biography_legends_s05e02

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00:00:08KONIEC

00:00:31KONIEC

00:01:00Peary didn't even have time to agree

00:01:02SOT

00:01:02It's tough, but we know it's a responsibility

00:01:04that we have to do

00:01:05He goes from David's DEAD

00:01:09You're the main event

00:01:10Harry Monaghan is the NY sekarang heavyweight champion

00:01:14There's an image he had to hold up

00:01:16There's pressure to keep that name alive

00:01:29SaraSE漬

00:01:29A lot of people, they need different things,

00:01:32but for me, I need this.

00:01:35Life throws a lot at you,

00:01:37but if I can get out and into nature with my family,

00:01:42it's just the best in the world.

00:01:44When I'm out here with my kids,

00:01:46and then with my grandkids,

00:01:48it's almost like I'm getting a chance to be their dad again.

00:01:52And in every one of my grandkids, I see Dave,

00:01:55I see Carrie, I see Michael, I even see Chris.

00:01:59Taken a grain of salt, because I'm a guy that lost family.

00:02:02But to me, family is everything, everything.

00:02:22Well, we have a lot of pictures.

00:02:27You know, pictures are great.

00:02:28I think it can be painful, too.

00:02:31But my dad documented everything.

00:02:34Okay, I remember the exact moment we did this.

00:02:37There weren't any birds there, but we were imagining it,

00:02:40and we saw dad's face, he was looking.

00:02:42So we got serious, too.

00:02:44Whatever he did, I did.

00:02:46And look at Dave, he's fierce.

00:02:51Carrie cracked a joke, and everyone's laughing.

00:02:54And this, I got two pictures of Dave laughing, horse laughing.

00:02:59Mike, too.

00:03:02It's so cool how you all got to wrestle together.

00:03:06Well, just imagine you inside, you know, just playing outside.

00:03:09But there's thousands of people watching.

00:03:11So that's what's going to happen when they play with their brother

00:03:13in front of a bunch of people.

00:03:16I want to show you something.

00:03:21This is a pizza commercial we did.

00:03:25And it was like all night long we took it to do that.

00:03:28Carrie kept cracking everybody up, you know,

00:03:31and Carrie was always playing tricks.

00:03:33Okay, all set?

00:03:34It felt like it was a great day, though.

00:03:36Happy, Mike?

00:03:37Okay.

00:03:38Okay.

00:03:39Here we go.

00:03:40Ready?

00:03:41And walk, guys.

00:03:43Action.

00:03:44My brothers taught me about wrestling,

00:03:45but I taught them about eating.

00:03:47So he brought us to Pizza Inn's All-You-Can-Eat-Buffet.

00:03:51Okay, gentlemen.

00:03:52Lots of energy.

00:03:54Pizza, Mike.

00:03:55Pizza.

00:03:55But I taught them about pizza.

00:04:00I'm hungry again now.

00:04:02For Pizza Out, it's Pizza Inn.

00:04:15I can't say that I was ripped off

00:04:18because my brothers died too young.

00:04:20And there's our four babies all together.

00:04:23Because the truth is,

00:04:25we had a hell of a lot of fun.

00:04:27A lot of fun.

00:04:28We did everything.

00:04:32The Von Eriks have won the hearts of wrestling fans

00:04:35with their style and flair.

00:04:37They're the most popular wrestling family in the world.

00:04:40As a sports anchor,

00:04:41I had a chance to cover the Von Eriks.

00:04:43A remarkable family from Father Fritz

00:04:45right down to sons Kerry, Kevin, and Mike.

00:04:47Well, they were constantly in the media.

00:04:49Are the Von Eriks going to be watching this?

00:04:51Had a knock on the door one night,

00:04:53and a policeman come and got me.

00:04:54He said, hey, there's a big guy at the door.

00:04:55And I went, and I'm looking up at this guy.

00:04:57He literally reached out, took hands,

00:04:59and he said, my name is Carl Malone.

00:05:02Trying out for the Mavericks.

00:05:04You think I could meet the Von Eriks?

00:05:07Von Eriks.

00:05:08That was our splurge every six months

00:05:11to go see these guys.

00:05:14And I remember how nice they were,

00:05:16every one of them.

00:05:18They're just good boys.

00:05:19The world just needs heroes today.

00:05:20That's all.

00:05:21I'm just a regular guy, you know.

00:05:23The Lord has given us all this popularity,

00:05:25and we're lucky to have it.

00:05:26If you're watching the Von Eriks

00:05:28like I was on cable,

00:05:30there's something very authentic about them.

00:05:33They're just like the family down the road.

00:05:34Come see me and the boss

00:05:35at the sporting goods store

00:05:36that does have it all.

00:05:37In a sense, the Von Eriks family

00:05:39just, like, wrapped its arms

00:05:40around all of Texas.

00:05:41Kevin Von Eriks recently visited

00:05:43the Dallas Society for Crippled Children.

00:05:45They were making a difference in this world

00:05:46with those that needed a helping hand.

00:05:48The Von Eriks donated their time,

00:05:50their energy, and their money

00:05:51so that youngsters may learn to walk

00:05:53in this world of ours.

00:05:54Being a part of the community

00:05:55was super important.

00:05:57Their faith was,

00:05:58when you tithe,

00:06:00then you will receive.

00:06:01And a part of their tithing

00:06:03was giving of themselves.

00:06:05And they did take

00:06:06the responsibility of the image

00:06:09that they had very seriously.

00:06:14You've got to be on

00:06:15all the time

00:06:16in front of your fans.

00:06:19And so, for Cri,

00:06:22the use of drugs

00:06:23got a little stronger,

00:06:25even more stronger.

00:06:28I can't imagine

00:06:29what that was like

00:06:30for all of them.

00:06:32I was so young coming in,

00:06:34out of high school,

00:06:35getting into it,

00:06:35and everybody recognizing you,

00:06:37you know, wherever you go.

00:06:39It's hard.

00:06:40My Uncle Chris

00:06:41really idolized

00:06:42Uncle Mike

00:06:43and Uncle Kerry.

00:06:45I think it was really hard

00:06:47for Uncle Chris

00:06:47when Uncle Mike

00:06:48left home to go wrestle

00:06:50because he was just home

00:06:52with Mimi and Grandad,

00:06:53being home alone,

00:06:55watching them be successful.

00:06:57Mike, Kerry,

00:06:58and Kevin Von Eriks!

00:07:00The reach of the Von Eriks

00:07:02and of world class

00:07:03more broadly

00:07:04was pretty incredible.

00:07:07They were hugely popular

00:07:08in Israel, of all places.

00:07:11We were wrestling in Israel

00:07:12and we had a lot of shows there

00:07:14and Mike

00:07:18dislocated his shoulder

00:07:19in a match,

00:07:19just popped out.

00:07:23So we flew him back

00:07:24to America

00:07:25to have surgery.

00:07:28A few days after that,

00:07:31his wife, Shanie,

00:07:32called me

00:07:33and she said,

00:07:34Kev,

00:07:34Mike is acting

00:07:35really funny.

00:07:38I pulled ass over there

00:07:39and sure enough,

00:07:41his fever

00:07:42was so high

00:07:43so I just picked him up

00:07:45and put him

00:07:46over my shoulder.

00:07:47and said,

00:07:48I couldn't wait

00:07:49in traffic

00:07:49so I'm driving

00:07:50in the medium

00:07:50and a cop

00:07:52sees me

00:07:53and recognizes me

00:07:54pulls in front of us

00:07:55and we drove down

00:07:56the medium

00:07:57all the way

00:07:57to that little hospital

00:07:59and we got Mike there.

00:08:01I thought he was gonna die.

00:08:04Start things off

00:08:05a little on the downside

00:08:06tonight as far as sports goes.

00:08:08I got a call

00:08:08about 20 minutes ago

00:08:09from Fitzpatrick

00:08:10and he said

00:08:10a lot of people

00:08:11are a little concerned

00:08:11about the younger boy,

00:08:13Mike,

00:08:13who has not been wrestling

00:08:14for the last

00:08:15four or five weeks.

00:08:16He had some shoulder surgery done

00:08:18and apparently suffered

00:08:18some type of toxic poisoning.

00:08:21Mike was in a bad way.

00:08:23The incision in the shoulder,

00:08:26evidently that got infected.

00:08:28Doctors say the wrestler

00:08:29has toxic shock syndrome.

00:08:31It's a staph infection

00:08:33which sends potent toxins

00:08:34circulating

00:08:35through the bloodstream.

00:08:36It causes damage

00:08:37to major organs

00:08:38and even death.

00:08:40And my mother

00:08:40been through all this

00:08:42and she's looking at

00:08:43I may face this again.

00:08:46I may lose another baby.

00:08:48Luckily,

00:08:49they got Dr. Bill Sutker

00:08:50who made the diagnosis.

00:08:51He was the head

00:08:52infectious disease doctor

00:08:54really anywhere in the country.

00:08:55It's just this

00:08:56one particular kind of bacteria

00:08:58that can be so virulent.

00:08:59I practiced for 40 years.

00:09:01Mike is one of the sickest patients

00:09:03I saw in my entire career.

00:09:06One of the Dallas area's

00:09:07most celebrated wrestlers

00:09:09is now fighting

00:09:09for his life

00:09:10at Baylor University Medical Center.

00:09:12The youngest Von Erich

00:09:13suffered kidney failure

00:09:14and temperatures

00:09:15in excess of 106 degrees.

00:09:17He can't sustain

00:09:18a temperature

00:09:19of over 105

00:09:20or 106 very long

00:09:22and we would ice him down

00:09:24when his fever would go up

00:09:25to try and help

00:09:26bring the temperature down.

00:09:28He developed kidney failure

00:09:30as well as other

00:09:31multi-organ failure.

00:09:32Better Medical Center.

00:09:33The Baylor Hospital switchboard

00:09:35is receiving 100 calls an hour

00:09:37from Von Erich fans.

00:09:38We're having to transfer

00:09:39Von Erich calls

00:09:40to public relations.

00:09:41One moment, please.

00:09:42During that whole week

00:09:43that Mike was in the hospital,

00:09:44people were calling

00:09:45offering to donate organs.

00:09:47In fact, several people

00:09:48have called several times

00:09:49so they can donate their organs.

00:09:51What does he need?

00:09:52I'm here.

00:09:53Take my number.

00:09:54More than 100 fans

00:09:55gathered in the parking lot

00:09:56of the sportatorium

00:09:57to hear news of Mike.

00:09:59It's a sad situation.

00:10:00I look at him

00:10:01like I would my own kids.

00:10:02I just claimed

00:10:03that he would

00:10:04pull out of this.

00:10:05Kevin and Keri Von Erich

00:10:07say they'll wrestle Monday night

00:10:08and dedicate the match

00:10:09to their brother.

00:10:10It's a family business out there

00:10:12and somebody had mine in the shop.

00:10:15Everybody in Chicago

00:10:16wishing the very best

00:10:17for your brother, Michael.

00:10:22We're not sure

00:10:23when this battle will end,

00:10:25but I guarantee

00:10:26we're all champions.

00:10:27and we're all winners

00:10:28and Mike's the winner

00:10:29and we'll come out

00:10:29of this one winner.

00:10:34My son said to me,

00:10:35if Mike Von Erich dies,

00:10:37the whole world

00:10:37is going to hate you.

00:10:43Doctors say they can't predict

00:10:45when Von Erich

00:10:45will be out of danger,

00:10:47but they say that someone

00:10:48physically weaker

00:10:49would be dead.

00:10:51Mike's whole situation,

00:10:53you know, zooming out,

00:10:54it's like the word curse

00:10:56feels like wholly inadequate

00:10:58and also it captures

00:11:00the ominous unknowableness

00:11:03in a way that we don't really

00:11:05have another word for.

00:11:06It's impossible

00:11:07to wrap your head around

00:11:09what one family

00:11:10had to go through.

00:11:12There was quite a while

00:11:13where he didn't seem

00:11:14to be responding

00:11:15and I was not optimistic

00:11:17that he was going to be able

00:11:18to make it through

00:11:19the illness.

00:11:20But I had gone down

00:11:21to tell them

00:11:22there was a good chance

00:11:23he wasn't going to survive.

00:11:26He said,

00:11:27we've done all we can do.

00:11:29He said,

00:11:30Kevin says,

00:11:31Doctor, how long?

00:11:31He said,

00:11:32Kevin, maybe 20 minutes.

00:11:35The doctor gave us

00:11:36the bad news

00:11:37but we all got down

00:11:39with all our good friends

00:11:39and prayed

00:11:40that the Lord would work

00:11:41through their hands.

00:11:43We said,

00:11:44we're not going to say goodbye

00:11:46so we all formed a circle

00:11:48and held hands

00:11:49and our preacher

00:11:51started these prayers.

00:11:53Gary Holder was there,

00:11:54the evangelist.

00:11:56Gary Holder took that Bible

00:11:57and he said,

00:11:58he said,

00:11:59God, here's your word.

00:12:00In it you say,

00:12:02if we believe,

00:12:03if we pray,

00:12:04you will deliver.

00:12:06And then he slammed it

00:12:07down on the table.

00:12:10He said,

00:12:12there's your word,

00:12:13deliver.

00:12:15And it wasn't 30 seconds

00:12:17till the door swung open.

00:12:19It was just Bill Sudger

00:12:20and he came out

00:12:21and he said,

00:12:22well, I don't know

00:12:22what's happened

00:12:23but his vitals

00:12:24are back to normal.

00:12:26Last night was really scary

00:12:28and I mean scary

00:12:29to the point

00:12:29of where it was

00:12:30was almost hopeless.

00:12:31Folks, let me tell you,

00:12:32a miracle took place

00:12:32last night

00:12:33just that we have

00:12:34Mike with us today.

00:12:36Well, professional wrestler

00:12:38Mike Von Erich

00:12:39remains in critical

00:12:39but stable condition

00:12:40at Baylor University

00:12:42Medical Center.

00:12:42The best sign of all

00:12:43is that Von Erich's

00:12:44temperature has fallen

00:12:45from a high of 107

00:12:46to normal.

00:12:47We'll update you

00:12:48on his condition

00:12:48again tomorrow.

00:12:51Things started to plateau

00:12:53and then eventually

00:12:54started to improve.

00:13:00Yeah, I pray for his prayers.

00:13:02That's what he did.

00:13:04I can't wait

00:13:05till the convos show

00:13:06on and be there.

00:13:08He's still very, very sick.

00:13:10There's no question

00:13:11about that.

00:13:11But that boy

00:13:12is going to be fine

00:13:13thanks be to the almighty

00:13:15himself.

00:13:17I think he was

00:13:18in the hospital

00:13:19about a month.

00:13:19I think the fact

00:13:20that he was

00:13:20as a professional athlete

00:13:22and that his body

00:13:23was in such good shape

00:13:25was the reason

00:13:26that he was able

00:13:27to survive.

00:13:28The main thing

00:13:29that I'm looking forward

00:13:30to is getting back

00:13:31in the ring again.

00:13:33Whenever I get home,

00:13:33you know,

00:13:34I have to start slow

00:13:35but whenever they say

00:13:36it's okay to start

00:13:37working out,

00:13:38boy, I'm going to be

00:13:38in there working hard.

00:13:41You go from deathbed

00:13:43to literally six weeks,

00:13:44seven weeks,

00:13:45whatever it was

00:13:45before we brought him

00:13:46out for Cotton Bowl.

00:13:48I'm pleased to present

00:13:49to you a living

00:13:50miracle.

00:13:51Welcome to the Cotton Bowl,

00:13:53Mike Hunter.

00:13:57They brought him

00:13:58out in the car

00:14:00for all the fans

00:14:01to cheer.

00:14:02The crowd was just

00:14:04crazy.

00:14:05I'd like to thank

00:14:06everybody here

00:14:07for being here today.

00:14:09I'd like to thank

00:14:10all the doctors

00:14:10and nurses

00:14:11for helping me.

00:14:13And I'd like to thank

00:14:14all of you

00:14:15for the prayers

00:14:16and your support.

00:14:18Thank you for coming

00:14:19and thank you very much

00:14:20and thank you very much.

00:14:21It's great to be back.

00:14:23When Mike Von Erich

00:14:24got sick,

00:14:26they were down

00:14:26a Von Erich, right?

00:14:28So Fritz brought in

00:14:29a fake Von Erich,

00:14:30Lance Von Erich,

00:14:31who was billed as a cousin

00:14:32of the Von Erich family.

00:14:34Lance, welcome

00:14:34to World Class.

00:14:35Great to have you with us.

00:14:36Thank you.

00:14:36It's great to be here.

00:14:37I feel right at home here.

00:14:40My dad figured that

00:14:42he needed extra help.

00:14:44Man, I hated that idea.

00:14:47It's the closest

00:14:48you can get to a brother

00:14:49and we need a brother

00:14:50right now.

00:14:51I'm sure he's going to

00:14:52surprise a lot of people.

00:14:53World Class was doing

00:14:54everything he could to compete.

00:14:55They were still very successful,

00:14:56but in the background,

00:14:59the script is totally flipped

00:15:00for World Class, right?

00:15:01It's like they were

00:15:02so recently

00:15:03like the biggest promotion

00:15:04in the country

00:15:05But now, WWE had this

00:15:08national TV deal with NBC.

00:15:10They had the Rock and Roll

00:15:12Connection on MTV,

00:15:14Saturday Morning Cartoon.

00:15:16They were finding

00:15:17whole new plateaus of success.

00:15:20Fritz did what he thought

00:15:21was best to sort of

00:15:22band-aid the whole thing together.

00:15:25Life was still good.

00:15:26We were still drawing.

00:15:28And then phone rang

00:15:29and I picked it up.

00:15:31It was Fritz.

00:15:32And he said,

00:15:32Kerry's been in an accident

00:15:34and I'm like,

00:15:35how bad?

00:15:36He said,

00:15:36his leg looks like

00:15:38an alligator chewed on it.

00:15:46Nature.

00:15:48Flonies.

00:15:51You know,

00:15:51before I even say anything,

00:15:54everybody back then,

00:15:55you drank and you smoked weed

00:15:56and stuff like that.

00:15:58A lot of time,

00:15:59even if you did get pulled over

00:16:00unless you were doing

00:16:01something really bad,

00:16:03Yvonne Erickson,

00:16:03were so popular,

00:16:04the cops would let him go.

00:16:09That day,

00:16:11Kerry was out

00:16:12at Lake Dallas.

00:16:14He had a boat.

00:16:15I guess he had been drinking.

00:16:18And he had on flip-flops

00:16:20and a tank top

00:16:21and shorts.

00:16:22And he's on his motorcycle.

00:16:31and he ran into a cop car

00:16:33that was sitting at a red light,

00:16:34hit it from behind

00:16:35going like 50 miles an hour

00:16:37and went over the top of it.

00:16:39I was pregnant with Lacey.

00:16:43I was pregnant with Lacey.

00:16:43When I got the call,

00:16:44I knew,

00:16:44I was like,

00:16:45our world is crumbling.

00:16:46He's really,

00:16:48really getting bad.

00:16:50The fractured ankle

00:16:51is fairly serious.

00:16:53It's an open wound

00:16:54to the ankle

00:16:55and that's the reason

00:16:57for necessitating surgery tonight.

00:17:01I actually saw him

00:17:02in the emergency room.

00:17:03The yellow paint

00:17:04from the paint

00:17:05on the stripes

00:17:06was right here

00:17:08on top of his foot

00:17:09where his foot

00:17:10had grounded that

00:17:11and had some yellow paint

00:17:12on his bone.

00:17:13Lucky it didn't kill him.

00:17:17That was a miracle,

00:17:18no doubt about it.

00:17:19That was his only injuries.

00:17:20He had no other injuries at all.

00:17:23His foot was in

00:17:25really pretty pathetic shape

00:17:27when he came in

00:17:28and we were all worried

00:17:30that he really had

00:17:31a very good chance

00:17:32of losing his foot.

00:17:33However,

00:17:34with a surgical team,

00:17:36they have saved Gary's foot.

00:17:39Thank you for all your support.

00:17:41Thank you for your prayers.

00:17:42A lot of big things

00:17:44have happened

00:17:44since I've came

00:17:45into the hospital.

00:17:46One of the greatest things,

00:17:47again,

00:17:48thanks to Dr. Suckerman,

00:17:49Mike, my brother,

00:17:51we'll be back July 4th.

00:18:00There's a lot of

00:18:01Greek mythology

00:18:02built into pro wrestling.

00:18:03It's the tragedy

00:18:04and the triumph

00:18:04and overcoming the odds.

00:18:06I think that's the real power

00:18:08of the Von Erich story.

00:18:09It's not just the tragic part.

00:18:11Their ability to triumph

00:18:12over it at times.

00:18:14Connery for the triumph

00:18:15and return to the ring.

00:18:17There was a big push

00:18:18for him to get back

00:18:19in the ring

00:18:19and the people were like,

00:18:20come on, Mike,

00:18:21you can do it.

00:18:22And the fans really love you.

00:18:24You love them too,

00:18:24you know,

00:18:25and you feel a responsibility.

00:18:27You feel like you owe it to them

00:18:28to be what they expect you to be.

00:18:30You know,

00:18:31and he's just doing

00:18:32what he's got to do.

00:18:33Fritz's opinion was,

00:18:35when he's ready,

00:18:35he'll know he's ready.

00:18:38But he wasn't pushed

00:18:39to come back.

00:18:40Mike wanted to get back.

00:18:42Mike was never the same

00:18:44after he came back

00:18:45from the toxic shop.

00:18:46He had a look in his eyes

00:18:48where he was just like

00:18:49he was way out

00:18:51in la-la land.

00:18:52I'll tell you what,

00:18:53Brian, it is.

00:18:54I want you to know.

00:18:56I want a country whipping match

00:18:57with you.

00:18:59Country whipping match

00:19:00is what it's called.

00:19:02I don't think

00:19:02he was ever ready.

00:19:04I give Kevin credit.

00:19:06Gosh, he stepped up.

00:19:08Kevin Von Erich!

00:19:10Listen to the fans cheer.

00:19:12It's a family business.

00:19:13It wasn't fun,

00:19:14it was work.

00:19:16And it was hard work.

00:19:18We were still trying

00:19:19to run three talents a day,

00:19:21but the people

00:19:22were not showing up

00:19:22to watch Mike.

00:19:24Kerry's in bed,

00:19:25he's got his foot cut off.

00:19:26So I've got to try

00:19:27to keep it going,

00:19:27and it was just,

00:19:28God, I'd do anything

00:19:29for a little bit of relief.

00:19:31You're pressured

00:19:32to be on all of the time.

00:19:36An image that they

00:19:38all want to uphold,

00:19:39to make each other proud,

00:19:41and to not let each other down,

00:19:42that is pressure.

00:19:44We want you to be

00:19:46somebody that we can idolize.

00:19:48And the crowd

00:19:49picks it up for Kevin.

00:19:51Those really tough days,

00:19:54the real hard days.

00:19:55I was working

00:19:56two or three times a day.

00:19:58If one of us were hurt,

00:20:00people would want

00:20:00their money back.

00:20:022,000, 3,000,

00:20:045,000, 10,000, 20,000,

00:20:05however many people,

00:20:06they bought a ticket.

00:20:08They're expecting

00:20:08to see up on Earth.

00:20:11And they want to see you,

00:20:12whether you're grieving

00:20:13or hurt a lot with Cary.

00:20:16I've been out now

00:20:16for four or five months,

00:20:18and I miss the people,

00:20:20and I miss wrestling

00:20:20more than anything

00:20:21I've ever missed

00:20:22in my whole life.

00:20:24Cary felt a big responsibility

00:20:26in that he took care

00:20:28of his fans.

00:20:29I had, you know, doubts.

00:20:31It was a bad wreck.

00:20:32Thank the Lord

00:20:33I'm still alive.

00:20:34It was really hard

00:20:35all those months

00:20:37that he was down.

00:20:39I had to keep a smile

00:20:40through all of it

00:20:41and tell him

00:20:41it'll be all right.

00:20:44Even though Cary's ankle

00:20:46was crippled,

00:20:46almost to the point

00:20:47of amputation,

00:20:48he refused to believe

00:20:49that he was through.

00:20:50For Cary Von Erich,

00:20:51he could either give up

00:20:52or go to the gym.

00:20:55He worked really hard

00:20:56and he had that work ethic

00:20:59just to make sure

00:21:00that he maintained

00:21:01the proper image.

00:21:02Life deals your lemons,

00:21:03you make lemonade,

00:21:04you keep on training,

00:21:05and you never give up.

00:21:09Supposedly,

00:21:09if he had followed up

00:21:11on the therapy

00:21:12and rehabilitation,

00:21:14it would have come back

00:21:14and he would have been fine.

00:21:16But he wanted to get back,

00:21:18he wanted to get in front

00:21:19of the fans,

00:21:20he wanted to get back

00:21:20to being Cary Von Erich.

00:21:22He came back,

00:21:24but the leg wasn't ready.

00:21:27He went too early

00:21:28and it cost him.

00:21:32Only on A&E.

00:21:34The big thing I remember

00:21:35about Cary's motorcycle wreck

00:21:37was he was working hard

00:21:38in the gym.

00:21:40He wanted to come back,

00:21:42but he just wasn't ready.

00:21:46Because he came back

00:21:48and the leg wasn't getting

00:21:49good blood circulation.

00:21:51and we had these steps

00:21:52at the fortuitorium

00:21:53where you could go up

00:21:54and watch the matches.

00:21:55He was coming down

00:21:56those steps and it broke.

00:21:58It was crazy.

00:22:01They had tried

00:22:02to save his foot.

00:22:03They did several operations,

00:22:04but it just wouldn't take.

00:22:06It was damaged so badly

00:22:08that they couldn't get

00:22:09the blood supply to it.

00:22:11It just wasn't healing

00:22:13like they hoped.

00:22:16They decided they needed

00:22:17to amputate the foot,

00:22:20which was really hard

00:22:21on Cary emotionally.

00:22:28But he didn't want anybody

00:22:29to know about it

00:22:29and he was fitted

00:22:30with a prosthesis

00:22:31he could wear under his boot

00:22:33and so for years

00:22:35nobody actually knew

00:22:37that he didn't have a foot.

00:22:40Why hide it?

00:22:42The image,

00:22:43the Von Erich image.

00:22:47Is that Cary's decision?

00:22:49No, it was his dad's decision.

00:22:53But Cary did agree to that.

00:22:57To me,

00:22:58it would have been better

00:22:59to let the family

00:23:00talk about that

00:23:01instead of just trying

00:23:03to keep it a secret

00:23:04like, no, he's still strong.

00:23:06No, but look how strong

00:23:08he is in his disability.

00:23:11Like, people could have

00:23:12learned from that, I think.

00:23:15Why'd you hide it, Fritz?

00:23:17Why didn't you just come out

00:23:18and say, yeah,

00:23:19he lost his foot?

00:23:20He didn't because he didn't

00:23:21want to lose his company

00:23:22because Cary was

00:23:23his biggest star.

00:23:25He needed Cary whole.

00:23:27People aren't going to come out

00:23:28and see a one-legged guy wrestle.

00:23:31You know what the worst thing

00:23:33about the leg was?

00:23:34Through all the pain and stuff,

00:23:36guess what?

00:23:36They're giving him drip.

00:23:37So they're feeding him

00:23:38the addiction he has.

00:23:41I had now two very young babies

00:23:44and a husband

00:23:45who needed rehabilitation

00:23:47and he was in a lot of pain.

00:23:50And then the pain meds

00:23:52led to other horrible drugs

00:23:54like cocaine

00:23:56I asked Mr. Atkinson

00:23:58for help with him

00:23:59and we did a family intervention

00:24:00and he went to

00:24:02kind of a rehab.

00:24:03But then

00:24:04I got a phone call

00:24:05from Mr. Atkinson

00:24:06about three or four days into it

00:24:08and it's like

00:24:08the press is going to get

00:24:10a hold of this.

00:24:10I'm going to have to

00:24:11take him out.

00:24:12And my world

00:24:14crashed.

00:24:19Granddad, he loved his boys

00:24:20so much that he almost

00:24:21enabled them.

00:24:23Granddad bailed Uncle Kerry

00:24:25out of jail multiple times

00:24:27and if anybody came to Granddad

00:24:28and said,

00:24:29I'm really worried about Kerry

00:24:30or I'm really worried about Mike,

00:24:32Granddad's response was like,

00:24:33he's okay, I talked to him,

00:24:34he's okay.

00:24:35He loved them so much

00:24:37that he didn't want them

00:24:38to suffer.

00:24:39And if that meant

00:24:40going to rehab

00:24:41or going to jail,

00:24:43he wouldn't let that happen.

00:24:44He wouldn't have let

00:24:45any of his sons suffer.

00:24:49I'm sure it was a struggle

00:24:50for Mr. Atkinson

00:24:51in so many ways.

00:24:52Running a company

00:24:53as well as taking care

00:24:55of your boys.

00:24:57World Class is just

00:24:58doing all they can

00:24:59to tread water.

00:25:01And at the same time,

00:25:02the WWE is staging

00:25:04WrestleMania 3.

00:25:05Breaking the attendance record

00:25:07that Fritz and World Class

00:25:08had previously held.

00:25:11And Fritz is trying

00:25:13to sort of balance

00:25:13these two things,

00:25:14the business

00:25:15and his family.

00:25:17It became whisperings

00:25:20of the domineering influence

00:25:22that Fritz had.

00:25:24All the boys looked up

00:25:26to their dad,

00:25:28but to Mike,

00:25:29he felt like he was

00:25:30going to be a failure

00:25:31by not becoming

00:25:33a really great Vaughn Eric.

00:25:36I tell you,

00:25:37watch Mike last week,

00:25:38his timing's been

00:25:38a little bit off.

00:25:39You know,

00:25:40you can just see

00:25:40determination in Mike's eyes.

00:25:44I saw a lot of depression

00:25:46in him because of that.

00:25:50Mike was in a bad way.

00:25:53He was going through

00:25:55these things of rage.

00:25:57He got out of his car

00:25:58and attacked his traffic light.

00:26:05And when you told him

00:26:06about it,

00:26:06he was so embarrassed.

00:26:07He hated that.

00:26:09He was not that way.

00:26:10The brain is so complicated.

00:26:13Now it dealt with heat.

00:26:22He had gone through so much

00:26:23to get where he was

00:26:25and was making improvements

00:26:27as time went on.

00:26:28I don't know

00:26:29if he ever realized

00:26:31how sick he really was,

00:26:32even though

00:26:32all of us told him that.

00:26:35I don't know that he saw

00:26:37the light at the end

00:26:38of the tunnel.

00:26:41He was doing

00:26:42some of the pharmaceutical stuff

00:26:44and had a deal

00:26:45where he wrecked

00:26:45several cars in a row.

00:26:52And Fritz had actually

00:26:53told him to look.

00:26:55It's bad on our business.

00:26:57It's bad on our name.

00:26:58Don't come back to me

00:27:00with this anymore.

00:27:01He said,

00:27:02you're a grown man.

00:27:07We had decided

00:27:08to start a company

00:27:09called Von Art Bright

00:27:10Incorporated.

00:27:11We were going to have

00:27:12sponsors on world tours.

00:27:15Things were looking

00:27:16really good.

00:27:18But that was when

00:27:19Mike got caught

00:27:20with that joint.

00:27:23And in Mike's mind,

00:27:24he has just

00:27:25ruined my whole deal.

00:27:27He thought that he just,

00:27:28he loved me so much,

00:27:30but he thought

00:27:31he'd really let me down.

00:27:33Felt so bad,

00:27:35he, uh,

00:27:38he had shamed us.

00:27:44Dozens of searchers

00:27:45have been scouring

00:27:46Lake Louisville

00:27:47by ground and air

00:27:48since Wednesday night.

00:27:49After finding Von Erick's

00:27:50abandoned car yesterday

00:27:52in the same park,

00:27:53a family attorney

00:27:54had reported

00:27:55the wrestler missing

00:27:55on Monday,

00:27:56two days after

00:27:57Von Erick's arrest

00:27:58on drunk driving

00:27:59and drug charges.

00:28:01Inside the car,

00:28:02investigators found

00:28:03an unsigned

00:28:04handwritten note.

00:28:05It said,

00:28:06Mom and Dad,

00:28:07I'm in a better place.

00:28:08I'll be watching.

00:28:14I remember all that

00:28:16just like it was yesterday.

00:28:17They found him over

00:28:18on the other side

00:28:19of the lake

00:28:20at a,

00:28:20it's called

00:28:21Pilot Knoll Park.

00:28:22He just wrote a note,

00:28:24took a bunch of

00:28:25class of deals

00:28:26and zipped himself

00:28:27up in a sleeping bag.

00:28:30Von Erick's mother,

00:28:31Doris Atkison,

00:28:32was at the park

00:28:33this morning

00:28:33when her 23-year-old son

00:28:35was found.

00:28:36Older brothers,

00:28:37Kevin and Carrie

00:28:38arrived a short time later.

00:28:40Really tough.

00:28:41And so,

00:28:42we're going to be fine.

00:28:43Our family's,

00:28:44our family has

00:28:46had tough times before

00:28:48and we're going to be all right.

00:28:50Man,

00:28:51he was such a,

00:28:53a good guy,

00:28:54but I mean,

00:28:55he just,

00:28:59I guess drugs.

00:29:00I didn't know Mike

00:29:01was really into drugs,

00:29:03but I guess he was.

00:29:05So it had to be that

00:29:06because he had

00:29:08such good sense.

00:29:09He was too smart

00:29:10to kill himself.

00:29:11It was just,

00:29:12that's not Mike.

00:29:15Radication was

00:29:15by prescription,

00:29:16by the way,

00:29:17and,

00:29:17uh,

00:29:19he just took too much

00:29:20of it at one time

00:29:20and apparently

00:29:21it was delivered.

00:29:24But just on one

00:29:25of the misunderstandings

00:29:25about that,

00:29:26Mike was sick.

00:29:27He'd never recovered

00:29:28in Toski's shock.

00:29:31It was just

00:29:31a big shock to me.

00:29:35I was devastated.

00:29:36You know,

00:29:36again,

00:29:37after an illness

00:29:38like this,

00:29:38I don't know

00:29:39that he fully recovered,

00:29:41you know,

00:29:42psychologically.

00:29:44Mike loved people.

00:29:45He was so considered

00:29:46loving,

00:29:48polite.

00:29:49He was for real.

00:29:50He was,

00:29:52I just can't

00:29:53leave his skull.

00:29:55My dad,

00:29:56he was strong

00:29:57and he kept

00:29:59the family together

00:30:00even though my mother,

00:30:01my mother,

00:30:01had started

00:30:02to fall apart

00:30:03by then.

00:30:04She loved so deep

00:30:06and so hard

00:30:09that it took

00:30:10something out of her.

00:30:13It crushed her.

00:30:16Mimi and granddad

00:30:17were going through

00:30:18a lot.

00:30:19They both had

00:30:20their ways

00:30:20of dealing

00:30:21with the grief,

00:30:21my Mimi

00:30:22and my granddad,

00:30:23and she really

00:30:24wanted to stay

00:30:25in control.

00:30:28Mike and I

00:30:29had been together

00:30:29since third grade

00:30:31and, you know,

00:30:33I loved him

00:30:33like a brother.

00:30:35Another devastating

00:30:36moment for Carrie

00:30:37where you just see

00:30:38it getting deeper

00:30:39and deeper

00:30:40and darker

00:30:41for him.

00:30:42But Carrie

00:30:43pushed through

00:30:44anything that

00:30:45was difficult,

00:30:46keeping up

00:30:47with the image

00:30:48that was so

00:30:50important to

00:30:51the Von Eriks.

00:30:52Because we have

00:30:52Jesus Christ,

00:30:53it makes us strong

00:30:54and it makes us

00:30:55able to withstand

00:30:55things that people

00:30:57who aren't Christians

00:30:57can normally

00:30:59not take.

00:31:00They don't know

00:31:00where to turn.

00:31:01We know where to turn

00:31:02and we know

00:31:02it's in the Lord's

00:31:03plan for these

00:31:03things to happen

00:31:04and the Von Eriks

00:31:05are strong.

00:31:08Uncle Mike

00:31:09was very generous.

00:31:11After Uncle Mike

00:31:12died,

00:31:13multiple people

00:31:15reached out

00:31:16and said,

00:31:17I'm so sorry

00:31:18for your loss

00:31:19but by the way,

00:31:19Mike had been

00:31:20paying my rent.

00:31:21Like, do you think

00:31:22you guys can still

00:31:22help with that?

00:31:25He loved people.

00:31:29Good guys

00:31:30hurt worse.

00:31:33And Mike was

00:31:34disappointed

00:31:34with himself.

00:31:37There was a bond

00:31:38between Chris and Mike

00:31:39that was just

00:31:41undeniable.

00:31:42And with Mike

00:31:44taking his life,

00:31:45I saw

00:31:46Chris just

00:31:47going downhill.

00:31:53Those who followed

00:31:55Von Eriks

00:31:55in the ring

00:31:55say his death

00:31:56at age 23

00:31:57is a shock,

00:31:58but it's said

00:31:59his death

00:31:59reminds fans

00:32:00that even heroes

00:32:01are human.

00:32:02Right after

00:32:03Uncle Mike

00:32:04passed away,

00:32:06just literally

00:32:06two months

00:32:08after he passed away,

00:32:09we had our own

00:32:10traumatic event.

00:32:13There's just blood

00:32:14everywhere.

00:32:34Right after

00:32:35Uncle Mike

00:32:36passed away,

00:32:37I was six,

00:32:39my sister was two,

00:32:40and my dad

00:32:42was coming back

00:32:43from a show.

00:32:47We said,

00:32:48can we go say

00:32:49hi to daddy?

00:32:50and we ran outside.

00:32:56My dad pulled

00:32:57into the garage.

00:32:58I was holding

00:32:58Jill's hand,

00:32:59and I remember

00:33:02her pulling her hand

00:33:03right out of mine

00:33:05and walking

00:33:07behind the car.

00:33:08She wanted to get

00:33:09to the driver's door

00:33:10and see my dad

00:33:11first.

00:33:12And in the instant

00:33:13that she got

00:33:14behind the car,

00:33:16my dad backed up

00:33:17just two or three feet.

00:33:20As I backed out,

00:33:22Jill had come around

00:33:23behind the car,

00:33:24and that Lincoln

00:33:25Continental

00:33:26went right up

00:33:27on her little liver.

00:33:31And Kristen said,

00:33:33Daddy,

00:33:33you've run over Jill.

00:33:35and I put her

00:33:38in gear

00:33:38and put the grass

00:33:39and spun out

00:33:40on her.

00:33:44And he said,

00:33:45oh, Jesus,

00:33:46and he pulled forward,

00:33:48picked her up,

00:33:49and there was this

00:33:50tire track

00:33:51on her nightgown

00:33:52that I just, like,

00:33:53burned into my memory,

00:33:54like, literally

00:33:55a black tire mark

00:33:56across her nightgown.

00:33:58And I remember him

00:33:59trying to stand

00:34:00her on the counter

00:34:01saying,

00:34:02you're okay, baby,

00:34:03you're okay,

00:34:03you're okay.

00:34:05And she looked gray,

00:34:07that gray look

00:34:08Dave had.

00:34:09And I, like,

00:34:10apologized to Pam.

00:34:11I said,

00:34:12she's okay,

00:34:12she's gonna live,

00:34:13she's okay.

00:34:15And Pam said,

00:34:16she put her hand on me,

00:34:17she said,

00:34:18she's gonna be all right.

00:34:20And I said,

00:34:21no, she's not.

00:34:27Jill's liver

00:34:28was ruptured,

00:34:29but the lining

00:34:30that holds it intact

00:34:31was the only thing

00:34:33holding it intact.

00:34:35there was no long-term damage

00:34:38other than that,

00:34:39which is just unbelievable.

00:34:40And I genuinely believe

00:34:42that was prayer,

00:34:44you know,

00:34:45in that instant,

00:34:46because it was just

00:34:46my mom

00:34:48praying her whole heart out,

00:34:50and my dad just,

00:34:52his prayers

00:34:53are just so real.

00:34:57and I do remember bits and pieces of that.

00:35:01I remember the hospital visits.

00:35:05My dad just not eating at all,

00:35:07never leaving my side,

00:35:08and I just can't imagine

00:35:11him going through that

00:35:12after everything

00:35:13that he's been through.

00:35:15It's hard to look at him now.

00:35:17How much can one man handle?

00:35:20You can only imagine

00:35:22how that sort of

00:35:23could wreck a person, right?

00:35:24How that could, like,

00:35:25change the way

00:35:25that somebody thinks about life.

00:35:28I lost 35 pounds that month.

00:35:32It was hard for me,

00:35:33but I was so grateful

00:35:35that, you know,

00:35:36my kids were healthy,

00:35:37that I was, um,

00:35:41said,

00:35:41God, thank you for all this.

00:35:45I hate the devil.

00:35:46Let me fight him.

00:35:48All that grief,

00:35:50all that stress,

00:35:52groaning and being miserable.

00:35:55Let me fight the devil.

00:35:57I want to fight him.

00:35:58And I said,

00:35:58I hate you, devil.

00:35:59I want to fight you.

00:36:02Inside, I thought,

00:36:03I shouldn't have said that,

00:36:04you know?

00:36:05And then I thought,

00:36:06well, what's going to happen?

00:36:10The very next day,

00:36:11I was washing my dog

00:36:13down at the lake.

00:36:14I smelled blood

00:36:15and gunpowder.

00:36:18I felt weird inside.

00:36:20I felt like

00:36:21I was being watched.

00:36:22And I saw movement

00:36:24up on the shoreline.

00:36:26I saw these black things

00:36:27coming toward me.

00:36:30And Pam didn't see them.

00:36:32I said, get in the car.

00:36:33Get in the car.

00:36:34And so I bent down

00:36:36and got into a crouching position.

00:36:37And I was ready to fight.

00:36:40And the next thing I know,

00:36:44I'm waking up from a seizure

00:36:48and there's blood

00:36:50all over my feet

00:36:50where I've been kicking

00:36:51and fighting.

00:36:53It's terrible.

00:36:54And I know that

00:36:55I went way too far.

00:36:56I'm a man.

00:36:57But these demons,

00:36:58Satan is so much smarter

00:37:00than we are,

00:37:00can trick us,

00:37:01can make fools of us.

00:37:03So my relationship

00:37:05with God

00:37:05is just one

00:37:06of intense

00:37:08super gratitude.

00:37:11The Von Erich story

00:37:12is really just

00:37:13a sort of mythological tragedy.

00:37:14It's not just

00:37:15the tragic part,

00:37:16I guess,

00:37:16but also their ability

00:37:18to triumph over it.

00:37:19Kevin's daughter

00:37:20probably should have died

00:37:21when she was really young.

00:37:22Mike probably should have died

00:37:23when he was diagnosed

00:37:25with toxic shock.

00:37:26Then Carrie probably

00:37:26should have died

00:37:27when he got into the wreck.

00:37:28You know,

00:37:29was God testing them

00:37:30in those moments?

00:37:32Maybe those were

00:37:33actually moments

00:37:34of good fortune

00:37:35that they, like,

00:37:36didn't die

00:37:37in those moments

00:37:38after all this family

00:37:39had been through

00:37:39that they got lucky

00:37:40in a weird way.

00:37:43Carrie had this

00:37:44catastrophic injury

00:37:45and somehow

00:37:46tightened up his boots

00:37:47and got back

00:37:48into the ring.

00:37:52This is Thursday night,

00:37:54September the 10th,

00:37:551997.

00:37:56But the old Carrie

00:37:57is wonderful.

00:37:58It really is, son.

00:37:59It's great.

00:38:00It's great.

00:38:01Yeah, I bet you guys

00:38:03I bet you guys are true.

00:38:06Yeah, I wish you wouldn't

00:38:07get you carried away

00:38:08this first time, son.

00:38:09Hold your hand up,

00:38:10Chris, over here.

00:38:11Let me step myself up.

00:38:13No, son.

00:38:14Come on.

00:38:14Don't overdo this.

00:38:15Nothing different.

00:38:16Give me grab your hands

00:38:17and say, yeah, yeah.

00:38:18It's a miracle already.

00:38:19Don't expect a bigger miracle

00:38:20than you already got.

00:38:24Folks, I feel great.

00:38:25It's been a long time,

00:38:26a year and a half.

00:38:27You know, my dad

00:38:27and I were just talking

00:38:28that way back

00:38:29about a year ago,

00:38:30he told me not

00:38:31to go on that ring.

00:38:32Well, I guess we all

00:38:32go through times

00:38:33when we don't listen

00:38:34to Mommy and Daddy.

00:38:35And I didn't listen

00:38:36to my dad that night

00:38:37and I went to the ring

00:38:38and sure it set us back.

00:38:39You set him way back.

00:38:40You already did, folks.

00:38:42No, he's listening.

00:38:43And I'll tell you, folks,

00:38:44I've been, I guess,

00:38:45pushing my dad harder

00:38:45than anyone.

00:38:46I think this time

00:38:46even my dad feels

00:38:47that I'm ready.

00:38:48The greatest comeback

00:38:49in athletic history.

00:38:51For tonight,

00:38:52we mark the return

00:38:53of the modern day warrior,

00:38:56Harry Van Eyck!

00:38:59His first night back

00:39:01was Thanksgiving in 1987,

00:39:03and he and I wrestled

00:39:04at Reunion Arena.

00:39:05It was packed.

00:39:06People were ready

00:39:07to see him again.

00:39:08Fans have come

00:39:09from all over this great nation

00:39:11to witness this historic event.

00:39:14Caravan Eyck looking

00:39:15as good as new.

00:39:16Caravan Eyck with the win!

00:39:19He came back

00:39:20and started wrestling.

00:39:21I don't know how he did that.

00:39:24I wrestled with him.

00:39:25You couldn't tell

00:39:26that he didn't have half a foot.

00:39:29We did the same old

00:39:30we did, and it worked.

00:39:32Caravan Eyck wants

00:39:34to use that hard club!

00:39:36I'd rather die

00:39:37than let you folks down.

00:39:43I think deep down,

00:39:44Fritz would have loved

00:39:45to have all his boys

00:39:46in a power position.

00:39:49Taking over

00:39:50was always the plan.

00:39:53But, you know,

00:39:55already had David's gone,

00:39:56Mike's gone,

00:39:58the glory days,

00:39:59they were over

00:39:59by that time.

00:40:01Fritz was weaning off of it.

00:40:04When I lost Mike

00:40:05in 87,

00:40:07that was my third son to lose.

00:40:11Something bad

00:40:12was Mike that year,

00:40:13and I went out of wrestling.

00:40:14Not that I blamed wrestling for it,

00:40:15but I just wanted to lose.

00:40:19And by the end of 87,

00:40:20I was out.

00:40:21Sold everything I had.

00:40:24It was super devastating

00:40:26to Carrey

00:40:27when his dad sold him,

00:40:29and then they didn't get

00:40:30to have a part of that

00:40:32because they helped

00:40:34build the dynasty.

00:40:36It's just so hard

00:40:37to believe that

00:40:38family has so much control

00:40:39of their destiny

00:40:41and of this company.

00:40:42that had greatness

00:40:43right at the apex

00:40:45would go the opposite way

00:40:46completely.

00:40:47I hated to see

00:40:48what we built

00:40:49all just passed over

00:40:51and passed up

00:40:52and sold,

00:40:53but, I mean,

00:40:54God bless our fans.

00:40:55They'd suffered so much,

00:40:56but the Monarchs

00:40:58were kind of,

00:40:59got to be a sad story.

00:41:03We're entertainers,

00:41:04you know?

00:41:04No, we don't want to bum you out.

00:41:07That's what was the end.

00:41:09World class, it's over.

00:41:11As we knew it.

00:41:14only on A&E.

00:41:26This is...

00:41:27Quality family time.

00:41:28Yeah, just family time.

00:41:29It's like the...

00:41:30That makes the best memory

00:41:31for the kids,

00:41:32and we used to do this

00:41:33when we were little

00:41:34with Mimi and Granddad

00:41:35and all of our uncles

00:41:36and cousins,

00:41:38and it's a great memory.

00:41:42We're now getting pictures

00:41:43from the front of us

00:41:44and water, right?

00:41:49I'm gonna stay on you

00:41:50because you're gonna take

00:41:51the biggest bump, I think.

00:41:52I don't...

00:41:52Not anymore.

00:41:54It was just

00:41:55a really happy family,

00:41:57and it was just

00:41:58such a fun way

00:42:00to grow up.

00:42:06When I was small,

00:42:08wrestling had really

00:42:10taken off,

00:42:11and my dad was having

00:42:12a lot of success,

00:42:13my uncles were having

00:42:14a lot of success.

00:42:16We built a beautiful home,

00:42:18and we just had

00:42:19a really comfortable

00:42:20life.

00:42:22Some trees that Kevin

00:42:23planted.

00:42:23He planted this pine tree,

00:42:25peach tree.

00:42:28And that's a swing

00:42:29that Kevin built

00:42:29for Christian.

00:42:30Look how neat.

00:42:32We had sort of

00:42:34idyllic, you know,

00:42:35upper-class childhood.

00:42:39But then,

00:42:40as his brother

00:42:42started to pass away,

00:42:44world-class

00:42:45wasn't as successful.

00:42:49With the deaths,

00:42:51world-class was,

00:42:52you know,

00:42:53going down fast.

00:42:56I think the fans

00:42:58got tired of being sad.

00:43:01Our attendance really

00:43:02started dropping off big.

00:43:06Wrestling sort of

00:43:07lost favor

00:43:08with its audience.

00:43:11It became really apparent

00:43:13in our home life.

00:43:16Our water had been cut off

00:43:17because we couldn't

00:43:18pay the bill.

00:43:20There was a Christmas

00:43:21that we were on

00:43:21the angel tree,

00:43:22my siblings and I,

00:43:23so people had to,

00:43:25you know,

00:43:25pick our names

00:43:26off of a tree

00:43:27and buy it.

00:43:27I think I got a coat

00:43:28and a set of jacks

00:43:30and a bike

00:43:32from Mimi and Granddad.

00:43:37At that point,

00:43:39we had our house

00:43:40foreclosed on

00:43:41and Uncle Kerry

00:43:42lived two doors down

00:43:43and their house

00:43:44was being foreclosed

00:43:45on as well.

00:43:47And we had to move back

00:43:49to my grandparents' property

00:43:50and we're living

00:43:51in their little guest

00:43:52house trailer

00:43:53on the property.

00:43:55When we moved there,

00:43:56Uncle Chris

00:43:57had to move out.

00:43:58He had to move back

00:43:59into my grandparents' house,

00:44:01which was also

00:44:01on the property.

00:44:03So I feel like

00:44:04that was really

00:44:04humbling for him

00:44:06and he was kind of

00:44:08upset deeply about that.

00:44:13But when we were

00:44:14all together,

00:44:14you'd never think

00:44:15that he wasn't happy.

00:44:17Give me Uncle Chris

00:44:18to show you real quick.

00:44:20My Uncle Chris

00:44:21was like a big kid,

00:44:22you know,

00:44:23because he was so young.

00:44:24He was always working out

00:44:27with Daddy.

00:44:28They worked out

00:44:28a lot together

00:44:29in the barn

00:44:30and he wanted

00:44:31to be just like my dad

00:44:32and wanted to be

00:44:33a wrestler

00:44:34just like Daddy.

00:44:36I just remember

00:44:36him being really

00:44:37protective of us kids.

00:44:42Our family

00:44:43is very close

00:44:45and we look

00:44:46after each other

00:44:47and we take care

00:44:47of each other.

00:44:53Around that time,

00:44:54my brother Ross

00:44:54was born.

00:44:58We were struggling,

00:45:00so I can't imagine

00:45:01having another child

00:45:02whenever you were

00:45:03going through

00:45:04something like that.

00:45:09My dad's still

00:45:10signing autographs

00:45:11for people.

00:45:12People still know

00:45:12who he is,

00:45:13people still recognize him,

00:45:15but fame doesn't put

00:45:16food on the table.

00:45:18Go, go, go, go, go!

00:45:25I could go

00:45:25other places,

00:45:27but I'd had injuries, too.

00:45:28I'd had a lot of injuries

00:45:30and I was waking up

00:45:31so sore in the mornings

00:45:32and I couldn't get in the ring

00:45:34and just keep doing it.

00:45:36I'm groaning all the time

00:45:37and I'm not going to do that

00:45:39with the pain pills,

00:45:40so I had to quit.

00:45:43I kind of scrambled,

00:45:45you know,

00:45:45to just make it all happen.

00:45:49Sold real estate.

00:45:51I've also sold insurance

00:45:53and a lot of prayer.

00:45:56Dear Lord,

00:45:57thank you for all of us

00:45:58being together.

00:45:59It helps us to be

00:45:59a little bit more worthy.

00:46:01In Jesus' name we pray.

00:46:02Amen.

00:46:03Amen.

00:46:04There's a lot of worry

00:46:06out there, you know,

00:46:07and a lot of times

00:46:08I've looked down

00:46:09and seen my woman asleep

00:46:10and my children

00:46:12asleep in my bed

00:46:13and you look at her

00:46:13little face and thinks,

00:46:15she has all the faith

00:46:16in the world

00:46:17that I'm going to

00:46:17pull this out.

00:46:19She knows

00:46:19I'm going to do it.

00:46:20She knows

00:46:21I'm going to save them,

00:46:23even though I know

00:46:24how the heck

00:46:25am I going to do that.

00:46:28We went through hard times,

00:46:30but,

00:46:31and I'm oblivious,

00:46:33but I only remember

00:46:34good things

00:46:34and my dad was just

00:46:36very consistent,

00:46:37so if we were going through

00:46:39anything like that,

00:46:41I never experienced it.

00:46:43Hi, everybody.

00:46:45I'm sure we're having

00:46:46a good time out here

00:46:46in 1989.

00:46:48I'm sure we're back

00:46:48around the past

00:46:49with us.

00:46:51Dinner on the table

00:46:53every night,

00:46:54school the next day,

00:46:55we had everything

00:46:55we needed.

00:46:56We never went without.

00:46:59We were always

00:46:59taken care of.

00:47:02That's the motive

00:47:03right there.

00:47:05They love you,

00:47:06they need you,

00:47:07and so you keep

00:47:08making it happen.

00:47:09You don't give up.

00:47:12That kept me going.

00:47:17That was really hard

00:47:19on my dad.

00:47:22I can't imagine

00:47:23the pressure

00:47:23that they felt

00:47:24as dads with kids,

00:47:26my dad and Uncle

00:47:27Kerry especially.

00:47:28What are you doing?

00:47:29Lacey, come here.

00:47:32I'll leave you for a good

00:47:32goodbye.

00:47:33It was hard,

00:47:34and he did want

00:47:34the best for our family.

00:47:40He always took time

00:47:42for Lacey and I

00:47:43to play with us.

00:47:51He loved being outside,

00:47:53he loved riding horses,

00:47:55he loved photography.

00:47:59Well, I guess my weakness

00:48:00is this camera right here.

00:48:02I take pictures of everything.

00:48:04Everything they did,

00:48:05I was kind of like

00:48:06a camera buff.

00:48:09He could have done

00:48:10so many other things,

00:48:11but he was so great

00:48:11wrestling.

00:48:14Gary knows this crowd

00:48:15is behind him.

00:48:18It was a lot of fun

00:48:19seeing Daddy.

00:48:21We were at the matches

00:48:22a ton.

00:48:23Get to play in the ring.

00:48:25I mean, a little girl

00:48:26should not have been up

00:48:27that late,

00:48:28but that was my special

00:48:29time with my dad.

00:48:30And who is this gorgeous

00:48:31young lady you got with you?

00:48:32Well, this is my little

00:48:33girl Holly,

00:48:33but you know,

00:48:34I have such high expectations.

00:48:35I think he loved wrestling.

00:48:37I just think it got to a point

00:48:39with all of the other things

00:48:40with losing your brothers

00:48:41that it became less of something

00:48:43he probably loved.

00:48:44and more of like a job,

00:48:46maybe.

00:48:47And that's basically,

00:48:48I believe,

00:48:49when Kerry started

00:48:50to make the transition

00:48:51over to WWE,

00:48:54which was really hard

00:48:55for him because,

00:48:57you know,

00:48:58he wanted to be

00:48:58with the family,

00:48:59but it was more money.

00:49:02Right now,

00:49:03here he comes

00:49:03in his debut,

00:49:05his very first appearance

00:49:06in the World Wrestling Federation.

00:49:08They call him

00:49:09the Texas Tornado.

00:49:11Kerry Von Erich.

00:49:14When he came to the WWE,

00:49:17the name

00:49:17along with the look,

00:49:19the girls loved him.

00:49:20He had a great fan following.

00:49:24The kids loved him,

00:49:25you know,

00:49:26and he had that little spin

00:49:27and the punch.

00:49:27And, oh, well,

00:49:28here it comes right now.

00:49:31Smitty lands,

00:49:32with a big hard break

00:49:32to the side of the head.

00:49:34And he was a good worker

00:49:35in the ring.

00:49:37His potential

00:49:37was unlimited.

00:49:39You know,

00:49:40if he could have walked

00:49:40straight and narrow,

00:49:41I think he would have been

00:49:42a great champion

00:49:43for the WWE.

00:49:45He was great

00:49:46for a few months,

00:49:47but, again,

00:49:49something just grabs him

00:49:51that took him back down

00:49:53another rabbit hole

00:49:54in his addiction.

00:49:58Smart Move.

00:50:03There's a

00:50:05totem pole.

00:50:07Come on out, Chris.

00:50:07Do a little,

00:50:08maybe a little rain dance.

00:50:09We sure need some rain.

00:50:10I'll come out flex for you.

00:50:11That'll be good.

00:50:13My play.

00:50:15It's hurt.

00:50:16This is Chris's hill.

00:50:20And he and Mike

00:50:21do most of this stuff up here.

00:50:24My Uncle Chris

00:50:25had a hill.

00:50:26It was such a special

00:50:28place to him.

00:50:29He was up there

00:50:30all the time.

00:50:30That was his space.

00:50:32It was a very sacred

00:50:32place to him.

00:50:35Yeah, he was so loving,

00:50:36and he did love nature.

00:50:37He always had a pet.

00:50:39A little baby rabbit

00:50:40has been born

00:50:40inside the pee-pee.

00:50:42Yeah, open their eyes

00:50:43about two days ago.

00:50:44Just open their eyes,

00:50:46there they are

00:50:47down in here.

00:50:48There's one little male.

00:50:51Oh, you know whether

00:50:52girls are boys yet already,

00:50:53huh?

00:50:53Yes, there are two males.

00:50:56He was secluded a lot.

00:50:58He seemed sad.

00:51:01He was just kind of

00:51:02disappointed in life

00:51:04in general.

00:51:06I always had a sympathy

00:51:09for Uncle Chris

00:51:10because he just was

00:51:12obviously not like

00:51:15my other uncles,

00:51:16and he definitely felt it.

00:51:19But he was determined

00:51:21to be as much like

00:51:23his big brothers

00:51:23as possible.

00:51:25Put your chest and shoulders back.

00:51:27Flex.

00:51:29Clear muscles.

00:51:30There you go.

00:51:32Just don't know you'll be

00:51:33happy you did that.

00:51:35I'm already happy I did that.

00:51:37I mean, I'm happy

00:51:38every time I do it.

00:51:41Chris was very sick

00:51:42with asthma,

00:51:44and unfortunately,

00:51:45what prednisone did to Chris

00:51:47was stun at his growth.

00:51:49And so, in that,

00:51:51he was never going to be

00:51:52the size of his brothers.

00:51:54There were times

00:51:56when his dad would

00:51:57explain that to him.

00:51:59You know, son,

00:52:00you're just not built

00:52:01the way you need

00:52:02to be built

00:52:03to be in the ring.

00:52:04But, you know,

00:52:05if you want to try,

00:52:05you can try.

00:52:07He worked hard.

00:52:08He worked as hard

00:52:09as Kerry did.

00:52:09But Kerry got the results

00:52:11and Chris didn't.

00:52:13And I'll tell you,

00:52:14too, as being his big brother,

00:52:16it was hard for me

00:52:17because I'm telling him

00:52:18all this time,

00:52:19Chris, if you put

00:52:20your whole heart into it,

00:52:21you'll get as big as Kerry.

00:52:23But it just didn't seem

00:52:25like it was a fair game

00:52:26to Chris.

00:52:27Get a pose for me.

00:52:29He'd been taking this medicine

00:52:32since he was 12 years old.

00:52:35But it really changed

00:52:36whenever he had to take

00:52:38the higher dose of prednisone.

00:52:40It changed his moods

00:52:42and he definitely

00:52:43became more withdrawn

00:52:45and more self-focused.

00:52:49The younger brother

00:52:50wanted to wrestle

00:52:51and I think he was fixated.

00:52:53That was everything to him.

00:52:57The best gimmick I had

00:52:59is my brothers,

00:53:00but you know who they are.

00:53:01I mean, I'm just

00:53:02following behind.

00:53:03I'll just have this...

00:53:03I'll probably all get

00:53:04a little bit of what

00:53:05Kev has in him,

00:53:06a little bit of what

00:53:06Kerry has in him,

00:53:07a little bit of what

00:53:08Mike has in him,

00:53:09and a little bit of what

00:53:10Dave has in him,

00:53:10and just mix it all together

00:53:11and see what we got.

00:53:14I think he tried

00:53:15really hard to be a wrestler.

00:53:17Chris Monero

00:53:18into the ring.

00:53:20He throws Chrissy

00:53:21and nails him.

00:53:24Listen, my brother

00:53:25gave you a shot.

00:53:26He gave you the world.

00:53:27He gave you the Texas title,

00:53:28gave you a shot

00:53:29at the world title,

00:53:30and I might add,

00:53:31you were beaten in record.

00:53:32Hey!

00:53:33Hey, Matt, please.

00:53:34Wait a minute.

00:53:36His body wasn't made for it.

00:53:38His bones were brittle.

00:53:40They break easy.

00:53:43This is not made

00:53:45for people with brittle bones.

00:53:47Chris worked so hard,

00:53:50then he breaks his arm,

00:53:52and it's almost like

00:53:53start over.

00:53:54He couldn't deal with it.

00:53:57You could really see

00:53:59a difference in, you know,

00:54:01his zeal for life after that.

00:54:04I mean, even as a 10-year-old,

00:54:05I was so hyper-aware

00:54:07of depression

00:54:08and of just...

00:54:10I didn't want

00:54:11the grown-ups around me

00:54:12to ever get too sad.

00:54:14I just felt like,

00:54:15if they get really sad,

00:54:18they're gonna commit suicide.

00:54:19It was just constantly

00:54:20on my mind.

00:54:21It felt like such

00:54:22a realistic possibility,

00:54:24especially with Uncle Chris,

00:54:25because I knew

00:54:26how he felt like

00:54:28he had been treated

00:54:28by the world.

00:54:33The doctor told him

00:54:34he just might never be able

00:54:36to go back to the wrestling.

00:54:37He just destroyed Chris.

00:54:43Chris went into the woods

00:54:44behind his family ranch,

00:54:46and just like his brother Mike,

00:54:47he took his life.

00:54:51Went up there,

00:54:52and he had just done it.

00:54:55It just happened.

00:54:57And so,

00:54:58when I get there,

00:54:59he's laying on the ground

00:55:00like this,

00:55:01and he's going,

00:55:04so I thought,

00:55:05maybe he's choking

00:55:07on some pills or something.

00:55:09So I put my...

00:55:10I put him all around his arm

00:55:12and this hand under his head

00:55:14to lean him up,

00:55:15sit up with me,

00:55:16and my thumb went in the spot.

00:55:19That hot blood

00:55:20told me right off.

00:55:21It was...

00:55:22I told Mom

00:55:23he shot himself.

00:55:27I think to myself,

00:55:29like,

00:55:29why does this keep happening

00:55:31to this family?

00:55:34Was it the pressure

00:55:35of the wrestling business,

00:55:36the pressure of family,

00:55:37the pressure of the fans?

00:55:39Was it just like

00:55:42an issue

00:55:42of mental health struggles?

00:55:44Or was it just as simple

00:55:45as sometimes

00:55:46bad things happen

00:55:47to otherwise good people?

00:55:52That hit her so hard

00:55:54that my mother

00:55:55kind of changed.

00:55:57She loved so deep

00:55:58and so hard

00:56:00that it took something

00:56:02out of her.

00:56:03It crushed her.

00:56:06Her priorities changed.

00:56:09I walked over

00:56:11to my grandparents' house,

00:56:13and Mimi was outside

00:56:14leaning against the column,

00:56:16and she just put her arm out.

00:56:19and she said,

00:56:21I'm gonna divorce

00:56:22your granddad.

00:56:24I'm gonna go find

00:56:25happiness for myself.

00:56:27You know,

00:56:28I'm sick of all this

00:56:30grief and trauma,

00:56:32and I'm gonna go be happy.

00:56:34Hey, Gil.

00:56:36Get your shot, here.

00:56:38My mom flat out blamed him.

00:56:41I mean, right out.

00:56:41You did it.

00:56:42You know,

00:56:44with your,

00:56:46you know,

00:56:46pressure on football,

00:56:48pressure.

00:56:48Each of these boys

00:56:51and this women

00:56:52are gonna be

00:56:54World Heavyweight Champions.

00:56:55My dad never pushed us

00:56:57into anything

00:56:57really like that,

00:56:58but my mother blamed him,

00:57:01and blamed her

00:57:02for not being home.

00:57:04It's always on the road.

00:57:06But my dad knew

00:57:08that she was not herself,

00:57:10and dad would just take it.

00:57:12He just let her say anything.

00:57:19It shouldn't have been like that,

00:57:22but she hated him.

00:57:27All she could think

00:57:28is getting us back.

00:57:29All she could think

00:57:30is this world hates me

00:57:32and I hate it.

00:57:33that it was just like

00:57:37so unbecoming

00:57:38of what she really was.

00:57:42And I've never told

00:57:44the soul of this story.

00:57:45In the Bible,

00:57:46it says,

00:57:46honor our father and mother.

00:57:49So I sure don't like

00:57:50telling that,

00:57:51but I want you to know

00:57:52that my dad

00:57:54was a good man,

00:57:55and don't blame him

00:57:56for this stuff.

00:57:57My mama's weak.

00:58:01God bless her.

00:58:09Watch next day

00:58:10on the A&E app.

00:58:12From one of the greatest

00:58:13wrestling families

00:58:14in the history of wrestling,

00:58:16Kerry Von Erich.

00:58:17He looked like he was

00:58:18cut out of granite

00:58:19and looked like

00:58:19he was a superhero.

00:58:21He was the quintessential

00:58:22athlete for that era

00:58:24in WWE.

00:58:26Tremendous physique,

00:58:28tremendous agility,

00:58:30tremendous ability.

00:58:32He was making more money

00:58:34up there

00:58:35than he had ever made.

00:58:36And his popularity,

00:58:38I mean,

00:58:38they used him real well.

00:58:39He was an intercontinental champion.

00:58:41Oh!

00:58:42What a bugger!

00:58:44Two!

00:58:45Three!

00:58:46We have a new champion!

00:58:52I love seeing that

00:58:53on TV.

00:58:54I loved it.

00:58:55When I got to go with him,

00:58:56it was thrilling.

00:58:58We had so much fun together.

00:59:00Like, on the airplanes,

00:59:01he always had a Walkman.

00:59:03Daddy loved music.

00:59:04And, like, we'd share it

00:59:05and listen to songs together.

00:59:08There was a song called

00:59:09Skyline Pigeon

00:59:09by Elton John.

00:59:11And it was about

00:59:13this caged bird.

00:59:17And, um...

00:59:18Oh, gosh, sorry.

00:59:19I shouldn't have mentioned

00:59:20that one.

00:59:22Sorry.

00:59:23I shouldn't have talked to...

00:59:29There's this bird that just longs

00:59:30to be free.

00:59:31So, to me,

00:59:33I feel like Daddy

00:59:34may have felt caged

00:59:36at that time

00:59:38to his...

00:59:38maybe his career,

00:59:40um, or maybe to his addiction.

00:59:42Maybe he just,

00:59:42you know, wanted to be free

00:59:44of this...

00:59:46thing that held him captive.

00:59:48and then to also be separated

00:59:50from your kids

00:59:51and your wife

00:59:52being on the road

00:59:52doing your job.

00:59:58These are my

00:59:59most prized possession.

01:00:02My notes

01:00:02and my postcards

01:00:03for my dad.

01:00:04There's lots of little

01:00:05bits of advice in here.

01:00:08Like, this one says,

01:00:09Hay Hall.

01:00:09I know things are tough

01:00:10sometimes,

01:00:11but sometimes life ain't easy.

01:00:13And for things in life

01:00:14to be easy,

01:00:14something's got to be hard.

01:00:16But one thing's for sure,

01:00:17your mom and dad

01:00:17will always love you

01:00:18more than anything.

01:00:21Remember, I'll be home soon.

01:00:23This showbiz stuff

01:00:24is for the birds.

01:00:25And I feel like

01:00:26one cheap cheap.

01:00:27I sure do miss you.

01:00:28I'm still fighting...

01:00:31fighting to get home to you.

01:00:34He had to be on the road.

01:00:36You have to provide.

01:00:38There's an image

01:00:39he had to hold up.

01:00:40And then there's pressure

01:00:42to keep that name alive.

01:00:46Daddy was kind of alone

01:00:47at WWE.

01:00:50Grief works

01:00:51when you're alone.

01:00:53But when you're all together,

01:00:54it's easy to be happy

01:00:55and jovial.

01:00:56And Kerry was all about fun

01:00:58and loving each other

01:00:59and cracking you up.

01:01:00All he wanted to do

01:01:01was make you laugh.

01:01:04I know that it hurt so bad

01:01:05when he'd step

01:01:06on his bad leg.

01:01:08He said it was like

01:01:09a flash of light.

01:01:13Kerry was in a lot of pain.

01:01:14I mean, a lot of pain.

01:01:16And he would go out there

01:01:17and wrestle for

01:01:18however long

01:01:19you wanted him to.

01:01:20I mean, you're talking

01:01:20about an athlete?

01:01:21I mean, he's a peg-legged

01:01:23guy out there.

01:01:25Look out!

01:01:26The whirling dervis

01:01:27spinning tornado!

01:01:28It's all over!

01:01:30Made it look easy!

01:01:31He continued to go out there

01:01:33and perform the way

01:01:35that he did.

01:01:35It's nothing short

01:01:36of amazing.

01:01:37That was crazy

01:01:38what he was doing.

01:01:39But Kerry was in a lot of pain.

01:01:42He was hurt

01:01:43not only physically

01:01:45but emotionally

01:01:47as well.

01:01:49Kerry was very particular

01:01:53in hiding it

01:01:54and protecting it.

01:01:55Kerry dressed separately

01:01:56from everybody else.

01:01:58And if you didn't know,

01:02:00you didn't know.

01:02:02Vince wanted to see it.

01:02:05And in seeing it

01:02:06and seeing how well he moved

01:02:08and everything that he did,

01:02:09it was like,

01:02:10my God,

01:02:11you're a miracle.

01:02:13Let's tell this story.

01:02:18And Kerry, I believe,

01:02:19was originally on board

01:02:21with that

01:02:22and his father

01:02:23did not want that to happen.

01:02:29Kerry's come to his father's wishes

01:02:30and kept it a secret.

01:02:36We went to Japan

01:02:37a lot together.

01:02:38We were coming back

01:02:38from Japan.

01:02:38We decided to stop

01:02:40in Hawaii for a couple days.

01:02:41He wanted to go diving with me.

01:02:44So we go with the company

01:02:45and we went out

01:02:46and rented all the gear

01:02:47we needed.

01:02:48He got ready to go in.

01:02:49He had his jeans on.

01:02:51You can't go diving

01:02:51with a pair of jeans on

01:02:53and, you know,

01:02:54your boots on.

01:02:55You need flippers

01:02:55to move around.

01:02:57And, you know,

01:02:57I just don't want

01:02:58to take my jeans off.

01:02:59I'm embarrassed.

01:03:01Having that great of a body

01:03:03to be imperfect

01:03:04from his mind,

01:03:06not having that foot,

01:03:07not being a whole person again,

01:03:09or, I mean,

01:03:10it can weigh on you mentally,

01:03:12you know?

01:03:13He saw it as a sign

01:03:14of weakness.

01:03:15And so I think

01:03:17to avoid the scariness

01:03:19of all of that,

01:03:20he would take some pills

01:03:23to try and help him

01:03:24feel better through it.

01:03:26You talk yourself

01:03:28into so much stuff

01:03:29when you're making excuses

01:03:31of why you're getting high

01:03:32and why you're getting drunk.

01:03:33And they all work.

01:03:36I have to take this

01:03:37or I can't perform.

01:03:38If I can't perform,

01:03:39I don't get paid.

01:03:40If I don't get paid,

01:03:41we don't pay our bills.

01:03:43We don't have a house.

01:03:43We don't have a car.

01:03:45How's the kids

01:03:45going to get this or that?

01:03:49Unfortunately,

01:03:49I do remember times

01:03:51where he wasn't

01:03:52exactly sober.

01:03:55Like, my mom,

01:03:56we were late to pick her up

01:03:57from the hairdresser,

01:03:57so we drove on the sidewalk

01:03:58all the way there

01:03:59because there was traffic.

01:04:00So we'd just go

01:04:01on the sidewalk.

01:04:02Things like that

01:04:02that were very dangerous

01:04:03let us drive

01:04:04in his lap

01:04:05on a highway

01:04:06going over 100 miles an hour.

01:04:09I remember

01:04:10when I was an adult

01:04:11just looking back

01:04:12like,

01:04:12oh, yeah,

01:04:14you weren't sober.

01:04:15Got it.

01:04:18Daddy was visiting

01:04:20a friend that was a wrestler

01:04:21and the police came

01:04:23and raided his car

01:04:24and then took him to jail

01:04:26and then put me and Lacey

01:04:27in a different police car.

01:04:29That was pretty terrible.

01:04:33That one point

01:04:34he was digging in his arms

01:04:36looking for spiders

01:04:37and be like,

01:04:38baby girl,

01:04:38do you see it moving?

01:04:40And of course,

01:04:41I'd play into it

01:04:41and be like,

01:04:42yeah, daddy,

01:04:42I see it,

01:04:43you know.

01:04:45Yeah.

01:04:50As a mom,

01:04:51when she comes home

01:04:52and tells me that,

01:04:53I'm like,

01:04:53you were where?

01:04:54In a hotel room

01:04:55with your daddy

01:04:55and he thought

01:04:56he had spiders?

01:04:58They were so young,

01:04:59they didn't know

01:05:00that that's really

01:05:01not a good place

01:05:02for your children to be.

01:05:04Carrie threatened me

01:05:05with things like,

01:05:07I'm going to plant drugs

01:05:08on you,

01:05:09make you look like

01:05:09an unfit mom

01:05:10if you try to divorce me.

01:05:12So there was that fear

01:05:13of I'm going to look

01:05:15like the bad guy

01:05:15and be the bad mom

01:05:17because he's a Von Eric.

01:05:19So even the police

01:05:20would side with him

01:05:22if there was

01:05:22a domestic dispute.

01:05:25It's actually

01:05:26the first time

01:05:26I've ever spoken

01:05:28about my relationship

01:05:29with Carrie

01:05:29on camera.

01:05:31So it's very hard.

01:05:36I did try

01:05:37to get him back

01:05:38into rehab again.

01:05:39I had talking

01:05:40to Kevin

01:05:41and we did

01:05:42another intervention,

01:05:44but it just

01:05:45wasn't going

01:05:46to happen again

01:05:47in our time together.

01:05:50I had to leave

01:05:51the marriage

01:05:51and not because

01:05:52I didn't love him.

01:05:53It was hard for me

01:05:54to leave the marriage

01:05:55because of my faith

01:05:56as well.

01:05:58Of all the things

01:05:58I could handle,

01:06:00adultery was not

01:06:01one of them

01:06:02and that was

01:06:05super hard on me

01:06:07and I know

01:06:08he loved me.

01:06:09I know he did.

01:06:10He just wanted

01:06:10to have both lives.

01:06:13When he was working

01:06:14as Texas Tornado

01:06:16with WWE,

01:06:18I know they wanted

01:06:19him to go

01:06:19to Betty Ford

01:06:20and he did.

01:06:21He went.

01:06:22I could see

01:06:24the struggle

01:06:24with Cary

01:06:26really trying

01:06:27to come out

01:06:28of what he's

01:06:29already done

01:06:30to himself

01:06:31and come back

01:06:34to Cary Atkinson

01:06:36but it was

01:06:38just so far

01:06:39gone.

01:06:45It's a new king

01:06:47and it's you.

01:06:49People wanted

01:06:50to help Cary.

01:06:52Everybody liked

01:06:53him so much.

01:06:54He was one

01:06:55who was lovable.

01:06:57Just,

01:06:58God, man,

01:06:59the soul

01:07:00of Cary Von Erich

01:07:01was just pure.

01:07:03So you wanted

01:07:04to help him

01:07:05and it just

01:07:07became a problem.

01:07:09That was

01:07:10ultimately

01:07:11what led

01:07:12to his demise

01:07:13was the substance

01:07:14abuse.

01:07:16WWE

01:07:17let Cary go.

01:07:23When I talk

01:07:24about Cary's

01:07:24life,

01:07:25he's a 32

01:07:26year old

01:07:26and he's

01:07:2730 of those

01:07:27years,

01:07:28he was a

01:07:29great guy.

01:07:31Just drugs

01:07:32did that

01:07:32to him.

01:07:34I thought

01:07:35if I could

01:07:35get him

01:07:35away from

01:07:36the drugs,

01:07:37we'd go up

01:07:37to the

01:07:38Northwest

01:07:39Territory

01:07:39up near

01:07:40Alaska.

01:07:41There's no

01:07:42drug dealers

01:07:42up there

01:07:43and we're

01:07:44going to go

01:07:44bear hunting.

01:07:45and we

01:07:49didn't ever

01:07:49make it.

01:07:52As a matter

01:07:52of fact,

01:07:53Cary had

01:07:53another arrest

01:07:55and was

01:07:56going to go

01:07:56to prison

01:07:57this time.

01:07:59He's already

01:08:00on felony

01:08:01probation

01:08:01when that

01:08:02happened,

01:08:03when he got

01:08:03busted for

01:08:04the cocaine

01:08:04there.

01:08:05I think it

01:08:06started going

01:08:06through his

01:08:07head.

01:08:07He's like,

01:08:08man, I'm

01:08:09going to go

01:08:09to prison

01:08:10and I'm

01:08:10going to

01:08:11have half

01:08:12my foot

01:08:12and everything.

01:08:16He asked

01:08:17me to

01:08:18go to

01:08:18lunch

01:08:18with him.

01:08:20He looked

01:08:21so broken

01:08:22when I

01:08:23saw him.

01:08:23I could

01:08:24tell he'd

01:08:24been on

01:08:25a binge

01:08:26because he

01:08:26just had

01:08:27that look,

01:08:28you know.

01:08:29And he

01:08:29asked me

01:08:30to put

01:08:30our family

01:08:31back together

01:08:31that day.

01:08:33We were

01:08:34already

01:08:34divorced.

01:08:36Ultimately,

01:08:36I reminded

01:08:37him of

01:08:38everything

01:08:38that we

01:08:39had been

01:08:39through

01:08:40and his

01:08:41reaction

01:08:41was,

01:08:44today I

01:08:45will walk

01:08:45with my

01:08:47brothers in

01:08:48heaven.

01:08:51I've

01:08:52heard him

01:08:53say little

01:08:54things like

01:08:54that before

01:08:56and I

01:08:57reminded him

01:08:58of our

01:08:58girls and

01:08:59I said,

01:09:00you know,

01:09:00they need

01:09:00you.

01:09:01And the

01:09:02last thing

01:09:02he said

01:09:03to me

01:09:03was,

01:09:04they're

01:09:05going to

01:09:05be better

01:09:05off without

01:09:06me.

01:09:08And I

01:09:09got up

01:09:10and went

01:09:10back to

01:09:10work and

01:09:11and within

01:09:12an hour,

01:09:13I got a

01:09:14call from

01:09:14Mr. Atkinson

01:09:16that he

01:09:16had done

01:09:17it,

01:09:17that he

01:09:18had taken

01:09:18his life.

01:09:28News of

01:09:28Kerry's

01:09:29death seemed

01:09:29more than

01:09:30family members

01:09:30could take.

01:09:31Those close

01:09:32to him knew

01:09:33he had been

01:09:33despondent.

01:09:34He's had

01:09:35some more

01:09:35problems,

01:09:35which is

01:09:36no secret.

01:09:38And they

01:09:39just piled up

01:09:39to the

01:09:39morning where

01:09:40he couldn't

01:09:41take it

01:09:43And he

01:09:43came out

01:09:44here about

01:09:441.30

01:09:45this afternoon

01:09:45and said,

01:09:48Dad,

01:09:48I'd like

01:09:48to take

01:09:48the Jeep

01:09:49and I'll

01:09:53just go

01:09:53back to

01:09:54a quiet

01:09:54spot for

01:09:54a while

01:09:55and I

01:09:55should have

01:09:55realized

01:09:56then what

01:09:57he had

01:09:57in mind.

01:10:02Showing

01:10:02himself in

01:10:03the heart

01:10:03with that

01:10:04.44

01:10:04Magnum.

01:10:05In

01:10:06the heart.

01:10:09It's

01:10:09just in

01:10:11the family

01:10:12dynamic.

01:10:13It's

01:10:13almost like

01:10:14if one

01:10:14commits

01:10:15suicide,

01:10:16it's almost

01:10:17like giving

01:10:17permission for

01:10:18the next

01:10:19one and

01:10:19the next

01:10:20one.

01:10:20It was

01:10:21just almost

01:10:23like, I

01:10:24don't want to

01:10:24say a need,

01:10:25but like,

01:10:26well, my

01:10:26brother did

01:10:27it, so

01:10:28can I, or

01:10:30so should I,

01:10:30I don't know.

01:10:31It was just,

01:10:33it was really

01:10:34hard.

01:10:35You see

01:10:36all the

01:10:37tragicness

01:10:37around their

01:10:38lives, and

01:10:39your heart

01:10:39hurts, and

01:10:41people started

01:10:42pointing fingers.

01:10:43Only those

01:10:44who know

01:10:44will ever

01:10:45know, but

01:10:46when you add

01:10:47it all up

01:10:47and you look

01:10:48at it as a

01:10:48whole, you

01:10:49start to

01:10:50think, could

01:10:51they've done

01:10:51something

01:10:51different?

01:10:54Just a lot

01:10:55of heartache,

01:10:55and my mom

01:10:56was really

01:10:57close to my

01:10:58Uncle Carrie

01:10:58too.

01:10:59I was like

01:10:59her best

01:11:00friend.

01:11:04Everybody

01:11:05loved him,

01:11:06and he

01:11:06was so

01:11:06good inside,

01:11:10but weak

01:11:11mind,

01:11:12drugs,

01:11:13and...

01:11:15Around

01:11:15that time

01:11:16when my

01:11:16brother

01:11:17Marsha

01:11:17was

01:11:17born,

01:11:20that was

01:11:20the hardest

01:11:21time that

01:11:21I saw in

01:11:22our lives

01:11:23was when

01:11:24my Uncle

01:11:25Carrie

01:11:25died.

01:11:27He had

01:11:28a deep,

01:11:29a deep

01:11:30love.

01:11:31I'm going

01:11:32to say it's

01:11:32selfless,

01:11:33and it

01:11:33was,

01:11:34and I'm

01:11:36telling you

01:11:37this right

01:11:37now because

01:11:37I know

01:11:38when I say

01:11:38Daddy had

01:11:39a selfless

01:11:39love for

01:11:40us,

01:11:40then you

01:11:41think,

01:11:41well,

01:11:41then why

01:11:41did he

01:11:41kill himself

01:11:42and take

01:11:43himself away

01:11:44from you?

01:11:44But that

01:11:45was the

01:11:45drugs and

01:11:46the mental

01:11:46health

01:11:47disease,

01:11:47but I

01:11:48always knew

01:11:49his heart

01:11:50and that

01:11:51he loved

01:11:51us deeply.

01:11:53It's like

01:11:54you guys

01:11:54were having

01:11:54so much

01:11:55fun.

01:11:55I'll never

01:11:56find another

01:11:57one like

01:11:57her.

01:11:58That's so

01:11:59cute.

01:12:00He loved

01:12:00you so

01:12:00much.

01:12:01look how

01:12:02pretty

01:12:02y'all

01:12:03are.

01:12:05You're

01:12:05like,

01:12:05let me

01:12:05stare off

01:12:06into the

01:12:06distance

01:12:06for this

01:12:07one.

01:12:08They're

01:12:08both so

01:12:09like

01:12:09photogenic.

01:12:10I know.

01:12:11What a

01:12:12pretty couple.

01:12:12I like

01:12:13this one.

01:12:14Ain't

01:12:14we sweet?

01:12:16how do

01:12:17you feel

01:12:17looking back

01:12:17on this?

01:12:18I feel

01:12:19good about

01:12:19it.

01:12:20This was

01:12:20the sweet

01:12:21daddy time.

01:12:22Look how

01:12:22sweet he is.

01:12:24I know.

01:12:25I remember

01:12:25those hands

01:12:26and how

01:12:26gentle they were.

01:12:27Yeah.

01:12:29I was in

01:12:30denial for

01:12:30so long.

01:12:32It was a

01:12:33really hard

01:12:33thing to deal

01:12:33with when

01:12:34you're so

01:12:34little and

01:12:35you love

01:12:35your dad

01:12:35so much.

01:12:37I couldn't

01:12:38hear his

01:12:38name.

01:12:38I couldn't

01:12:39smell his

01:12:39cologne.

01:12:41But then I

01:12:42became the

01:12:42pro wrestler

01:12:43when I

01:12:43got older.

01:12:46She was

01:12:47six when

01:12:47her daddy

01:12:47passed and

01:12:48she really

01:12:49wanted to

01:12:49understand his

01:12:51world and

01:12:52no better

01:12:53way to

01:12:53understand the

01:12:54world than

01:12:55to get in

01:12:56it.

01:12:56And she

01:12:57didn't stay

01:12:57with it

01:12:58long.

01:12:59I got

01:13:00the healing

01:13:01and closure

01:13:02that I

01:13:02needed.

01:13:03But at

01:13:04the time I

01:13:04went to

01:13:05Uncle Kevin

01:13:05and Aunt Pam's

01:13:06house for

01:13:06that.

01:13:07My cousins

01:13:07Kristen and

01:13:08Ross and

01:13:09Marshall

01:13:09and Jill

01:13:10were our

01:13:11best friends

01:13:11and they

01:13:12were the

01:13:12only ones

01:13:13that understood

01:13:13the life

01:13:14that we

01:13:15lived.

01:13:18We were

01:13:19like sisters

01:13:19and I

01:13:22just remember

01:13:22beautiful

01:13:23memories

01:13:23together with

01:13:24my cousins

01:13:25and we

01:13:27had really

01:13:28good memories

01:13:28with my

01:13:28granddad.

01:13:29And then

01:13:30his health

01:13:30started to

01:13:31decline.

01:13:35They told

01:13:36him that

01:13:36he had

01:13:36really

01:13:37aggressive

01:13:37lung

01:13:38cancer

01:13:39that had

01:13:39spread

01:13:40and

01:13:40become

01:13:40brain

01:13:40cancer

01:13:41and

01:13:42he

01:13:42had

01:13:43a

01:13:43very

01:13:43short

01:13:43time

01:13:44to

01:13:44live.

01:13:44and

01:13:49me

01:13:49out.

01:14:02Przezcie lożąc!

01:14:05To do korda!

01:14:13To jest dzieci to do tego!

01:14:21Just thinking about some of my favorite memories of daddy,

01:14:23and actually whenever I went to buy this lake house

01:14:27and I walked out here,

01:14:29the sound of it and the smell of it

01:14:32reminded me of, like, being at meeting your Granddad's.

01:14:35Awww.

01:14:35All those great memories with our cousins.

01:14:40I have a lot of good memories of Granddad.

01:14:43Look at me.

01:14:46Hello, Riff.

01:14:47I think that having us was like having his kids back.

01:14:51And I think it was his happy place if the grandkids were around.

01:14:55Let's see. Look at your granddaddy.

01:14:59He was like my best friend.

01:15:01I mean, I could not spend enough time with him.

01:15:04All right, look up to everybody.

01:15:05Okay, all my granddaddy.

01:15:07We had really good memories with my granddad.

01:15:10Oh, my goodness.

01:15:11And then, you know, his health started to decline.

01:15:17When I was 17, granddad started kind of losing his words.

01:15:23He would go out on the tractor for hours

01:15:26and just dig holes for no reason.

01:15:28And when he went to the doctor,

01:15:31they told him that he had really aggressive lung cancer

01:15:34that had spread and become brain cancer.

01:15:37And he had a very short time to live.

01:15:44When my granddad passed,

01:15:45that was hard for all of us.

01:15:48Because that was just...

01:15:50That was the last really, really hard hit.

01:15:56I loved him so much.

01:15:57I really did.

01:15:59But I got to tell you, when he died, that day he died, I was glad.

01:16:02I was glad it was over, his suffering.

01:16:06I got to go to Jesus, where the reward is.

01:16:09I just know.

01:16:11The horns are honking and people are cheering me

01:16:14when he got to heaven, because I'm telling you,

01:16:16he was a good man.

01:16:17He really was.

01:16:22After my granddad died, though,

01:16:24my dad, he was okay.

01:16:28You know, he had grieved, but he had Ross and Marshall.

01:16:37There was nothing like being a dad to two sons,

01:16:40especially when these boys were mine.

01:16:43He wanted to play football.

01:16:45And so for my dad, I was like,

01:16:46I'm good, I got my brothers back.

01:16:52It's just like my life recycled itself, you know?

01:16:55Now I've got all I have.

01:16:59And anything I do with these boys is just,

01:17:02whether we're fishing or hunting, it's just great.

01:17:09And we were all a big reason for my dad to keep going.

01:17:15But being in Texas was really hard.

01:17:20And he did it as long as he could.

01:17:23It was everywhere I went, everything I saw,

01:17:28even the fields and the church bills and school bills,

01:17:32reminding my brothers, you know, everything.

01:17:37And, you know, I loved it.

01:17:39But Texas had gotten to be quite a bit of a tight spot.

01:17:46It was a constant, constant reminder

01:17:48of what he didn't have anymore.

01:17:50And Mimi, too. Mimi was still alive at the time

01:17:53and just so sad inside.

01:17:58We decided to move to Hawaii.

01:18:01We all felt like she just deserved this beautiful,

01:18:05peaceful place to live out her days.

01:18:10For the time, it was perfect for me.

01:18:13We always talked about moving to Hawaii.

01:18:15He's always loved the ocean.

01:18:18And it was, like, slow-paced.

01:18:20So that was, like, a perfect place for him.

01:18:25It was a fresh start in a lot of ways.

01:18:28We got to start over without that cloud of pity

01:18:33that people sort of look at you with.

01:18:35We were there 20 years, and we came back to Texas.

01:18:39Because what I needed from Hawaii, I got.

01:18:43This is kind of the end of the dream, you know?

01:18:45I wanted a rock house by a river.

01:18:49And I figured I could have that.

01:18:51I earned that.

01:18:52And now here is, where I need to be, Texas,

01:18:56in my Guadalupe River.

01:18:58And I could not be happier.

01:19:02Boom!

01:19:02Anybody ready for a good skip?

01:19:04Mm-hmm.

01:19:05Hey, granddad.

01:19:06Yeah?

01:19:07What's this?

01:19:11Here go, Colt.

01:19:16Oh, my gosh.

01:19:18Here, I can skip.

01:19:18He'll do arms straight out like this where you go.

01:19:23Straight arm.

01:19:25Another boy.

01:19:26Look, you did it.

01:19:27Ready, you guys?

01:19:29Let's launch.

01:19:30One, two, three, go.

01:19:34Watch this one, y'all.

01:19:36Come on, watch this run.

01:19:44A lot of people feel sorry for me.

01:19:46I'd like them to know how happy I am.

01:19:48Ah!

01:19:49Good one.

01:19:50I like that one.

01:19:53Especially after watching that movie.

01:19:56Ever since I was a child, people said my family was cursed.

01:19:59Bad things kept happening.

01:20:04It was a big surprise when the movie came out.

01:20:10It was a big surprise when the movie came out.

01:20:11If you say it's based on a true story about the Von Erics, then people are going to think

01:20:14that's the story.

01:20:15And that's where I had a problem with it.

01:20:17Because my dad's character and granddad, my goodness, were just not the people I knew.

01:20:24You got to take it and get up.

01:20:26It was a really well done movie.

01:20:28I think it was a beautiful movie.

01:20:30Well, that doesn't mean that it was accurate.

01:20:33And my dad had a good point.

01:20:36He just said, maybe someone will see this movie and become curious and look us up.

01:20:43And they'll see that really what got me through is my faith.

01:20:49Thanks for your prayers, because I think they did hold me up.

01:20:52I know a lot of my fans prayed, and I thank all of you for it, because here I am.

01:20:58And I know I wouldn't have been here without his hand.

01:21:00So thank you.

01:21:03Last question.

01:21:04What has this interview been like for you?

01:21:08Oh, OK.

01:21:13Well, it's like I want to be open when I talk, but it's been a long time.

01:21:22And I think down inside some parts of my story, I've built little walls around, you know.

01:21:29I kind of feel safe like this and that.

01:21:31I don't know.

01:21:33Probably a survival instinct.

01:21:34I don't know.

01:21:35I'm not so tough, I'll tell you that.

01:21:38If it was a weak way, I'd have probably taken it.

01:21:40I just didn't find it.

01:21:43So, but here I am, and I did struggle and I suffered, but I'm not the only one.

01:21:48We've all been like that.

01:21:51But I'll say this, though, life is good.

01:21:53And I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me, because I'm as happy as I could be.

01:21:58It's just a great life, you know.

01:22:01There's something magic with Kevin and I that ring together.

01:22:04It was a family of superheroes.

01:22:06The roof is being blown off the sport of joy and by this crowd.

01:22:11I grew up idolizing those guys.

01:22:13I got to become friends with those guys.

01:22:15These are some of the best guys I've ever been around with in my life.

01:22:18Everybody was behind us.

01:22:20It's not just our win.

01:22:21It's all of our win.

01:22:24They just always like to have fun.

01:22:26And this stuff right here?

01:22:27I think I got it down.

01:22:28The boys had a really close bond together and it was infectious.

01:22:47My granddad was so joyful in those moments and to see my dad get to have that now is so

01:22:55fulfilling.

01:22:57Now we have this ranch here and Holly brings her kids and Lacey brings her kids and Jill brings her

01:23:03kids and everybody can play and they can have a similar childhood experience to what we had with each other.

01:23:12I just love my family and I think that we're all still a very strong unit.

01:23:17I think whenever tragedy hits a family, the people that are still in the family even get closer.

01:23:23He's surrounded by love and instead of it making him bitter for what he went through, it made him gentle

01:23:32and compassionate.

01:23:34And he values family more than anybody I've ever met because he's had it and he's lost it.

01:23:42And then to have it all again with all of his grandkids, it's such a blessing.

01:23:48The only thing that will last is love, your family, your mighty God.

01:23:55I'm just so grateful.

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