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Kevin Von Erich, absent from Texas for 20-plus years, is buying a ranch

Posted: May 12th 2023 By: Tommy Cummings - DallasNews.com

In an exclusive, the Dallas-area wrestling legend says he’s moving from Hawaii to settle in the state he dearly loves.

Kevin Von Erich is coming home.

The former Dallas resident whose family established a professional wrestling dynasty is moving to a ranch near the south-central Texas town of Boerne, his family confirmed.

“I love that area,” Von Erich said. “And what nice people, too.”

Boerne, the county seat of Kendall County about 30 miles northwest of San Antonio, has a population of about 19,109, according to the 2021 U.S. census, and is nearly 300 miles from Dallas.

Kristen Nikolas, Von Erich’s daughter, said the family is closing on a 60-acre ranch at the end of this month and all 14 of the brood will move to the property. The Von Erich family will maintain their property in Kauai, the oldest and northernmost of the Hawaiian Islands.

Von Erich, who won a World Class Championship Wrestling championship and assorted regional titles, retired from wrestling in 1993. He made appearances from 1995 to 2017 but never a scheduled match.

While growing up in Texas, Von Erich, his brothers and his parents experienced more than their share of heartaches.

Kevin Von Erich is the last surviving son of wrestler Jack Adkisson, known by his stage name Fritz Von Erich. The elder Adkisson outlived four of his five wrestling sons. Two of his sons (Chris and Kerry) committed suicide, another (Mike) died of an overdose of sleeping pills, which was later ruled a suicide. Another son, (David), died of an intestinal disease at age 24. A younger brother, Jack Jr., was accidentally electrocuted at age 6 in 1959.

In a 2019 interview with The Dallas Morning News, Kevin Von Erich’s son, Marshall Adkisson, said his father “saw a lot of tragedy in Texas. Everything there was reminding him of his brothers.”

In 2006, Von Erich and his wife, Pamela Adkisson, moved to Hawaii. They built a house in the shadow of Mount Namahana, about a mile from the northern coast.

On a seven-acre spread, his family grows coconuts, guavas, star fruit and papaya; they raise chickens, goats and ducks.

Von Erich appreciates the challenges of the island. But as he’s closing in on 66 years old next week, he sounds like he’s ready to be back in Texas.

“It was great for me at my season, my season that I needed this ocean,” he said.

“But it’s not necessarily the right place for children.”

The Von Erich name has entered the entertainment conversation lately.

Kevin Von Erich will have a one-man show, “An Evening with Kevin Von Erich — Stories from the Top Rope,” on Sept. 1 at the Majestic Theatre in Dallas. The show’s publicist says Von Erich will be sharing insight into his career and personal triumphs and tragedies. Former WFAA sportscaster Dale Hansen will host the event.

Von Erich will likely field questions about the upcoming movie, The Iron Claw an A24-produced biopic feature film starring Zac Efron as Von Erich.

Until then, the Von Erich family will be on the move and ready to make their new home in a rural Texas setting.

They’ll be somewhat anonymous. When contacted, Boerne Mayor Tim Handren was unfamiliar with the Von Erich name but said he welcomed all new residents, internationally famous or not.

Nikolas said her father is looking forward to a setting where he can enjoy the outdoors like he did in Hawaii.

“He’s excited about it,” she said.

She and her brother flew to San Antonio in April to scout the property and finalize the deal.

“It was dark when we arrived, so we couldn’t really see anything. But then we drove into Boerne, and it was just like the sweetest little town,” she said. “There were Christmas lights everywhere, and it wasn’t even Christmas.”

She said her son, Eli, Kevin’s grandson, is excited to move to Texas based on Boerne’s high school football tradition, which includes 25 playoff appearances, according to Dave Campbell’s Texas Football. Nicknamed “Dallas” in school because of his love of the Dallas Cowboys, he’ll be a freshman wide receiver.

“He just loves football. And when I told him it was going to be Boerne, he knew all about it,” she said.,