:56:53and Dave

00:56:54got mad

00:56:55easy

00:56:55the doc

00:56:56hit a switch

00:56:57and Dave

00:56:57was bought up

00:56:59and he was

00:57:00furious

00:57:02he said

00:57:03absolutely not

00:57:04I'll tear

00:57:05this place

00:57:06down

00:57:06and he had

00:57:07to unstrap

00:57:07Dave and let

00:57:08him go

00:57:09but if they

00:57:11would have

00:57:11done the

00:57:13examination

00:57:13I think they

00:57:14would have

00:57:14found something

00:57:18it's around

00:57:1983 that

00:57:20David first

00:57:21starts complaining

00:57:22of stomach

00:57:22pain

00:57:23and also

00:57:24I think

00:57:24you know

00:57:25taking a lot

00:57:25of hard bumps

00:57:26in the ring

00:57:26and especially

00:57:28coming up in

00:57:28the Atkinson

00:57:29household

00:57:31maybe you're

00:57:31just taught

00:57:32to rub some

00:57:32dirt on it

00:57:33you know

00:57:34because he

00:57:35wasn't being

00:57:36treated for it

00:57:37he started

00:57:37turning to

00:57:37painkillers

00:57:40one time

00:57:41he showed

00:57:42up on

00:57:45quaaludes

00:57:45you know

00:57:47you know

00:57:47when you

00:57:48can't talk

00:57:48and you're

00:57:49slurring your

00:57:49word

00:57:50that's when

00:57:50it becomes

00:57:51bad

00:57:52I've seen

00:57:53him where

00:57:53he's a puddle

00:57:54in the middle

00:57:54of the floor

00:57:55and he's

00:57:55supposed to

00:57:55be going

00:57:56to the ring

00:57:57you know

00:57:59so you gotta

00:57:59try and

00:58:00get him

00:58:01up and

00:58:01get him

00:58:01going

00:58:03before long

00:58:04he almost

00:58:05couldn't

00:58:05overcome

00:58:05it

00:58:08looking at

00:58:08today's world

00:58:09I'd say

00:58:09they've had

00:58:09an opioid

00:58:10problem

00:58:11he was

00:58:11addicted

00:58:11to pills

00:58:13and boy

00:58:13I know

00:58:13Fritz was

00:58:14just irate

00:58:15about it

00:58:16you're doing

00:58:17your fans

00:58:17a disservice

00:58:18anytime you

00:58:18get out of

00:58:19line

00:58:19because you

00:58:20are an

00:58:20image to

00:58:21them

00:58:21that they

00:58:22want to

00:58:22live up

00:58:22to

00:58:23and so

00:58:23many pro

00:58:24athletes

00:58:25you know

00:58:25what I'm

00:58:26talking about

00:58:26man

00:58:27they have

00:58:27no use

00:58:28for their

00:58:28fans

00:58:28the fans

00:58:29is what

00:58:29made them

00:58:30it's what

00:58:31made us

00:58:33and we

00:58:34need to

00:58:34always be

00:58:35aware of

00:58:35the responsibility

00:58:36goes with

00:58:36that

00:58:37image was

00:58:38really

00:58:38important

00:58:39to

00:58:39granddad

00:58:40but

00:58:42Mimi

00:58:43was

00:58:44I think

00:58:45more

00:58:45concerned

00:58:46about

00:58:47family

00:58:48image

00:58:49and

00:58:49reputation

00:58:50than

00:58:51the granddad

00:58:53was

00:58:53she wanted

00:58:55to have

00:58:56a perfect

00:58:57family

00:58:57that didn't

00:58:58fail

00:58:59and Mimi

00:59:00was really

00:59:01concerned

00:59:01about

00:59:02media

00:59:04granddad

00:59:04maybe

00:59:05was to

00:59:05a point

00:59:06that it

00:59:06affected

00:59:07the business

00:59:08Fritz

00:59:09always said

00:59:09it's one

00:59:10thing what

00:59:10a man

00:59:11does on

00:59:11his own

00:59:11time

00:59:12but when

00:59:13you're

00:59:13on my

00:59:13time

00:59:13you need

00:59:14to be

00:59:14top

00:59:15shape

00:59:16they're

00:59:17under

00:59:17pressure

00:59:18they were

00:59:19pretty much

00:59:19on call

00:59:2024 hours

00:59:21a day

00:59:21dealing

00:59:22with the

00:59:22public

00:59:22dealing

00:59:23with the

00:59:23news

00:59:24several

00:59:25thousand

00:59:25waiting

00:59:26in line

00:59:26for hours

00:59:27to see

00:59:27the famous

00:59:28wrestling

00:59:29Von

00:59:29Eric

00:59:30it was

00:59:31fun

00:59:32though

00:59:32everywhere

00:59:33you went

00:59:33you were

00:59:34treated

00:59:35like you

00:59:35were

00:59:36royalty

00:59:36we get

00:59:38endorsements

00:59:38through wrestling

00:59:39and so we

00:59:39get free

00:59:40cars from

00:59:41these dealerships

00:59:43they were

00:59:44top stars

00:59:44and Mike

00:59:45and Chris

00:59:46always looked

00:59:47up to them

00:59:48and they

00:59:49were like

00:59:49if they can

00:59:50do it

00:59:50I can

00:59:50do it

00:59:51Mike

00:59:52and Chris

00:59:52were super

00:59:53close

00:59:53they came

00:59:54to the

00:59:54matches

00:59:54every week

00:59:55right after

00:59:56high school

00:59:56Mike

00:59:57wanted to

00:59:58be a part

00:59:58of what his

00:59:59brothers were

01:00:00doing

01:00:00I've seen

01:00:00the debut

01:00:01of all

01:00:01these guys

01:00:02Kevin

01:00:03David

01:00:03Carey

01:00:04and now

01:00:04they debut

01:00:05in just a few

01:00:05minutes of

01:00:06Mike Von

01:00:07Eric

01:00:08for Mike

01:00:09it was hard

01:00:10not being

01:00:11a Von

01:00:11Eric

01:00:12you know

01:00:12if he was

01:00:13anywhere

01:00:13with the

01:00:13brothers

01:00:14he was

01:00:14treated

01:00:14as if

01:00:15he was

01:00:15in the

01:00:15business

01:00:16and it

01:00:17was

01:00:17contagious

01:00:17little

01:00:18Mike

01:00:18I say

01:00:19he's a

01:00:19big old

01:00:19stud

01:00:19but tonight

01:00:20I think

01:00:20he's

01:00:20going to

01:00:20show his

01:00:21colors

01:00:21he's a

01:00:21Von

01:00:22Eric

01:00:22right down

01:00:22on the

01:00:22wire

01:00:23Mike

01:00:23wanted to

01:00:24wrestle

01:00:24so bad

01:00:25he wanted

01:00:25to be

01:00:25like

01:00:25Dave

01:00:26Mike's

01:00:27been

01:00:27taught

01:00:27by the

01:00:27best

01:00:28because

01:00:28we

01:00:28were

01:00:28taught

01:00:29by the

01:00:29best

01:00:29you

01:00:30lock

01:00:30your

01:00:30leg

01:00:30in

01:00:31here

01:00:31can't

01:00:31oh

01:00:31just

01:00:32step

01:00:32yeah

01:00:32oh that's

01:00:33an excellent

01:00:33right here

01:00:35and now I got

01:00:35his leg

01:00:36oh yeah

01:00:38and here he

01:00:39comes

01:00:41Mike Von

01:00:41Eric

01:00:44he has not

01:00:44only his own

01:00:45career to think

01:00:46about

01:00:47but of course

01:00:48he's upholding

01:00:49the honor of

01:00:50the Von

01:00:50Eric families

01:00:51part of it

01:00:52for him

01:00:52was just being

01:00:53with his

01:00:54brothers

01:00:55like okay

01:00:55they're not

01:00:56going out

01:00:56on the road

01:00:56and leaving

01:00:57me anymore

01:00:57I get to

01:00:58come along

01:00:58I'm the baby

01:00:59brother

01:01:00and we're

01:01:00going to have

01:01:00a good time

01:01:01together

01:01:01you know

01:01:02and they did

01:01:02you know

01:01:03a lot of

01:01:03people think

01:01:04that Von

01:01:04Eric's

01:01:04have bit

01:01:04off more

01:01:05than we

01:01:05can chew

01:01:05they think

01:01:05that Mike's

01:01:06too young

01:01:07to be getting

01:01:07in the ring

01:01:07with us

01:01:08this kid

01:01:08is not

01:01:09going to

01:01:09let me

01:01:09down

01:01:09we're

01:01:09going to

01:01:10take

01:01:10those

01:01:10free birds

01:01:10at this

01:01:13point

01:01:13the Von

01:01:14Eric's

01:01:15and the

01:01:15free birds

01:01:17our story

01:01:17was so

01:01:18hot

01:01:25that it

01:01:26was time

01:01:26to take

01:01:27it to

01:01:27a stadium

01:01:28which was

01:01:29unheard of

01:01:29back then

01:01:31we were

01:01:32doing the

01:01:32six man

01:01:32tag team

01:01:33championship

01:01:33which at

01:01:34that time

01:01:34would have

01:01:34now been

01:01:35Kevin

01:01:36Carrie

01:01:37and Mike

01:01:38against

01:01:39the birds

01:01:40now if the

01:01:40free birds

01:01:41think they

01:01:41can beat

01:01:41us

01:01:42go ahead

01:01:42and come

01:01:43on with

01:01:43it all

01:01:43you got

01:01:43and then

01:01:44the main

01:01:45event was

01:01:45going to

01:01:45be Flair

01:01:46versus

01:01:46David

01:01:47for the

01:01:48NWA

01:01:49World Heavy

01:01:50Weight

01:01:50Championship

01:01:51the nature

01:01:52boy

01:01:52Rick Flair

01:01:53arguably

01:01:53the greatest

01:01:55wrestler

01:01:55of all

01:01:55time

01:01:56I thrive

01:01:57I thrive

01:01:58I'm being

01:01:59called

01:01:59the greatest

01:02:00but

01:02:01it was

01:02:01already

01:02:02decided

01:02:02it was

01:02:03very hush

01:02:04hush

01:02:04but David

01:02:05was going

01:02:05to beat

01:02:06Ric Flair

01:02:06for the

01:02:07title

01:02:10and then

01:02:10about

01:02:11five weeks

01:02:12before

01:02:12the show

01:02:13Dave goes

01:02:13to Japan

01:02:14to work

01:02:15over there

01:02:18for months

01:02:19before the

01:02:20Japan trip

01:02:21he didn't

01:02:22look right

01:02:22to me

01:02:24but it

01:02:25was the

01:02:25stomach

01:02:26you know

01:02:27Dave

01:02:28had that

01:02:29ashen look

01:02:30about him

01:02:31you know

01:02:31white

01:02:32look

01:02:33his eyebrows

01:02:34would get

01:02:35white

01:02:38and so

01:02:39Marty

01:02:40had an idea

01:02:41something

01:02:41bad

01:02:41was going

01:02:42to happen

01:02:52this is

01:02:53December

01:02:5324th

01:02:54Christmas Eve

01:02:551983

01:03:01it was so cold

01:03:02that day

01:03:02remember

01:03:03the pond

01:03:03froze over

01:03:04wow

01:03:04that never

01:03:05happens

01:03:10there's Kathy

01:03:11and Uncle Chris

01:03:25there's Chris

01:03:26all the kids

01:03:27all the kids love

01:03:28Mike

01:03:28don't they

01:03:29full is right

01:03:30kick him in his hands

01:03:31full is right

01:03:32wow

01:03:37dear heavenly father

01:03:38thank you for

01:03:39everything you've given us

01:03:40all the family being together

01:03:42the brothers

01:03:43that's great Lord

01:03:44thank you for everything

01:03:45you've given us

01:03:46after that Christmas

01:03:49our life

01:03:50would not be the same

01:03:54for months

01:03:55before the Japan trip

01:03:57Dave was white

01:03:59as a ghost

01:03:59he uh

01:04:00he didn't look right

01:04:02to me

01:04:04I was with him

01:04:05when he wrestled

01:04:06in Austin

01:04:06Texas

01:04:07and after the matches

01:04:08he was throwing up

01:04:09he was sick

01:04:10and he kept saying

01:04:11ah it's just some virus

01:04:12I got

01:04:14and everybody just thought

01:04:15he had the flu

01:04:15you know

01:04:16it was

01:04:17it was dead winter

01:04:19you know

01:04:20early February

01:04:22we knew Debbie was sick

01:04:23but they had no idea

01:04:24how sick

01:04:25the boys had been raised

01:04:26to be there

01:04:27just thousands of people

01:04:28had paid their money

01:04:28to see those boys wrestle

01:04:30the silver broken leg

01:04:31brought them

01:04:31we expect them to be there

01:04:33and he looked pale

01:04:34and I could just tell

01:04:35my mom's face

01:04:36she was worried about it

01:04:37Dave

01:04:37they were talking

01:04:38and I looked at him

01:04:39I thought

01:04:39if I lost him

01:04:41you know

01:04:41I just put my hands on

01:04:42and said

01:04:42don't you go over there

01:04:43and die

01:04:44I tell you

01:04:44and he said

01:04:44I won't give

01:04:45and I thought

01:04:47I kissed him

01:04:49now I get

01:04:49yeah

01:04:50can't happen

01:04:51now

01:05:02when you go to Japan

01:05:03it's always

01:05:04pretty much the same

01:05:07we would eat

01:05:08and we'd have

01:05:09drink beers

01:05:10and have fun

01:05:10and you know

01:05:11it was great

01:05:13I talked to Bill Irwin

01:05:14about it

01:05:15he said

01:05:16they got to that

01:05:17to Tokyo

01:05:17and they went

01:05:18about 6 o'clock

01:05:19and had a big steak

01:05:21and Dave wanted

01:05:22two steaks

01:05:22and Bill said

01:05:24he couldn't even

01:05:24finish his

01:05:25because Dave ate a lot

01:05:26you know

01:05:27but then Dave

01:05:28ordered a third steak

01:05:30and ate it

01:05:31we get out of there

01:05:32and go back

01:05:32to the hotel

01:05:34then we go into

01:05:35the hotel

01:05:35we go in

01:05:36and of course

01:05:36the bar's still open

01:05:37well we gotta go in there

01:05:39and David said

01:05:40hey I'll be right back

01:05:43I think he left

01:05:45and went upstairs

01:05:46and puked

01:05:47and then he came back down

01:05:48everybody that's there

01:05:50including myself

01:05:52we were kind of full

01:05:53but he ate

01:05:54and he ate some more

01:05:56David and I

01:05:57were in that

01:05:58in that bar

01:05:58last

01:05:59and David goes

01:06:00well come by the room

01:06:02come on by

01:06:02you know

01:06:03we'll have a drink

01:06:03or whatever

01:06:04last one

01:06:05went on into his room

01:06:06went in

01:06:07sat down

01:06:07I think we had

01:06:08a beer

01:06:09or something right there

01:06:10and you know

01:06:11after the beer

01:06:12it was

01:06:13it was the end of the night

01:06:14he goes

01:06:15yeah I'm just gonna call my wife

01:06:18okay

01:06:19see you tomorrow

01:06:25well tomorrow comes

01:06:26and everybody's on the bus

01:06:27at five o'clock

01:06:28like

01:06:28what the hell

01:06:29you know

01:06:30where's David

01:06:33and in the distance

01:06:34you hear sirens

01:06:37everybody's looking

01:06:38at each other

01:06:39everybody up

01:06:40we all went off the bus

01:06:42right into the hotel

01:06:43up the stairs

01:06:44right to the corner room

01:06:46and they were there

01:06:47with the key

01:06:47and unlocked his door

01:06:50and there was David

01:06:51in the same spot

01:06:53I left him

01:06:53just laid back

01:06:57still dressed

01:06:58in the same clothes

01:06:59everything

01:07:06to this day

01:07:07I cannot stand

01:07:09a phone call

01:07:10before daylight

01:07:12because that's what

01:07:13I got

01:07:14that morning

01:07:16that Trish called me

01:07:19and when that phone rang

01:07:22it was dark

01:07:23and I picked up the phone

01:07:25and she was crying

01:07:26and I knew

01:07:27and she said

01:07:28he's dead

01:07:29Kev

01:07:29and I just said

01:07:31I have to go

01:07:33I hung the phone up

01:07:37and went outside

01:07:38and I was just crushed

01:07:41you know

01:07:42I couldn't stand up

01:07:44and I just laid down

01:07:45in the forest

01:07:46and pushed the leaves back

01:07:47and put my face

01:07:48in that black dirt

01:07:49and I breathed it

01:07:51God

01:07:51let me die

01:08:00seeing my dad

01:08:01and knowing that

01:08:02he'd lost his son

01:08:03he'd lost Dave

01:08:06oh my gosh

01:08:07that was

01:08:08that was the worst part

01:08:12it was

01:08:15as bad as grief can get

01:08:19Fritz had already said

01:08:21whatever that autopsy says

01:08:23we gotta go with

01:08:24because the public's

01:08:24probably gonna get it

01:08:25sooner or later

01:08:27and everybody thought

01:08:29David died of an overdose

01:08:30but he didn't

01:08:32I heard all the stories

01:08:33around the industry

01:08:34that

01:08:36it was pills

01:08:37it was this

01:08:38I'm not saying

01:08:39there wasn't any pills involved

01:08:40because

01:08:40undoubtedly he was

01:08:42in excruciating pain

01:08:44and

01:08:44but did he do enough

01:08:45to OD

01:08:46no

01:08:48the autopsy said

01:08:50acute enteritis

01:08:51heart failure

01:08:53so basically

01:08:54what they were saying

01:08:55was

01:08:55because of the

01:08:56acute enteritis

01:08:56his intestines ruptured

01:08:58he filled up with blood

01:09:00and it caused heart failure

01:09:13some say that

01:09:14David Von Erich's death

01:09:15hit Dallas Fort Worth

01:09:17like Elvis Presley's death

01:09:19hit the nation

01:09:19David Von Erich

01:09:21died Friday of enteritis

01:09:23he was 25 years old

01:09:26I mean at the funeral

01:09:28that we're expecting

01:09:30500 to 800 people

01:09:32and we end up with

01:09:33almost 10,000

01:09:35fans from the area

01:09:37and foes from the ring

01:09:38turned out

01:09:39the 1800 seat church

01:09:41was soon filled to capacity

01:09:42and hundreds stood outside

01:09:44hoping to catch a few strains

01:09:46of the service

01:09:47from the loudspeaker system

01:09:48it was a quiet

01:09:50it was a quiet

01:09:50but unhappy group

01:09:51it hit everyone

01:09:53like a ton of bricks

01:09:55the schools let out

01:09:57I live and care for Davie

01:10:00and I wanted to be here

01:10:01the funeral procession

01:10:02stretched five miles

01:10:04across the Lone Star State

01:10:05it was a hero send off

01:10:07they shut down the highway

01:10:09all the way from

01:10:10Denton

01:10:10to Oak Grove Cemetery

01:10:12and Oak Cliff

01:10:13things all of a sudden

01:10:14and then everyone's like

01:10:15this is like a president died

01:10:19more fans waited at the cemetery

01:10:21for the procession

01:10:22of 150 cars to arrive

01:10:25I don't think that we realized

01:10:26how much we were loved

01:10:30until we saw that

01:10:32we're just overwhelmed

01:10:33today

01:10:35all of these people

01:10:36showing up for

01:10:37the last experience

01:10:38that he's ever going to make

01:10:39our bodies may be left

01:10:41here on earth

01:10:42but our souls go to heaven

01:10:43it's made us accept death

01:10:45a lot easier

01:10:46hey we know our brother

01:10:48Dave's in a lot better place

01:10:49than we are right now

01:10:51the loss of a brother

01:10:52was devastating for him

01:10:55he said

01:10:56you know

01:10:57I think I should just go

01:10:58and be with David

01:11:01there was always this

01:11:02thing with the brothers

01:11:04that maybe not so much

01:11:06Kevin because Kevin

01:11:07was the oldest

01:11:07trying to protect his brothers

01:11:09but beyond that

01:11:10they always wanted

01:11:11to be together

01:11:15after losing

01:11:16Uncle Dave

01:11:18Mimi

01:11:19was just filled with

01:11:22so much pain

01:11:23but she wanted to have

01:11:26a great image

01:11:27you say

01:11:28God help me through this

01:11:29you get off your desk

01:11:31and you start moving again

01:11:32you start laughing again

01:11:35and you refuse to stay down

01:11:38you don't get over it

01:11:39but we do have to keep fighting

01:11:42we have to make it

01:11:43for the weak ones

01:11:43for our children

01:11:44for our women

01:11:45for those that love us

01:11:47and those that are hurting

01:11:48you know

01:11:53you know

01:11:54like Kerry and I were talking

01:11:55about earlier today

01:11:56Dave wanted that world

01:11:58championship more than

01:11:59anything in the world

01:12:00and that world championship

01:12:04is going to be around

01:12:05the Von Erich waist

01:12:06it has to be

01:12:07not only for our family

01:12:09but for Dave

01:12:11when David Von Erich died

01:12:14Fritz already has

01:12:15this giant stadium show

01:12:17booked at Cowboy Stadium

01:12:19and they have to go through

01:12:20with it

01:12:21and now

01:12:22as much as they might have

01:12:24wanted to

01:12:25just mourn him

01:12:27they have to keep

01:12:28the business going

01:12:31my dad was a businessman

01:12:33it's a family business

01:12:35this is what I do

01:12:36it's my job

01:12:38I'll never forget

01:12:39after Dave died

01:12:40there was talk about

01:12:41well

01:12:42we can't put the belt

01:12:43on the other two boys

01:12:44at that point

01:12:45and Fritz was like

01:12:46it's not an option

01:12:47it's a question now

01:12:48which of you two

01:12:49is going to be

01:12:49the next world champion

01:12:51so when you take that title

01:12:53there's no question

01:12:54anybody's man in the world

01:12:55that you are the best

01:12:56that there is

01:12:57and the best there ever was

01:12:58all in David's memory

01:13:00so Kerry and I

01:13:01have like a coin flip

01:13:03with my dad

01:13:05but

01:13:07the truth of it was

01:13:08that I was married

01:13:09and I did not want

01:13:11to travel

01:13:12like the world champion

01:13:12has to travel

01:13:13it's all over the place

01:13:15I had my children

01:13:16I didn't want to be

01:13:17the world champion

01:13:19and

01:13:20Kerry did

01:13:22and so as far as

01:13:23the coin flip's concerned

01:13:24it was more like

01:13:25you win

01:13:29there are no seatbelts

01:13:31on the chairs

01:13:32here at Texas Stadium

01:13:33but we almost need them

01:13:35my goodness

01:13:35I mean what an atmosphere

01:13:37what a huge match feeling

01:13:42and

01:13:42Kerry had the weight

01:13:44of the state

01:13:45on his back

01:13:46from Denton Texas

01:13:47weighing 259 pounds

01:13:49Mr. Kerry Lauder

01:13:52you know when I talk

01:13:53about the butterflies

01:13:54or something like this

01:13:55it's almost impossible

01:13:56to describe in words

01:13:57the way I felt

01:13:58but it was like

01:13:59all the Texas Stadium

01:14:00was electrified

01:14:01that title shot

01:14:02was supposed to be David's

01:14:04David passes away

01:14:06in Japan

01:14:07now his brother

01:14:08comes and steps in

01:14:10and who does he have

01:14:11to I mean

01:14:12Ric Flair

01:14:12prime Ric Flair

01:14:15Texas Stadium

01:14:16sold out

01:14:17the largest crowd

01:14:18ever to see wrestling

01:14:20anywhere in the world

01:14:21is on hand here

01:14:22at Texas Stadium

01:14:23a history making event

01:14:25Kerry Vaughner

01:14:26in the state of Texas

01:14:30I was pregnant with Holly

01:14:33and it was

01:14:35a great day

01:14:36for all of us

01:14:37Kerry Vaughner

01:14:39probably the most beautiful

01:14:40ring jacket I've ever seen

01:14:41he wanted to

01:14:43to make his dad proud

01:14:45and all the fans too

01:14:46right

01:14:47to make sure

01:14:48that that Von Erick image

01:14:49was you know

01:14:51upheld

01:14:52this is it

01:14:53here we go

01:14:55watching that one

01:14:56Blair can't find

01:14:58the handle

01:14:58at my Papa Jody's house

01:15:01Kerry is rolling now

01:15:05it was like

01:15:06watching a Mike Tyson fight

01:15:08back to his feet

01:15:10there's a drive

01:15:10by Kerry

01:15:13and everybody

01:15:14had to go to the fight

01:15:16power slam

01:15:18you got

01:15:1940,000 grieving people

01:15:23we had to have the pop

01:15:26and it's a iron claw

01:15:31Kerry's got him

01:15:32here's the Nelson can't

01:15:33go

01:15:34hey

01:15:35the dream

01:15:36comes true

01:15:37yes

01:15:41it's happened

01:15:51man it gives you

01:15:52kind of gives you goose bumps

01:15:53thinking about it

01:15:53how special

01:15:54that was for Kerry

01:15:56to win the title

01:15:57Kerry Von Erick

01:15:58is the new world

01:16:00heavyweight champion

01:16:01to have

01:16:02our guy

01:16:03Kerry Von Erick

01:16:05you know

01:16:05that iconic stadium

01:16:06with the holy roof

01:16:07so God can watch his team

01:16:10it was a day of celebration

01:16:11in the state

01:16:12for the Texas flag

01:16:13the big yellow rose

01:16:14and the heavyweight belt

01:16:16winning the ultimate prize

01:16:18in dedication

01:16:19to your brother

01:16:20who passed away

01:16:22Kerry Von Erick

01:16:23was a God

01:16:23in the state of Texas

01:16:24Prince there

01:16:26to greet Kerry

01:16:26there's Mrs. Von Erick

01:16:28Kerry's brother

01:16:30you know

01:16:31today

01:16:31the world belongs

01:16:32to Texas

01:16:33because if it wasn't

01:16:34for the Texas people

01:16:35I wouldn't have nothing

01:16:36and you know

01:16:36what else

01:16:37my brother David tonight

01:16:38he had the best seat

01:16:39in the house

01:16:40right upstairs

01:16:41looking down

01:16:41and just God bless him man

01:16:43because he saw

01:16:44everything I did

01:16:45and we're just so happy

01:16:46it was

01:16:48just one of the greatest moments

01:16:50I think in his history

01:16:51of wrestling

01:16:56then Kerry had to take on

01:16:58the responsibility

01:16:58of being the champion

01:17:00and it's not fun

01:17:02here now comes

01:17:03world heavyweight champion

01:17:04Kerry Von Erick

01:17:05that's a 360 day deal

01:17:09he goes from

01:17:10David's dead

01:17:12you're the main event

01:17:15promos

01:17:16promos

01:17:18and you can't just say

01:17:20oh we're taking a week off

01:17:22so between that

01:17:25and losing his brother David

01:17:27that's when I started seeing

01:17:29a little bit more

01:17:31of the drug starting

01:17:32to come in

01:17:32oh Bill

01:17:33there's so much going on

01:17:34inside my head

01:17:35I feel like

01:17:36I'm ready now

01:17:38I believe with all my heart

01:17:39I can take it

01:17:40I think before David's death

01:17:41the drugs were under control

01:17:44where it wasn't causing

01:17:46any problems for him

01:17:47and then after David's death

01:17:49it just

01:17:52Kerry Von Erick

01:17:54the new world heavyweight champion

01:17:55I guess that's something

01:17:56we've all dreamed about

01:17:59that was the right call

01:18:00for Kerry to be world champion

01:18:01for that night

01:18:03in that stadium

01:18:06regardless of how it turned out

01:18:07it was the right call

01:18:08Rick switches him

01:18:10pulls him back

01:18:11he's got him

01:18:12he's got him

01:18:13and that's it

01:18:14and Ric Flair

01:18:15the world heavyweight champion

01:18:17once again

01:18:19with an 18 day reign

01:18:21the N.W.A.

01:18:22was sort of doing a solid

01:18:23for the state of Texas

01:18:24you know for Dallas

01:18:25for the Von Erick family

01:18:27for all the tragedy

01:18:28that they were going through

01:18:29right in that moment

01:18:31and it wasn't meant

01:18:32to be a long-term solution

01:18:34I think for Kerry

01:18:35it didn't matter

01:18:36that he lost it so quickly

01:18:37because you're on top

01:18:38right

01:18:39how much further can you go

01:18:40like I'm accepted now

01:18:42right

01:18:42my dad trusted me

01:18:44to be able to do this

01:18:45and I did it

01:18:46I tried to do this

01:18:47all my life

01:18:47a national wrestling

01:18:48last world champion

01:18:49and I was never able

01:18:50to take it

01:18:50but Kerry took it

01:18:52even after losing

01:18:53the title

01:18:54the Von Ericks

01:18:55they were still drawing

01:18:56in huge crowds

01:18:56and I think that just

01:18:58says something

01:18:59about their start

01:19:01listen to this crowd

01:19:02roar

01:19:03they're on their feet

01:19:06it's getting around

01:19:07that the Von Ericks

01:19:07and world-class

01:19:09championship wrestling

01:19:10is the number one

01:19:11sport in the world

01:19:12today

01:19:14world-class

01:19:15was just booming

01:19:18line dropkick

01:19:19and there goes

01:19:20Michael Hayes

01:19:21they would play the show

01:19:23I think it was

01:19:23at 11 a.m.

01:19:24Sunday mornings

01:19:25we would have a replay

01:19:27of that

01:19:28at 6 at night

01:19:30which was opposite

01:19:31of 60 minutes

01:19:33which was the number one

01:19:35show in the country

01:19:35and we would almost

01:19:37double their ratings

01:19:39with a replay

01:19:41at this point

01:19:42world-class

01:19:43is so successful

01:19:45that

01:19:46you know

01:19:47Vince McMahon

01:19:47takes notice

01:19:48if there's one family

01:19:50that's dominant

01:19:50and reigns supreme

01:19:52somewhat

01:19:52in the entire

01:19:53wrestling world

01:19:54it would be

01:19:54the Von Erick family

01:19:55at the beginning

01:19:56there was a meeting

01:19:56took place in Dallas

01:19:58you know

01:19:59Vince said

01:20:00join forces

01:20:01with the WWE

01:20:03will go everywhere

01:20:05and at that time

01:20:07they would even

01:20:07take 40%

01:20:08we would be 60%

01:20:11we didn't do the deal

01:20:12Rich was

01:20:14why do we need you

01:20:15we just did

01:20:1640-some thousand people

01:20:18the wrestling family

01:20:20which has made

01:20:21Dallas and Fort Worth

01:20:22one of the hottest spots

01:20:23in the sport

01:20:23is still growing strong

01:20:24the people love

01:20:26the Von Ericks

01:20:26it's amazing

01:20:27but wherever

01:20:28the Von Ericks go

01:20:29a crowd always follows

01:20:33Kerry he was

01:20:34extremely popular

01:20:35people just loved him

01:20:36he was actually

01:20:38in an audition

01:20:39with Sylvester Stallone

01:20:40for Rocky IV

01:20:42and they picked

01:20:43Dolph Lundgren for it

01:20:45but becoming famous

01:20:46at a really young age

01:20:48can be difficult

01:20:52and that was pretty tough

01:20:54for me

01:20:55as a wife

01:20:57being with somebody

01:20:58that was so famous

01:20:59I love you too

01:21:01Kerry

01:21:01but you're married

01:21:02so

01:21:03I'm just worried

01:21:04about his health

01:21:04I'm worried that

01:21:05he's going to get

01:21:06an eye out or something

01:21:07I'm not really worried

01:21:08about the girls kissing

01:21:09on him or anything

01:21:09I know that goes

01:21:11I don't blame him

01:21:11I would too

01:21:12I'd be jumping

01:21:13all over him too

01:21:14I like Kerry's body

01:21:16all of it was really

01:21:18hard for he and I

01:21:20I kept seeing

01:21:21Kerry Atkison

01:21:22getting buried

01:21:24underneath

01:21:25the Von Erick image

01:21:28I was losing

01:21:29a part of my husband

01:21:31that was

01:21:31very important

01:21:32to me

01:21:34because Kerry Von Erick

01:21:35belonged to everybody

01:21:39maybe taking the drugs

01:21:40helped him

01:21:41to escape from that

01:21:44at least he told me

01:21:46that one time

01:21:50that's a big responsibility

01:21:51being on top

01:21:52because you're responsible

01:21:54for feeding everybody

01:21:56and drinking and doing drugs

01:21:58don't help you balance

01:21:59that that well

01:22:01Kerry sometimes

01:22:02is he 100%

01:22:03is he 70%

01:22:04what have we got

01:22:05to work with

01:22:05and when we finally

01:22:07get him in the ring

01:22:07Michael Hayes

01:22:08or Terry Gordon

01:22:09I don't care which one

01:22:11but when we get you

01:22:12in the ring baby

01:22:13I ain't going out

01:22:14to hurt you

01:22:15I'm going out

01:22:15to cripple you

01:22:16and I guarantee you that

01:22:20it was hard

01:22:21to be in that position

01:22:22to where

01:22:23you go tell someone

01:22:24that their son's

01:22:25got a problem

01:22:27I mentioned it

01:22:27one time

01:22:28and I got heat

01:22:30for it

01:22:31not from Fritz

01:22:32I'll just leave it at that

01:22:35my grandmother

01:22:36loved her boys so much

01:22:38and I love Mimi

01:22:41I love my grandmother

01:22:43but it's frustrating

01:22:46because it is just so easy

01:22:49to blame granddad

01:22:50it's not always as it seems

01:22:53you know

01:22:54a lot of people

01:22:55want to make Fritz

01:22:56the bad guy

01:22:57there is a deep love

01:22:59and respect

01:22:59between the boys

01:23:00and Fritz

01:23:01and it went both ways

01:23:02I saw it firsthand

01:23:04Mr. Eftikenson

01:23:05absolutely wanted

01:23:06the best for his boys

01:23:08but he also wanted

01:23:10the best for his business

01:23:12Fritz was also

01:23:13very consumed

01:23:14with making sure

01:23:15that train

01:23:16kept running down

01:23:16that track

01:23:17and we are still

01:23:18breaking attendance records

01:23:19Gary Von Erich

01:23:20literally having

01:23:21to push his way through

01:23:22life was great

01:23:23everybody thought

01:23:24it was going to last forever

01:23:27wrong

01:23:29we had to deal with life

01:23:31as it comes

01:23:32don't cry about it

01:23:34the tragedy started

01:23:35coming around

01:23:38it had its effect

01:23:41suicides

01:23:41drugs

01:23:43alcohol

01:23:44you name it

01:23:45it all played a part

01:23:56it's so cool

01:23:57how you all

01:23:57got to wrestle together

01:23:59well just imagine

01:24:00you inside

01:24:01you know

01:24:01just playing outside

01:24:02but there's thousands

01:24:03of people watching

01:24:04so that's what's

01:24:05going to happen

01:24:06when they're playing

01:24:07with their brother

01:24:07in front of a bunch

01:24:08of people

01:24:11there was a time

01:24:12that we could all

01:24:13wrestle in any town

01:24:14and sell it out

01:24:15the Von Erichs

01:24:17have won the hearts

01:24:18of wrestling fans

01:24:19they're the most popular

01:24:20wrestling family

01:24:21in the world

01:24:23yeah

01:24:24it's not like people think

01:24:26it's a family business

01:24:28it wasn't fun

01:24:29it was work

01:24:31you're pressured

01:24:32to be on

01:24:33all of the time

01:24:34an image

01:24:35that they all

01:24:36want to uphold

01:24:37they're just good boys

01:24:39the world just needs

01:24:40heroes today

01:24:41that's all

01:24:41there's pressure

01:24:43to keep that name alive

01:24:44professional wrestler

01:24:45Mike Von Erich

01:24:46remains in critical condition

01:24:48if Mike Von Erich dies

01:24:49the whole world

01:24:50is going to hate him

01:24:50it's in the Lord's plan

01:24:52for these things to happen

01:24:53the Von Erichs are strong

01:24:55I saw a lot of depression

01:24:56in him

01:24:57I do remember times

01:24:59where he wasn't sober

01:25:01the doctor told him

01:25:02he just might never

01:25:03be able to go back

01:25:04into wrestling

01:25:05dozens of searchers

01:25:06had been scouring

01:25:07Lake Louisville

01:25:08by ground and air

01:25:09since Wednesday night

01:25:10when I got the call

01:25:11I knew our world

01:25:12is crumbling

01:25:13investigators found

01:25:14a handwritten note

01:25:15mom and dad

01:25:16I'm in a better place

01:25:17I'd rather die

01:25:18than let you folks down

01:25:19come on

01:25:20who hemos down

01:25:20who has fallen

01:25:22away from this

01:25:24he is still

01:25:25you

01:25:25You

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