biography_legends_s05e01

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00:00:22Pojawi się z nimi zamiastem

00:00:23To wyczoranie i zamiast, że

00:00:25w moim zamiastie

00:00:26Rozy Straszów

00:00:26Na połkemi

00:00:27Straszów

00:00:28Znaczyć

00:00:30Zobaczcie się, że nie małe rzeczy, ale wśród tych momentach są te dobrych dzieci.

00:00:38Właścić dzieci.

00:00:41Zobaczcie się, że nie małe dzieci.

00:00:47Nie małe życie.

00:00:50Nie małe dzieci.

00:00:51Zobaczcie się, że nie małe dzieci.

00:00:53Zobaczcie się, że nie małe dzieci.

00:00:57Nie ma nic nie wziął mnie, ale miejsce w życiu i wierząc.

00:01:02W tym czasie, że to jest to długo.

00:01:05I teraz myślę, że to długo.

00:01:11Zobaczmy, że Dvon Eriks.

00:01:14Zobaczmy, jak wielkie starze Dvon Eriks w w Texasu.

00:01:17Jeśli nie było niczego z profesjonalnego wrestlingu,

00:01:19zrozumiałe się co i co Dvon Eriks w wierze.

00:01:22Dvon Eriks, w ramach wielkiej rodziny,

00:01:24Wielkie prawa zastrzeżone w

00:01:54A 6 lat, Uncle Jackie is gone.

00:01:58David Von Erich was found lying across his bed earlier this morning,

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

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

00:02:08Doctors say the restful 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 Erich 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?

00:02:33Was it the pressure of the wrestling business,

00:02:36the pressure of family, the pressure of the fans?

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

00:02:40It was made for movie.

00:02:42It's a new film. It's called The Iron Claw.

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

00:02:46Great acting. Zac Efron did a phenomenal job.

00:02:48But 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.

00:03:19For next.

00:03:21There you go.

00:03:22When 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.

00:03:36Oh, Benji!

00:03:38When 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

00:03:51to have brothers, you know.

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

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

00:03:59and I can't imagine

00:04:00what that would like to be,

00:04:01being an only child.

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

00:04:10He was born Jack Adkinson

00:04:12in Jewett, Texas.

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

00:04:16He's the 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

00:04:24any attention to my dad.

00:04:25It was like,

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

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

00:04:30Any stories I have

00:04:32about 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

00:04:50that my granddad felt like loved him

00:04:53was his daddy Ross, his 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, you know,

00:05:03love and encouragement.

00:05:05There was a guy in town

00:05:07who asked my granddad

00:05:09if, you 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 a 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

00:05:42every 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

00:05:49whenever he told me about that.

00:05:52That he was molested

00:05:54as a little boy.

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

00:05:59There were things

00:06:00he 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

00:06:06to tell me.

00:06:06I didn't need to know,

00:06:08I suppose.

00:06:09But kind of surprising.

00:06:15I think that granddad

00:06:18had felt invisible

00:06:19for a large part

00:06:21of his childhood

00:06:22and recognized

00:06:24that the best way

00:06:27to get people

00:06:28to notice him

00:06:29was his athletic ability,

00:06:32his size.

00:06:33And so he went to college

00:06:35and he actually had

00:06:37a scholarship

00:06:37for football

00:06:39and he threw discus

00:06:40at SMU.

00:06:42Here you were at SMU

00:06:43with a scholarship

00:06:44and you met this young lady

00:06:46named Doris.

00:06:48At the time

00:06:49that my grandparents met,

00:06:50they loved each other

00:06:52so much

00:06:53and Mimi,

00:06:55she wasn't going

00:06:56to 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

00:07:01married Doris,

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

00:07:04You mean up till now

00:07:05or at the other?

00:07:06At that time.

00:07:08Well,

00:07:08it cost me my scholarship.

00:07:10When I started

00:07:10as a freshman at SMU,

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

00:07:13in that any freshman

00:07:14that came in from then on

00:07:15at that time

00:07:16and later,

00:07:17if they got married,

00:07:18they lost a scholarship.

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

00:07:20I didn't think

00:07:20that meant me.

00:07:21I was too great.

00:07:22Uh-huh.

00:07:23And you lost a 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

00:07:32on the way

00:07:32and I really didn't

00:07:35know what I was

00:07:35going to do yet.

00:07:42He tried lots of jobs.

00:07:44He was a detective

00:07:46and a bus driver.

00:08:12That's when my dad

00:08:13started professional wrestling.

00:08:14Jack Atkinson

00:08:16of 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

00:08:24as a local hero,

00:08:25football player

00:08:25from SMU,

00:08:26but he set out

00:08:27to travel far 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.

00:08:34You 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

00:08:46there to 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.

00:09:09And there was a lot of potential

00:09:12in that character.

00:09:13But he is rough and tough

00:09:15and nasty.

00:09:15Growing up as a fan,

00:09:17if you watched TV,

00:09:18you knew Fritz.

00:09:19This guy is just vicious.

00:09:20He 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

00:09:26and the master

00:09:27of the Iron Claw.

00:09:28The Iron Claw

00:09:29was Fritz's infamous

00:09:30finishing hold

00:09:32where he would take

00:09:32his big mitts

00:09:33and just wrap it

00:09:34around the 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

00:09:44and 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.

00:09:55Granddad,

00:09:57what year were you born?

00:09:59Um, 1957.

00:10:03Oh, that is,

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

00:10:07Oh, okay.

00:10:07Okay, so Uncle Jackie

00:10:09and you.

00:10:09Yeah.

00:10:10By 1957,

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

00:10:13me, Jackie,

00:10:14and my mom and dad.

00:10:15It's so late.

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

00:10:26and my dad loved her.

00:10:28We were happy

00:10:29and 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,

00:10:39he was my big brother.

00:10:41He kissed me.

00:10:42Aw, he loves you.

00:10:44Aw, Jackie.

00:10:45He had the best personality

00:10:47I say.

00:10:48He's funny and...

00:10:51Like he's trying

00:10:51to make you laugh.

00:10:54Jackie.

00:10:55That big brother stuff.

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 asked

00:11:17if he could go

00:11:18to his friend's house

00:11:19a couple of mobile homes down

00:11:21and Mimi said,

00:11:23yes, just 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

00:11:33for a few minutes

00:11:34and then she said,

00:11:36um,

00:11:37you 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.

00:11:43Mimi said her heart dropped.

00:11:46She immediately knew

00:11:47something was wrong.

00:11:54That day,

00:11:56Mimi was cleaning

00:11:58and it was cold outside

00:12:02and when she called

00:12:03her friend and said,

00:12:04hey, will you please

00:12:04send 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.

00:12:26And, uh,

00:12:27they couldn't find him

00:12:28so 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,

00:12:38and we're looking,

00:12:39cops are on their way

00:12:40so 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,

00:12:59give him to me,

00:12:59give him to me.

00:13:00But she said,

00:13:00shoot,

00:13:01there was this siren

00:13:02in her mind,

00:13:03like,

00:13:03why is this,

00:13:03why is he not happy?

00:13:04Why does his face

00:13:06not match

00:13:06what I'm hearing?

00:13:08And, um,

00:13:09he 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, um,

00:13:19just 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, uh,

00:13:35trailer or equipment room

00:13:36or something

00:13:37that had the sheet metal

00:13:38siding.

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

00:13:42rubbing his finger on it

00:13:44and he touched a spot

00:13:45where the skin

00:13:46on the trailer

00:13:47had been electrified.

00:13:50The guy had 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.

00:14:02Um,

00:14:03and I think

00:14:03the actual cause of death

00:14:04was 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

00:14:15that news

00:14:16and then he comes home

00:14:18and you say,

00:14:18here'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, uh,

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 sort of

00:15:17cumulatively,

00:15:18as time went on,

00:15:20that, you know,

00:15:21anger,

00:15:22that resentment

00:15:23sort of just

00:15:24built upon itself.

00:15:32Anyone that loses a child,

00:15:34um,

00:15:35there'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,

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

00:15:42I didn't have a Lord

00:15:43at the time.

00:15:43I didn't,

00:15:44didn'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,

00:15:48if 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.

00:15:53He got me back to Texas.

00:15:55It took a long time

00:15:56and I went in a straight line

00:15:58and we 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

00:16:08regularly 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,

00:16:15you 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

00:16:24back to Texas.

00:16:31Oh, wow.

00:16:32There's a ranch.

00:16:34That's where your

00:16:35great uncles grew up.

00:16:39So 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

00:16:54in 1969.

00:16:55Look at Uncle Chris.

00:16:57What's he riding?

00:16:58That was Chris.

00:16:59My 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 now,

00:17:07my big brother

00:17:08and I loved my brothers.

00:17:11Look at you

00:17:12and Uncle Dave, Daddy.

00:17:14Yep, skinny Dave.

00:17:16We always hunted

00:17:17and fished

00:17:19and spent time together.

00:17:23Oh, what great memories we had.

00:17:25We all had horses.

00:17:27We rode horses everywhere.

00:17:29Didn't everyone have

00:17:29their 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.

00:17:46We're shorts

00:17:47and barefooted

00:17:49and no shirt

00:17:49all 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 told me you could do it.

00:17:57Oh, yeah.

00:17:57A backflow porn 80.

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

00:18:01Dad, what should I do

00:18:01for a living?

00:18:02I like to brag

00:18:03and 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 fun.

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

00:18:32tried to make

00:18:33their house

00:18:33be

00:18:34the fun house

00:18:36where you wouldn't

00:18:36want to leave.

00:18:38At that time,

00:18:39my Mimi was

00:18:42unbelievably strong.

00:18:44I mean,

00:18:44she 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.

00:18:53I just think

00:18:54it's amazing

00:18:55that

00:18:57both of them

00:18:58had this mentality

00:19:00to hold it all together

00:19:03like that,

00:19:03both of them.

00:19:06Tell me about

00:19:07raising the boys.

00:19:08The 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

00:19:16from his youth.

00:19:17Even though his father

00:19:18didn't...

00:19:19wasn't around,

00:19:20he learned from that.

00:19:22but he's going to be

00:19:23the kind of father

00:19:23that is around.

00:19:25Don't misunderstand me.

00:19:26I made a lot of mistakes

00:19:26raising my children,

00:19:28but my wife and I

00:19:29love to prevent it of it.

00:19:30That may be the difference

00:19:30to 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 the whole thing

00:19:38and just laughing

00:19:38and chuckling.

00:19:44He didn't have parents

00:19:45that wanted to spend time

00:19:46with him,

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

00:19:48that did,

00:19:49that wanted to spend time

00:19:50with his kids.

00:19:52In the history of wrestling,

00:19:53who would you say

00:19:53is the greatest wrestler

00:19:55of all time?

00:19:58That's a rather leading 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

00:20:02Prince Von Erich.

00:20:03Right.

00:20:03There's no doubt about that.

00:20:05The most winning wrestler,

00:20:06the wrestler that's

00:20:06or the most money

00:20:07in the world today

00:20:08has got to be

00:20:08Prince Von Erich.

00:20:09At the time,

00:20:10Fritz,

00:20:11he just became

00:20:13an idol around here

00:20:15in Dallas-Waltworth area.

00:20:17Prince Von Erich,

00:20:18by his own admission,

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

00:20:21People in Texas

00:20:22loved Prince 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 Coach Landry

00:20:28and guys from the Cowboys

00:20:29would 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.

00:20:35not 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 one

00:20:47of 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.

00:21:13And 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.

00:21:19Wanted to see

00:21:20the guy

00:21:21of the iron glow.

00:21:23Kids,

00:21:23you know,

00:21:24just like any other

00:21:24little fella 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,

00:21:30so we tried extra hard

00:21:32to, I guess,

00:21:33you know,

00:21:33the young kids

00:21:34are just that 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

00:21:40Jack Atkinson'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,

00:21:51if it's worth my time

00:21:52to be a wrestler,

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

00:21:55to be running everything.

00:21:57He kind of took over

00:21:58the Dallas promotion.

00:21:59Now,

00:22:00Fritz was the promoter

00:22:01and 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

00:22:23over the family forever.

00:22:30All of my brothers

00:22:31were in sports.

00:22:32Me, Dave, Kerry, Mike,

00:22:35we're 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 a successful athlete

00:22:54and it's just too bad.

00:22:55It's 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,

00:23:11so there's one game

00:23:13he averaged like 21 yards

00:23:15of carry.

00:23:16When 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.

00:23:41But the kids,

00:23:44I've been very proud of them.

00:23:47It was kind of cool.

00:23:49David and Kevin

00:23:49both got scholarships

00:23:50to North Texas,

00:23:51which when North Texas

00:23:53was really a Division I

00:23:55powerhouse,

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

00:24:19got 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 to me.

00:24:42And so it was just

00:24:44a matter of time

00:24:45before I quit playing it.

00:24:47It was over.

00:24:48I had time

00:24:49to make a living.

00:24:51so I dropped

00:24:52out of college

00:24:53and I gave

00:24:55wrestling 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.

00:25:05I mean,

00:25:06his dad ran

00:25:07the 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

00:25:20when Kevin debuted

00:25:21like it was yesterday.

00:25:22I remember it

00:25:23because I was

00:25:24such a big fan

00:25:25of Fritz Von Erich.

00:25:26And then Kevin debuts

00:25:27and he's this

00:25:28really good-looking

00:25:29young 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

00:25:36on the Von Erich legacy.

00:25:37Kevin majored

00:25:38in football

00:25:39and suffered an injury

00:25:40and football's loss

00:25:41became professional

00:25:42wrestling's game.

00:25:43In fact,

00:25:44when I started out

00:25:45wrestling,

00:25:45we had to change

00:25:46the building.

00:25:47because the crowd

00:25:47was getting bigger.

00:25:49From the Will Rogers

00:25:50complex in Fort Worth,

00:25:51here'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.

00:26:01Meanwhile,

00:26:02David starts

00:26:04to take notice

00:26:04of what his brother

00:26:06Kevin was doing

00:26:06out there

00:26:07in the wrestling ring.

00:26:07So even as a college student,

00:26:09he begins to dabble

00:26:10in his dad's business

00:26:12as well.

00:26:13David Von Erich,

00:26:14high school all-stater

00:26:15in basketball.

00:26:16Dave loved basketball.

00:26:19When Dave got his

00:26:20first wrestling paycheck,

00:26:25he thought,

00:26:27goodbye basketball.

00:26:29Introducing,

00:26:30from Denton, Texas,

00:26:31weighing 236 pounds,

00:26:33David Von Erich.

00:26:34David was the one

00:26:35that picked up

00:26:36on the psychology

00:26:37of the matches

00:26:39really well.

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

00:26:43David blocks race

00:26:44and suplex lifts 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

00:26:56Harley Race.

00:26:5718 years old,

00:26:58he had his first seller.

00:27:00That's pretty young

00:27:01to sell out a building

00:27:02like he did

00:27:03to 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.

00:27:11David 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.

00:27:34Dave and I

00:27:35were pro wrestlers now.

00:27:37My dad,

00:27:38he never really

00:27:39wanted us to wrestle.

00:27:41He really didn't.

00:27:42He wanted us

00:27:43to go to college

00:27:44and have desk jobs.

00:27:47I 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 he'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

00:28:01into anything.

00:28:02We just wanted to compete.

00:28:03They literally had

00:28:04to talk Fritz

00:28:05into 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

00:28:25one of the very finest

00:28:25professional wrestlers

00:28:26in the world.

00:28:27Coming up,

00:28:28my son Kevin,

00:28:29my oldest boy Kevin Von Erich.

00:28:30Just stay 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,

00:28:44my granddad made him

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,

00:29:04because everything

00:29:04was working out great.

00:29:05We 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 were a family

00:29:20and we did it

00:29:21for the family

00:29:21and it's not for my family

00:29:25or for Dave's family,

00:29:26it was for the family.

00:29:31At the time,

00:29:32my brother Dave

00:29:32got married young.

00:29:35Well, he had a girlfriend

00:29:36and when he was

00:29:41to do the 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,

00:29:49their daughter Natasha

00:29:50is 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,

00:30:01man,

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 on a cruise.

00:30:09They'd never been on a cruise

00:30:10and back then,

00:30:12hardly 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

00:30:21and let him know

00:30:23that the child had died.

00:30:28It was SIDS,

00:30:29Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

00:30:32It was just horrific, man.

00:30:36We didn't understand.

00:30:37I mean,

00:30:38how does a child just,

00:30:39you know,

00:30:40back then,

00:30:41SIDS was a huge question

00:30:42and, you know,

00:30:43that a child could just,

00:30:45a baby could just die

00:30:46in the middle of the night

00:30:47that had been perfectly healthy.

00:30:49But that's what happened,

00:30:50you know.

00:30:53Obviously,

00:30:53that was a big blow

00:30:55for Dave.

00:30:57David and Candy,

00:30:59it affected their relationship.

00:31:00They just kind of drifted apart

00:31:02and they ended up

00:31:03getting a divorce.

00:31:05It was tough.

00:31:06You know,

00:31:06nobody,

00:31:07nobody wants to bury their kids.

00:31:10Jack Jr.,

00:31:11Fritz's firstborn son,

00:31:13had died

00:31:14and then

00:31:16Jack's first grandchild

00:31:19dies of SIDS.

00:31:20I don't know at that point

00:31:22if you start thinking

00:31:23in terms of a curse,

00:31:24but it really does seem like

00:31:26there's a bad moon

00:31:27hanging over this family.

00:31:32On my lap,

00:31:33the sensational

00:31:34Von Erich brothers,

00:31:36David and Kevin.

00:31:39Dave and I were on the road a lot.

00:31:42Off the ropes

00:31:42and a big drop kick.

00:31:45We were performing

00:31:46and so we weren't home

00:31:47like,

00:31:49like Kerry was.

00:31:51At home,

00:31:53when Kerry was the big brother

00:31:54and Dave and I were out,

00:31:57Kerry was a lot more permissive

00:31:59than Dave and I were.

00:32:00or Kerry was that way

00:32:02with Mike and Chris

00:32:02and he'd let things go.

00:32:05Things like,

00:32:07drinking,

00:32:08staying out.

00:32:09Dave and I

00:32:10would have never

00:32:11let that go.

00:32:12Kerry was all about fun.

00:32:16Everybody loved him

00:32:17and he was so good inside.

00:32:19He just wanted to make you laugh.

00:32:22Kerry was pleasant

00:32:24all the time,

00:32:24laughing and joking,

00:32:27playing ribs constantly.

00:32:28but also,

00:32:31Kerry was really

00:32:33an elite athlete.

00:32:35The Von Erichs

00:32:36were all athletes

00:32:38that my brother Kerry

00:32:40was gifted.

00:32:42In fact,

00:32:43Kerry was offered

00:32:45a full-ride scholarship

00:32:46at 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 football,

00:32:56coach.

00:32:56I don't think I 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 my mother

00:33:07was out there

00:33:09lugging four or five discuses

00:33:11that weighed four pounds apiece,

00:33:13throwing them back to me

00:33:14every day.

00:33:15And if 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, every workout.

00:33:21And he wound up

00:33:22throwing the discus,

00:33:23but for the University

00:33:23of Houston.

00:33:25Tom Tellez

00:33:26was the University

00:33:27of 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

00:33:33to go to the tryout

00:33:35for the 1980 Olympics.

00:33:36And then they boycotted it.

00:33:40Kerry said,

00:33:41I 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 leave college.

00:33:49So that's when

00:33:50Kerry came back home

00:33:51and I knew Kerry

00:33:54from his younger brother,

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 was

00:34:04the strongest

00:34:04male athlete in 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

00:34:15were best friends.

00:34:17One day,

00:34:18Mike said to Kerry,

00:34:20can I have a party?

00:34:22And Kerry said,

00:34:24only 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 stayed together

00:34:31after that.

00:34:32You know,

00:34:33that young love

00:34:34that's so raw

00:34:35and so real

00:34:36and you're so young

00:34:37and it's your first.

00:34:39And so that was

00:34:40really powerful for me.

00:34:43Hi, Dad.

00:34:46Hey, Kim.

00:34:48Get you shot here.

00:34:50My dad

00:34:51and my mom,

00:34:52what a beautiful

00:34:53love story they have.

00:34:55My mom adores my dad

00:34:57and my dad loves

00:34:58and treasures my mom.

00:35:00I got married in 1980.

00:35:02My sweet Pam.

00:35:04I've been so happy with her.

00:35:06We've been married

00:35:0645 years.

00:35:10I mean, yes,

00:35:12it probably was scary

00:35:13to her to see.

00:35:14This is a semi-famous family.

00:35:16They're all wrestlers.

00:35:18But 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

00:35:23to be a part of that

00:35:24and they cherished her.

00:35:26and she said

00:35:28she had always prayed

00:35:28I 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.

00:35:42Kevin Von Erich,

00:35:43David Von Erich.

00:35:44Kevin and Dave,

00:35:46I 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

00:35:52pin of podium!

00:35:53But the other thing

00:35:54was it was

00:35:55it was eating on Kerry.

00:35:58Kerry saw that

00:35:59and was just thinking

00:36:01wow,

00:36:02this is a really big deal.

00:36:04Kerry wanted to wrestle

00:36:05but Fritz wanted him

00:36:06to finish college.

00:36:08Kerry was adamant.

00:36:09Matter of fact,

00:36:11Kerry 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.

00:36:20You are looking

00:36:22at the spotlight

00:36:23on Kerry Von Erich

00:36:24as he makes his way

00:36:25to the ring.

00:36:26After the Olympics,

00:36:28I don't really know

00:36:29that he ever thought

00:36:31of doing anything else.

00:36:34Kerry just had this

00:36:35innate 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.

00:36:42Kerry Von Erich,

00:36:43listen to the crowd.

00:36:45Kerry!

00:36:46Kerry!

00:36:47Now you got

00:36:47Kevin, Dave,

00:36:49and Kerry.

00:36:49so three Von Erichs

00:36:50on the card.

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!

00:36:57Kerry had the good looks

00:36:59and the charisma.

00:37:00Hey, look at Kerry!

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 Kerry,

00:37:16me, 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,

00:37:21after about a year,

00:37:23we'd,

00:37:23one town have Kerry,

00:37:25one town have me,

00:37:26one town have 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

00:37:32roar there on their feet!

00:37:34It was like

00:37:35a fairy tale

00:37:36for two,

00:37:37three years.

00:37:37Not at all.

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 it's kids like this

00:37:49that make wrestling

00:37:50what it is today.

00:37:52Kerry Von Erich,

00:37:52as his brother David

00:37:53and Kevin,

00:37:54have almost

00:37:55a religious responsibility

00:37:57to learn the art

00:37:59of wrestling

00:37:59from their father

00:38:00since they were

00:38:01small children.

00:38:02Winning something

00:38:02our 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,

00:38:10what a dazzling show

00:38:11of wrestling ability!

00:38:18There's

00:38:18a misconception

00:38:20that Fritz sort of

00:38:21dragged all his sons

00:38:22into the ring

00:38:23kicking and screaming,

00:38:24but I think for

00:38:26Kevin and then David

00:38:27and then Kerry,

00:38:28it was hard to turn down

00:38:29the allure

00:38:30of the pro wrestling ring,

00:38:31and once they got in there

00:38:32and the crowd

00:38:32started reacting to them,

00:38:34Fritz basically said,

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

00:38:37let's make the most of it.

00:38:41Fantastic!

00:38:42What excitement!

00:38:43They're just,

00:38:43they're just nothing

00:38:45like it in the whole world!

00:38:47They would come out

00:38:48through the crowd

00:38:49to different songs.

00:38:52It was Lagrange

00:38:52by ZZ Top.

00:39:04We wanted to put

00:39:06the kind of wrestling

00:39:07out there

00:39:07that we've got.

00:39:09So rock was a big part

00:39:11of our presentation.

00:39:13Sort of a prize piper

00:39:14of the youth

00:39:15of this area.

00:39:16All 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 watch the other matches,

00:39:21that we're all good,

00:39:22but when they came out,

00:39:24that was the show.

00:39:25It was just pure energy.

00:39:29The guys wanted

00:39:30to be like them.

00:39:31The girls wanted

00:39:32to be with them.

00:39:33Everyone's trying

00:39:34to grab a hold

00:39:35of Terry.

00:39:36Perhaps get a kiss.

00:39:37Boy, she's lucky,

00:39:38isn't she?

00:39:38It was just a spectacle

00:39:39any time that they

00:39:40would come to the ring.

00:39:42Every match

00:39:42that 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,

00:39:48most well-known arenas,

00:39:49certainly in Texas,

00:39:50probably in the world itself.

00:39:51The world-famous

00:39:52Sportatorium.

00:39:53If it's there,

00:39:54it's the best

00:39:54in professional wrestling.

00:39:55The home of the Von Erichs.

00:39:58Sportatorium's

00:39:58the greatest building

00:39:59in the world

00:39:59and atmosphere personified.

00:40:01This crowd

00:40:02has been wild.

00:40:05One of the wildest nights

00:40:07in the history

00:40:08of Texas wrestling.

00:40:10I only was able

00:40:11to go once

00:40:12at the Sportatorium.

00:40:13I bragged

00:40:15to my friends

00:40:16for weeks.

00:40:18Bro,

00:40:19I saw the Von Erichs live.

00:40:21Watch this.

00:40:25It wasn't your daddy's wrestling

00:40:27anymore.

00:40:28They changed

00:40:29the 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 Erich

00:40:36and this is my dog,

00:40:38Shay.

00:40:39For several weeks now,

00:40:40we've been telling you

00:40:40about the changes

00:40:41in the new world-class

00:40:42wrestling show

00:40:43and this is just some

00:40:44of the improvements

00:40:44we've made.

00:40:45We want to put boom mics

00:40:47in the ring.

00:40:48Cameras,

00:40:49not just by the ring,

00:40:50they climb up

00:40:51on the ring.

00:40:52I'll never forget it,

00:40:54Fritz sat Kerry and I

00:40:55down in his office

00:40:56and he said,

00:40:57I'm getting ready

00:40:58to do this thing

00:40:59called 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,

00:41:06when we first started

00:41:07syndication,

00:41:08we had 10 or 12 markets

00:41:09and then we got 20.

00:41:11Pretty soon,

00:41:11we were in 47 markets.

00:41:12When cable started

00:41:14coming around,

00:41:15we finally got world-class

00:41:16wrestling out of Dallas

00:41:18and that's when I was exposed

00:41:19to the Von Erichs

00:41:20and how important

00:41:22the Von Erichs were

00:41:23to the state of Texas.

00:41:24You know,

00:41:25I would watch KTTV,

00:41:27Channel 11

00:41:27in my dorm.

00:41:29It was absolutely amazing.

00:41:30Three,

00:41:31Kerry Waterwick wins the box.

00:41:34The rock concert atmosphere,

00:41:36the sportatorium craze,

00:41:37the way they looked on TV,

00:41:40all of this combined

00:41:41to make the Von Erichs

00:41:43like the hottest thing

00:41:44in all of Texas.

00:41:46The Von Erichs in Texas

00:41:48was almost religion.

00:41:49It was a family

00:41:51of superheroes.

00:41:52Here, obviously,

00:41:53the Dallas Cowboys,

00:41:54how popular they were.

00:41:55If there's anything

00:41:56a Texan loves more

00:41:57than chili,

00:41:57it would have to be

00:41:58the sport of football.

00:42:00If 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

00:42:05the helmet and the number on.

00:42:06To where with wrestling,

00:42:07you know,

00:42:08there 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.

00:42:14We told you, Bill,

00:42:15there'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 they 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

00:42:27and the Von Erichs.

00:42:28It wasn't football and wrestling.

00:42:29It was football and the Von Erichs.

00:42:32I think what really made

00:42:33the Von Erichs more popular

00:42:35than a lot of other great

00:42:37babyfaces around the country

00:42:39was you saw them grow up.

00:42:41And everybody felt like,

00:42:43almost like they're part of the life.

00:42:45They're part of what's

00:42:46happening to them.

00:42:47They 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 Erich 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

00:43:03into some cliff diving.

00:43:04I went to cliff diving

00:43:05out in Acapulco

00:43:06a couple of weeks ago

00:43:07and I like to write poems.

00:43:09I like to ride horses.

00:43:10I like to fish.

00:43:13Kevin and I have just gotten

00:43:14into a little bit of skydiving.

00:43:16We've been doing that

00:43:17for about two months now.

00:43:19We weren't big shots.

00:43:20We acted like

00:43:20we were your big brother,

00:43:22your son, your grandson,

00:43:24your uncle, your cousin.

00:43:27Von Erich was the name

00:43:28Dad gave me

00:43:28and I'm proud to have it.

00:43:30It was so important

00:43:31to be a good role model.

00:43:33Be 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, I'm this,

00:43:44I'm that now.

00:43:46No.

00:43:46I think that's Fritz

00:43:48teaching them,

00:43:49hey, you're somebody

00:43:50but you're nobody.

00:43:52The people make you

00:43:53who you are.

00:43:54With my brothers and I,

00:43:55if we lose a fight,

00:43:57the 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 in the middle of Texas

00:44:16for spot shows.

00:44:17We were kids.

00:44:18Everything was fun.

00:44:20Everybody 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 the whole time.

00:44:41Man, that was fun.

00:44:43Just me and my brothers.

00:44:46The greatest name

00:44:47in professional harassment today,

00:44:48the Von Erichs,

00:44:49have been for years.

00:44:50Today, the allegiance

00:44:51of 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,

00:45:02Mike and Chris.

00:45:04Right now,

00:45:05the Von Erichs

00:45:05are a prime attraction,

00:45:07a 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.

00:45:19You talk about Fritz,

00:45:20family man,

00:45:21business man.

00:45:22His business is his family.

00:45:24They're your meal ticket right now.

00:45:26The dramatic arrival

00:45:27of 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 just

00:45:35constant demand.

00:45:36The feeling that, like,

00:45:37if we let anything slip,

00:45:39then this could all

00:45:40come crashing down.

00:45:41It 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 Sportatorium,

00:45:57the home of

00:45:57world-class championship wrestling.

00:46:00I'd come down right here.

00:46:02Always meet 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, up to up!

00:46:23Yeah, that's some good memories.

00:46:26That's where it all started.

00:46:29Kevin was a...

00:46:29He was an entertainer,

00:46:31but as a person,

00:46:32he was a pretty simple guy,

00:46:33you know, like,

00:46:33he just wanted

00:46:34to 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

00:46:42just to take some edge off.

00:46:44Oh, man, you're right, Billy.

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,

00:46:52and this is really

00:46:53where I'm at.

00:46:53This is where my head is.

00:46:55I'd wait 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 my first baby,

00:47:03and once Pam had Kristen,

00:47:05well, my priorities changed,

00:47:08and wrestling became work.

00:47:11I don't think wrestling

00:47:13was the number one priority

00:47:15for Kevin anymore.

00:47:16He was obligated

00:47:17to do the wrestling.

00:47:18He wanted to do

00:47:19the family thing.

00:47:20He would show up

00:47:21at the matches.

00:47:22He would leave immediately.

00:47:23You know, he didn't hang around

00:47:24and go home and 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.

00:47:36I had somebody to protect.

00:47:44My father,

00:47:46big, mean, tough,

00:47:48Fritz.

00:47:49He loved being

00:47:50a grandfather.

00:47:51Kristen and him

00:47:53were like that.

00:47:59My granddad

00:48:02was one of

00:48:03the best men

00:48:04that I've ever met.

00:48:06My baby girl.

00:48:08He was

00:48:09just 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,

00:48:19my son,

00:48:19you're pretty pretty.

00:48:21Mimi was also

00:48:23so loving

00:48:24and my grandparents

00:48:26did a really good job

00:48:27of making us feel

00:48:29like we were all

00:48:30a community

00:48:31and we had each other.

00:48:33Look at me, Kristen.

00:48:34I love you,

00:48:35good daddy.

00:48:35I love you,

00:48:36good daddy.

00:48:38The 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 going to 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,

00:48:56but they opened

00:48:57the gate

00:48:57and I just have

00:48:58this image in 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 thinking,

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?

00:49:18You never realized

00:49:20what kind of rock stars

00:49:22these kids

00:49:24had become.

00:49:25And here they come,

00:49:27the trio

00:49:28of wrestling personified.

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,

00:49:42Buddy Roberts,

00:49:43the Freebirds.

00:49:44You finally had somebody

00:49:46that could go

00:49:46against the Von Erics boys

00:49:48and that was

00:49:49the perfect 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

00:49:57bad motherfuckers

00:49:58that you love

00:49:59to hate,

00:50:01that'd be us.

00:50:03If we gotta run

00:50:03over the Von Erics,

00:50:05we'll do it

00:50:06with pleasure.

00:50:07Oh my goodness.

00:50:09Well,

00:50:09the 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.

00:50:18It kind of became

00:50:19like a college

00:50:20football rivalry

00:50:21in a sense,

00:50:22Georgia versus Texas.

00:50:23This war is not

00:50:24between Texas

00:50:25and Georgia,

00:50:26it's between

00:50:27decency

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.

00:50:35I've never seen

00:50:36anything like it.

00:50:37We'll say thanks

00:50:37to the people

00:50:38of Dallas, Texas

00:50:38because it's

00:50:39the biggest crowd

00:50:40ever to be

00:50:40in this auditorium.

00:50:41shows that used

00:50:42to on a Saturday

00:50:43night do 500 people.

00:50:45All of a sudden

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

00:50:54worked,

00:50:55I think,

00:50:55because when

00:50:57we would get

00:50:57in 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,

00:51:10too.

00:51:10You're supposed

00:51:14to make them mad.

00:51:15That's your job.

00:51:16And of course,

00:51:17the fans 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

00:51:26our win,

00:51:27it's all of our win!

00:51:28And boo the evil.

00:51:30And that's what

00:51:31wrestling is.

00:51:31I get so wrecked

00:51:33and I just love it!

00:51:35I really do!

00:51:36This is one of the

00:51:36few places

00:51:37where you come

00:51:37and holler and scream

00:51:38and they don't

00:51:39take you to jail.

00:51:40Me and my buddies

00:51:41ride down there

00:51:41every Friday night.

00:51:43I was there

00:51:43watching the

00:51:44Ron Erickson

00:51:44and the Freebirds

00:51:45go at it.

00:51:45Go, Ron Freeman!

00:51:47You could see

00:51:47those TV ratings

00:51:48shooting up

00:51:49and all we had

00:51:50to do was keep

00:51:50doing what we're

00:51:51doing,

00:51:51just make it a little

00:51:52more dangerous

00:51:53and a little more

00:51:54reckless.

00:51:54This looks like

00:51:55it's going to be

00:51:56a wild plug fest.

00:51:58Whoop it over!

00:52:00When you watch

00:52:00those guys,

00:52:01they're beating

00:52:02the s*** out

00:52:03of each other.

00:52:03I mean,

00:52:03this is incredible.

00:52:05And that's what

00:52:05Texans love so much

00:52:06about it.

00:52:07People love to fight.

00:52:09I never wanted

00:52:10to be a fake.

00:52:11I 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.

00:52:20I mean,

00:52:21they were really

00:52:21into it,

00:52:22really,

00:52:23really believed

00:52:24that what we

00:52:25were doing

00:52:26was real.

00:52:27Kevin Von Erich

00:52:28is now

00:52:29covered in blood.

00:52:31A lot of times

00:52:31after the matches,

00:52:32I felt like

00:52:33it was real.

00:52:34Because it hurt.

00:52:35And the free bird

00:52:36is a loose bird

00:52:37as he goes

00:52:38to 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,

00:52:52nothing can hurt you.

00:52:54and now

00:52:55Kevin Von Erich

00:52:58struggling.

00:52:59You can break

00:53:00a bone

00:53:01and keep going.

00:53:02Bo's 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've 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 injections,

00:53:27xylacaine,

00:53:28marcane,

00:53:29procaine,

00:53:30but they're not drugs.

00:53:31They just numb

00:53:32nerve 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

00:53:46here in 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 that

00:53:52I 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?

00:53:59If 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 anything

00:54:06made by a man.

00:54:08And here comes

00:54:09the modern-day warrior,

00:54:11Carrie Von Erich.

00:54:13For Carrie,

00:54:14the business was

00:54:16becoming very taxing

00:54:18on the body in general

00:54:20with the amount of time

00:54:23in the gym

00:54:23and pumping iron

00:54:24and then just getting hurt

00:54:26in the ring.

00:54:28Oh, Carrie is pretty well shaken.

00:54:30When you're getting hurt

00:54:32all the time

00:54:32and you start asking

00:54:36for prescription drugs,

00:54:37right,

00:54:38and then how much

00:54:40is 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 caught up

00:54:49in that.

00:54:51And there were,

00:54:53there's doctors

00:54:54because of who they are,

00:54:55they're famous,

00:54:56who 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 of people

00:55:09got fooled by that.

00:55:11Carrie felt a big responsibility

00:55:14to the business.

00:55:15He took care of his fans.

00:55:17It's tough,

00:55:18but we know it's a job,

00:55:20it's a responsibility

00:55:21that we have to do.

00:55:22And my father bred us

00:55:24to be winners,

00:55:25not losers,

00:55:26and to fight 100%

00:55:27every night

00:55:27whenever we were

00:55:29in that ring.

00:55:30So 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 Eriks.

00:55:58Dave was the only one

00:55:59of all of us

00:56:00that liked strong liquor.

00:56:03He had a bottle

00:56:04of it in his bag.

00:56:07And then he told us

00:56:09he had a really bad

00:56:10stomachache and booze

00:56:11was helping him.

00:56:13Stomach pain

00:56:14must have something else.

00:56:15I mean,

00:56:16he said it was like a knife.

00:56:19He had diarrhea

00:56:20for months.

00:56:22At the time,

00:56:23Dave was married to Trish.

00:56:25I know she didn't think

00:56:26he had a virus or something

00:56:27because it had some symptoms,

00:56:29but he didn't want her to worry,

00:56:32you know,

00:56:32so he wouldn't have said anything.

00:56:36So Carrie and I

00:56:37made sure

00:56:37he went to the doctor

00:56:39about it.

00:56:41A proctologist,

00:56:42I guess it was.

00:56:43They told Dave

00:56:44to lean against

00:56:44this little wall thing.

00:56:46They put his elbows down,

00:56:48strapped him in,

00:56:49strapped his elbow here

00:56:50in his knees.

00:56:53and Dave got mad easy.

00:56:56The doc hit a switch

00:56:57and Dave was

00:56:57bought up.

00:56:59He was furious.

00:57:02He said,

00:57:03absolutely not.

00:57:04I'll tear this place down.

00:57:06And he had to

00:57:07unstrapped Dave

00:57:08and let him go.

00:57:09But

00:57:09if they would have done

00:57:11the

00:57:13examination,

00:57:13I think they would have

00:57:14found something.

00:57:18It's around 83

00:57:19that David

00:57:21first starts

00:57:22complaining of stomach pain

00:57:23and also I think,

00:57:24you know,

00:57:25taking a lot of hard bumps

00:57:26in the ring

00:57:26and especially coming up

00:57:28in the Atkinson household,

00:57:31maybe you're just taught

00:57:32to rub some dirt on it,

00:57:33you know.

00:57:34Because he wasn't

00:57:36being treated for it,

00:57:37he started turning

00:57:37to painkillers.

00:57:40One time he showed up

00:57:42on

00:57:45Quaaludes,

00:57:46you know.

00:57:47You know,

00:57:47when you can't talk

00:57:48and you're slurring your word,

00:57:50that's when it becomes bad.

00:57:52I've seen him

00:57:53where he's a puddle

00:57:54in the middle of the floor

00:57:55and he's supposed

00:57:55to be going to the ring.

00:57:57You know,

00:57:58so you got to try

00:58:00and get him up

00:58:01and get him going.

00:58:03Before long,

00:58:04he almost couldn't

00:58:05overcome it.

00:58:08Looking at today's world,

00:58:09I'd say they've had

00:58:09an opioid problem.

00:58:11He was addicted to pills.

00:58:13And boy,

00:58:13I know Fritz

00:58:14was just irate about it.

00:58:16You're doing your fans

00:58:17a disservice

00:58:18any time you get out of the lane

00:58:19because you are

00:58:20an image to them

00:58:21that they want to live up to.

00:58:23And so many pro athletes,

00:58:25you know what I'm talking about,

00:58:26man,

00:58:27they have no use

00:58:28for their fans.

00:58:29Their fans is what made them.

00:58:30It's what made us.

00:58:33And we need to always

00:58:34be aware of the response

00:58:35and the possibility

00:58:36goes with that.

00:58:37Image was really important

00:58:39to Granddad.

00:58:41But

00:58:42Mimi was,

00:58:44I think,

00:58:45more concerned

00:58:46about family image

00:58:48and reputation

00:58:50than did Granddad was.

00:58:54She wanted

00:58:55to have a perfect family

00:58:57that didn't fail.

00:58:59And Mimi was really

00:59:01concerned about media.

00:59:04Granddad maybe was

00:59:05to a point

00:59:06that it affected

00:59:07the business.

00:59:08Fritz always said,

00:59:10it's one thing

00:59:10what a man does

00:59:11on his own time,

00:59:12but when you're

00:59:13on my time,

00:59:13you need to be

00:59:14top shape.

00:59:16They're under pressure.

00:59:18They were pretty much

00:59:19on call

00:59:2024 hours a day

00:59:21dealing with the public,

00:59:23dealing with the news.

00:59:24Several thousand

00:59:25waiting in line

00:59:26for hours

00:59:27to see the famous

00:59:28wrestling,

00:59:29Von Erich.

00:59:30It was fun,

00:59:32though.

00:59:32Everywhere you went,

00:59:33you were treated

00:59:35like you were royalty.

00:59:37We'd get endorsements

00:59:38through wrestling,

00:59:39and so we'd get

00:59:40free cars

00:59:41from these dealerships.

00:59:43They were top stars,

00:59:45and Mike and Chris

00:59:46always looked up

00:59:47to them,

00:59:48and they were like,

00:59:49if they can do it,

00:59:50I can do it.

00:59:51Mike and Chris

00:59:52were super close.

00:59:54They came to the matches

00:59:54every week.

00:59:55Right after high school,

00:59:57Mike wanted to be a part

00:59:58of what his brothers

00:59:59were doing.

01:00:00I've seen the debut

01:00:01of all these guys,

01:00:02Kevin, David, Carey,

01:00:04and now they debut

01:00:05in just a few minutes

01:00:06of Mike Von Erich.

01:00:08For Mike,

01:00:09it was hard not

01:00:10being a Von Erich.

01:00:12You know,

01:00:12if he was anywhere

01:00:13with the brothers,

01:00:14he was treated as if

01:00:15he was in the business,

01:00:16and it was contagious.

01:00:18Little Mike, I say,

01:00:19is a big old stud,

01:00:20but tonight I think

01:00:20he's going to show

01:00:21his colors.

01:00:21He's a Von Erich

01:00:22right down on the wire.

01:00:23Mike wanted to wrestle

01:00:24so bad.

01:00:25He wanted to be like

01:00:25Dave.

01:00:26Mike's been taught

01:00:27by the best,

01:00:28because we were taught

01:00:29by the best.

01:00:30Do you lock your leg

01:00:30in here, Kev?

01:00:31Oh, just step her.

01:00:33Oh, that's an excellent

01:00:33right here.

01:00:35And now I got his leg.

01:00:36Oh, yeah.

01:00:37I go nowhere.

01:00:38And here he comes,

01:00:41Mike Von Erich.

01:00:44He has not only

01:00:45his own career

01:00:46to think about,

01:00:47but of course

01:00:48he's upholding

01:00:49the honor

01:00:50of the Von Erich families.

01:00:51Part of it for him

01:00:52was just being

01:00:53with his brothers.

01:00:55Like, okay,

01:00:55they're not going out

01:00:56on the road

01:00:56and leaving me anymore.

01:00:57I get to come along.

01:00:59I'm the baby brother

01:01:00and we're going to

01:01:00have a good time together.

01:01:01You know,

01:01:02and they did.

01:01:03You know,

01:01:03a lot of people think

01:01:04that Von Erichs

01:01:04have bit off

01:01:04more than we can chew.

01:01:05They think that

01:01:06Mike's too young

01:01:07to be getting

01:01:07in the ring with us.

01:01:08This kid is not

01:01:09going to let me down.

01:01:09We're going to

01:01:10take those free birds.

01:01:10Oh, look at that move!

01:01:13At this point,

01:01:14the Von Erichs

01:01:15and the free birds,

01:01:17our story was so high.

01:01:25that it was time

01:01:26to take it

01:01:27to a stadium,

01:01:28which was unheard of

01:01:29back then.

01:01:31We were doing

01:01:32the six-man tag team

01:01:33championship,

01:01:34which at that time

01:01:34would have now been

01:01:35against Kevin,

01:01:36Kerry,

01:01:37and Mike

01:01:38against the birds.

01:01:40Now, if the free birds

01:01:41think they can beat us,

01:01:42go ahead and come on

01:01:43with it all you got.

01:01:44And then the main event

01:01:45was going to be

01:01:45Flair versus David

01:01:47for the NWA

01:01:49World Heavyweight Championship.

01:01:51The nature boy,

01:01:52Rick Flair,

01:01:53arguably the greatest

01:01:55wrestler of all time.

01:01:56I thrive!

01:01:57Woo!

01:01:57I thrive!

01:01:58I'm being called

01:01:59the greatest!

01:02:00But it was already

01:02:02decided.

01:02:03It was very hush-hush.

01:02:04But David was

01:02:05going to beat

01:02:06Ric Flair

01:02:06for the title.

01:02:10And then about

01:02:11five weeks

01:02:12before the show,

01:02:13Dave goes to Japan

01:02:14to work over there.

01:02:18For months

01:02:19before the Japan trip,

01:02:21he didn't look right

01:02:22to me.

01:02:24But it was the

01:02:25stomach, you know.

01:02:27Dave had that

01:02:29ashen look about him,

01:02:31you know,

01:02:31white look.

01:02:33His eyebrows

01:02:34would get white.

01:02:38And so

01:02:39Marty had an idea

01:02:41something bad

01:02:41was going to happen.

01:02:52This is December 24th,

01:02:54Christmas Eve,

01:02:551983.

01:03:01It was so cold that day.

01:03:02Remember,

01:03:03the pond froze over.

01:03:04Wow.

01:03:04That never happens.

01:03:10There's Kathy.

01:03:11And Uncle Chris.

01:03:12There's Chris.

01:03:14Dad,

01:03:15thanks for the stereo,

01:03:16dude.

01:03:16Oh, yeah, babe.

01:03:17Wow.

01:03:18Thanks.

01:03:19What are you doing?

01:03:21Ready?

01:03:22There's Uncle Mike

01:03:23and me.

01:03:24Ah, Mike.

01:03:24You gotta spur him.

01:03:26All the kids love Mike,

01:03:28don't they?

01:03:29Pull his right.

01:03:30Take him out of his hands.

01:03:31Pull his right.

01:03:32Pull her.

01:03:32Ow!

01:03:37Dear Heavenly Father,

01:03:38thank you for everything

01:03:39you'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 would not be the same.

01:03:54for months

01:03:56before the Japan trip,

01:03:57Dave was white as a ghost.

01:03:59He, uh,

01:04:01he didn't look right to me.

01:04:04I was with him

01:04:05when he wrestled

01:04:06in Austin, Texas,

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 I got.

01:04:14And everybody just thought

01:04:15he had the flu.

01:04:16You know,

01:04:16it was,

01:04:18it was dead winter,

01:04:19you know,

01:04:20early February.

01:04:22We knew Davey 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.

01:04:30Silver broken leg,

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 Dave.

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'd just put my hands on him.

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

01:04:43and die, Dave.

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.

01:04:50Yeah.

01:04:50It can't happen there.

01:04:52I don't know.

01:05:02When you go to Japan,

01:05:04it's always pretty much the same.

01:05:07We would eat,

01:05:08and we'd have drink beers,

01:05:10and have fun,

01:05:10and you know,

01:05:11it was great.

01:05:13I talked to Bill Irwin about it.

01:05:15He said,

01:05:16they got to Tokyo

01:05:17when they went about 6 o'clock

01:05:19and had a big steak.

01:05:21And Dave wanted two steaks.

01:05:23And Bill said

01:05:24he couldn't even finish his

01:05:25because Dave ate a lot,

01:05:26you know.

01:05:27But then,

01:05:28Dave ordered a third steak

01:05:30and ate it.

01:05:31We get out of there

01:05:32and go back to the hotel.

01:05:34Then we go into the hotel,

01:05:35we go in and of course

01:05:36the bar's still open.

01:05:37Well, shit,

01:05:38we gotta go in there.

01:05:39and David said,

01:05:40hey,

01:05:41I'll be right back.

01:05:43I think he left

01:05:44and went upstairs

01:05:46and puked.

01:05:47And then he came back down.

01:05:49Everybody 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 bar last.

01:05:59And David goes,

01:06:01well, come by the room.

01:06:02Come on by,

01:06:03you 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 a beer

01:06:09or something right there.

01:06:10And, you know,

01:06:11after the beer,

01:06:12it was the end of the night.

01:06:15He goes,

01:06:15yeah,

01:06:16I'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,

01:06:29what the hell?

01:06:30You know,

01:06:30where's David?

01:06:33And in the distance,

01:06:34you hear sirens.

01:06:38Everybody'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 a key

01:06:47and unlocked his door.

01:06:50And there was David

01:06:51in the same spot

01:06:53I left him.

01:06:54Just laid back,

01:06:56still dressed

01:06:58in the same clothes,

01:06:59everything.

01:07:06To this day,

01:07:08I 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

01:07:24and I picked up the phone

01:07:25and she was crying.

01:07:26I knew.

01:07:27And she said,

01:07:28he's dead, Kev.

01:07:29And I just said,

01:07:31I have to go.

01:07:33I hung the phone up.

01:07:37I went outside

01:07:38and I was just crushed.

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,

01:07:52let me die.

01:08:00Seeing my dad

01:08:01and knowing

01:08:02that he'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

01:08:14as bad as grief can get.

01:08:19Fritz had already said,

01:08:21whatever that autopsy says,

01:08:23we got to go with

01:08:24because the public's

01:08:24probably going to get it

01:08:25sooner or later.

01:08:28And 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

01:08:41he was in excruciating pain.

01:08:44And,

01:08:44but did he do enough to OD?

01:08:46No.

01:08:48The autopsy said

01:08:50acute enteritis,

01:08:52heart failure.

01:08:53So basically

01:08:54what they were saying was

01:08:55because of the acute enteritis,

01:08:57his intestines ruptured.

01:08:58He filled up with blood

01:09:00and it caused heart failure.

01:09:13Some say

01:09:14that David Von Erich's

01:09:15death hit Dallas-Fort Worth

01:09:17like Elvis Presley's

01:09:18death hit the nation.

01:09:20David Von Erich

01:09:21died Friday of enteritis.

01:09:23He was 25 years old.

01:09:26I mean,

01:09:27at 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 1,800 seat church

01:09:41was soon filled

01:09:42to capacity

01:09:42and hundreds

01:09:43stood outside

01:09:44hoping to catch

01:09:45a few strains

01:09:46of the service

01:09:47from the loudspeaker system.

01:09:49It was a quiet

01:09:50but unhappy group.

01:09:52It hit everyone

01:09:53like a ton of bricks.

01:09:56The schools let out.

01:09:58I live and care for David

01:09:59and I wanted to be here.

01:10:01The funeral procession

01:10:02stretched five miles

01:10:04across the Lone Star State.

01:10:06It was a hero's send-off.

01:10:07They shut down the highway

01:10:09all the way from Denton

01:10:10to Oak Grove Cemetery

01:10:12and Oak Cliff.

01:10:13Things all of a sudden

01:10:14in the process

01:10:15like this is like

01:10:15a president died.

01:10:18More fans waited

01:10:20at the cemetery

01:10:21for the procession

01:10:22of 150 cars to arrive.

01:10:25I don't think

01:10:25that we realized

01:10:26how much we were loved

01:10:30until we saw that.

01:10:32We're just overwhelmed

01:10:33today.

01:10:34All these people

01:10:36showing up for

01:10:37last experience

01:10:38David's ever going to make.

01:10:39Our bodies may be

01:10:41left here on earth

01:10:42but our souls

01:10:43go to heaven.

01:10:44It's made us accept

01:10:45death a lot easier.

01:10:47Hey, we know

01:10:47our brother David's

01:10:48in 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

01:10:58go and 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

01:11:08his brothers.

01:11:10But beyond that,

01:11:11they always wanted

01:11:11to be together.

01:11:15After losing

01:11:16Uncle Dave,

01:11:19Mimi

01:11:19was just filled

01:11:21with so much pain.

01:11:23but she wanted

01:11:25to have

01:11:26a great image.

01:11:27You say,

01:11:28God help me

01:11:28through this.

01:11:29You get off your death

01:11:31and you start

01:11:32moving again.

01:11:33You start laughing

01:11:34again

01:11:35and you refuse

01:11:36to stay down.

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

01:11:39but we do have

01:11:41to keep fighting.

01:11:42We have to make it

01:11:43for the weak ones,

01:11:44for our children,

01:11:44for our women,

01:11:45for those that love us

01:11:47and those that are hurting.

01:11:53You know,

01:11:54like Kerry and I

01:11:55were talking about

01:11:55earlier today,

01:11:57Dave wanted that

01:11:58world championship

01:11:58more than anything

01:11:59in the world.

01:12:00And that

01:12:01world championship

01:12:04is going to be

01:12:05around the 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

01:12:12died,

01:12:14Fritz already has

01:12:15this giant stadium show

01:12:17booked at Cowboy Stadium

01:12:19and they have to

01:12:20go through with it.

01:12:21And now,

01:12:22as much as they

01:12:23might have wanted

01:12:24to just 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.

01:12:37It's my job.

01:12:38I'll never forget

01:12:39after Dave died,

01:12:40there was talk about,

01:12:42well,

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

01:12:48of which 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

01:12:54to anybody's man

01:12:54in 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.

01:13:01And so Carrie and I

01:13:01had like a coin flip

01:13:02with my dad.

01:13:06but the truth of it was

01:13:08that I was married

01:13:09and I did not want

01:13:11to travel like

01:13:12the world champion

01:13:12has to travel.

01:13:13It's all over the place.

01:13:15I had my children.

01:13:17I didn't want

01:13:17to be the world champion.

01:13:20and Carrie did.

01:13:22And so as far as

01:13:23the coin flip's concerned,

01:13:25it was more like

01:13:25you win.

01:13:30There are no seatbelts

01:13:31on the chairs

01:13:32here at Texas Stadium,

01:13:33but we almost need them.

01:13:34My goodness.

01:13:36I mean,

01:13:36what an atmosphere.

01:13:38What a huge match feeling.

01:13:42And Carrie had the weight

01:13:44of the state on his back.

01:13:46From Denton, Texas,

01:13:47weighing 259 pounds,

01:13:49Mr. Carrie Lauder.

01:13:52You know,

01:13:53when I talk about

01:13:54the 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 of 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

01:14:09and who does he have to,

01:14:11I mean,

01:14:12Ric Flair.

01:14:13Prime Ric Flair.

01:14:15Texas Stadium

01:14:16sold out.

01:14:17The largest crowd

01:14:18ever

01:14:18to see wrestling

01:14:20anywhere in the world

01:14:21is on hand

01:14:22here at Texas Stadium.

01:14:23A history-making event.

01:14:26Everyone here

01:14:26in the state of Texas.

01:14:30I was pregnant

01:14:32with Holly

01:14:33and

01:14:33it was

01:14:35a great day

01:14:36for all of us.

01:14:38Harry Von Erich,

01:14:39probably the most

01:14:40beautiful ring jacket

01:14:41I've ever seen.

01:14:42He wanted to

01:14:43make his dad proud

01:14:45and all the fans too,

01:14:47right?

01:14:47To make sure

01:14:48that that Von Erich 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.

01:14:59At my Papa Jody's house.

01:15:05It was like watching

01:15:06a 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.

01:15:17Power slam!

01:15:19You got 40,000

01:15:20grieving 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

01:15:33can't go.

01:15:34Hey!

01:15:36The dream

01:15:36steps through.

01:15:38Yes!

01:15:41It's happened!

01:15:51Man, it gives you

01:15:52kind of, it gives you

01:15:52goosebumps thinking

01:15:53about it.

01:15:54How special that was

01:15:55for Kerry to win

01:15:56the title.

01:15:57Kerry Von Erich

01:15:58is the new world

01:16:00heavyweight champion!

01:16:02To have our guy

01:16:03Kerry Von Erich

01:16:05you know, that iconic

01:16:06stadium with the

01:16:07holy roofs so God

01:16:08can watch his team.

01:16:10It was a day of

01:16:11celebration in the state.

01:16:12For the Texas flag,

01:16:13the big yellow rose

01:16:14and the heavyweight belt.

01:16:17Winning the ultimate

01:16:18prize in dedication

01:16:19to your brother

01:16:20who passed away.

01:16:22Kerry Von Erich

01:16:23was a God

01:16:23in the state of Texas.

01:16:25Prince there

01:16:26to greet Kerry!

01:16:27There's Mrs. Von Erich!

01:16:28Kerry's brother!

01:16:30You know, today

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 what else?

01:16:37My brother David

01:16:38tonight, he had

01:16:39the best seat in the house

01:16:40right upstairs

01:16:41looking down

01:16:41and just God

01:16:42blessed him, man

01:16:43because he saw

01:16:44everything I did

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

01:16:46It was

01:16:47just one of the

01:16:49greatest moments

01:16:50I think in his

01:16:51history of wrestling.

01:16:56Then

01:16:57Kerry had to take

01:16:58on the responsibility

01:16:58of being the champion

01:16:59and it's not fun.

01:17:01Here now comes

01:17:03world heavyweight champion

01:17:04Kerry Von Erich!

01:17:06That'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,

01:17:17promos,

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

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

01:17:23So between that

01:17:25and losing

01:17:26his brother David,

01:17:28that's when

01:17:28I started seeing

01:17:29a little bit more

01:17:31of the drugs

01:17:32starting to come in.

01:17:32Oh, Bill,

01:17:33there's so much

01:17:34going on inside

01:17:34of my head.

01:17:35I feel like

01:17:36I'm ready now.

01:17:38I believe

01:17:38with all my heart

01:17:39I can take it.

01:17:39I think before

01:17:41David's death

01:17:41the drugs

01:17:42were under control

01:17:44where it wasn't

01:17:45causing any problems

01:17:46for him

01:17:47and then after

01:17:48David's death

01:17:49it just...

01:17:52Kerry Von Erich

01:17:54the new

01:17:54world heavyweight champion

01:17:55I guess that's

01:17:56something we've all

01:17:57dreamed about.

01:17:59That was the right call

01:18:00for Kerry to be

01:18:01world champion.

01:18:02For that night

01:18:03in that stadium

01:18:05regardless of how

01:18:07it turned out

01:18:07it was the right call.

01:18:09Rick 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

01:18:16heavyweight champion

01:18:17once again.

01:18:19with an 18-day reign

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

01:18:22was sort of

01:18:22doing a solid

01:18:23for the state of Texas

01:18:24you know for Dallas

01:18:25for the Von Erich 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

01:18:40can you go?

01:18:41Like 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

01:18:48alliance 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 Erichs

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 Erichs

01:19:07in 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.

01:19:18Flying dropkick

01:19:19and there goes

01:19:20Michael Hayes.

01:19:21They would play

01:19:22the show

01:19:23I think it was

01:19:23at 11 a.m.

01:19:24Sunday mornings.

01:19:25We would have

01:19:26a 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

01:19:34one show

01:19:35in the country

01:19:35and we would

01:19:37almost double

01:19:37their 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

01:19:49family that's

01:19:50dominant

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 Erich family

01:19:55at the beginning.

01:19:56There was a meeting

01:19:56that took place

01:19:57in 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%

01:20:08and we would

01:20:09be 60%.

01:20:11We didn't do

01:20:12the deal.

01:20:13Rich was

01:20:14why do we need you?

01:20:15We just did

01:20:1640-some thousand

01:20:17people.

01:20:18The wrestling family

01:20:20which has made

01:20:20Dallas and Fort Worth

01:20:22one of the hottest

01:20:22spots in the sport

01:20:23is still growing strong.

01:20:25The people love

01:20:26the Von Erichs.

01:20:27It's amazing

01:20:27but wherever

01:20:28the Von Erichs go

01:20:29a crowd always follows.

01:20:33Kerry he was

01:20:34extremely popular

01:20:35people just loved him.

01:20:37He was actually

01:20:38going to 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

01:20:54tough for me

01:20:55as a wife

01:20:57being with somebody

01:20:58that was so famous.

01:21:00I love you too Kerry

01:21:01but you're married so.

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 girl's kissing

01:21:09on him or anything.

01:21:10I know that goes.

01:21:11I don't blame him.

01:21:12I 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

01:21:17was really hard

01:21:18for he and I.

01:21:20I kept seeing

01:21:21Kerry Atkison

01:21:22getting buried

01:21:24underneath

01:21:25the Von Erich image.

01:21:28I was losing a part

01:21:30of my husband

01:21:30that was very important

01:21:32to me

01:21:34because Kerry Von Erich

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.

01:21:49That's a big responsibility

01:21:51being on top

01:21:52because you're responsible

01:21:53for feeding everybody

01:21:56and drinking

01:21:57and doing drugs

01:21:58don't help you

01:21:58balance that 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?

01:22:06And when we finally

01:22:06get him in the ring,

01:22:08Michael 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,

01:22:14I 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.

01:22:19it was hard

01:22:20to be in that position

01:22:22to where you go

01:22:23tell someone

01:22:24that their son's

01:22:24got a problem.

01:22:26I mentioned it

01:22:27one time

01:22:28and I got heat for 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

01:22:39and I love Mimi.

01:22:42I love my grandmother.

01:22:43But it's frustrating

01:22:46because it is just

01:22:48so easy to blame granddad.

01:22:50It's not always

01:22:51as it seems, you 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. Epikenson

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

01:23:14for 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.

01:23:20Harry Von Erich

01:23:20literally having

01:23:21to push his way through.

01:23:22Life was great.

01:23:24Everybody thought

01:23:24it was going to last forever.

01:23:27Wrong.

01:23:29We have to deal

01:23:30with life as it comes.

01:23:32Don't cry about it.

01:23:34The tragedy

01:23:35started coming around.

01:23:38It had its effect.

01:23:40Suicides, drugs, alcohol,

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 play

01:24:06with their brother

01:24:07in front of

01:24:08a bunch of people.

01:24:11There was a time

01:24:12that they could all

01:24:13wrestle in any town

01:24:14and sell it out.

01:24:16The 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.

01:24:38They're just good boys.

01:24:39The world just needs

01:24:40heroes today.

01:24:41That's all.

01:24:42There'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

01:24:49dies,

01:24:49the whole world

01:24:50is going to hate him.

01:24:51It's in the Lord's plan

01:24:52for these things to happen.

01:24:53The Von Erichs

01:24:54are strong.

01:24:55I saw a lot

01:24:56of depression

01:24:56in him.

01:24:57I do remember

01:24:58times where

01:24:59he 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.

01:25:21Mike Von Erichs

01:25:23was attached to

01:25:23the house

01:25:23from the

01:25:24world to the

01:25:25world,

01:25:26in a better place.

01:25:27What,

01:25:27who,

01:25:28who,

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