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Pro-Wrestling Legend Shakes Off Family Tragedy to Stage One Last Fight in Israel

Pro-Wrestling Legend Shakes Off Family Tragedy to Stage One Last Fight in Israel

Posted: Jul 19th 2017 By: Liel Leibovitz - TabletMag.com

Kevin Von Erich, the sole survivor of a legendary wrestling family, returns to Tel Aviv for one last sentimental bout

Growing up in Israel in the 1980s, before cable TV and the Internet and the peace process, there was one pleasure, and one alone, that gave us all hope: the Von Erich brothers.

Tall, handsome, and muscular, these professional wrestlers, beamed to us through a channel broadcasting out of southern Lebanon, were my generation’s idols. We were born too late to revere Zionism’s founding fathers or the IDF legendary generals, and so we looked up to these oily sons of Texas, who, week after week, suplexed their way into our hearts. Never mind that their paterfamilias, Fritz—born Jack Barton Edkisson in Jewett, Texs—got his start portraying a nefarious German with vague Nazi sympathies. To us, the Von Erichs offered a glimmer of the cosmopolitan life beyond our narrow and impassable borders. The only other entertainment available to us being episodes of The Love Boat every Friday afternoon, we hailed the Von Erichs as the biggest celebrities we knew.

And they hailed us back. In the mid-1980s, they came for a visit, and thousand of sweaty teens showed up, begging for a selfie avant la lettre. The Von Erichs were gracious; a handful of my friends still recall their wide, easy smile and their patience, waiting to take snapshots with kid after kid after kid.

Slowly, the rumors trickled in. David Von Erich died suddenly in 1984, aged 26. The doctor said it was acute enteritis, but we knew it was an overdose. He joined his older brother, Jack Jr., who was electrocuted by an exposed wire and drowned in a puddle when he was seven years old, in 1959. In 1987, Mike, the fifth Von Erich boy, committed suicide in Texas by overdosing on a tranquilizer. His younger brother, Chris, was heartbroken: in 1991, just two weeks before his 22nd birthday, he trained his gun to his head and pulled the trigger. Kerry went two years later, shooting himself in the heart. Kevin was the only one left.

This week, Kevin took the stage one final time. At 60, he’s been retired for more than 20 years, but there was still one place he wanted to go: Tel Aviv. Barefoot, and with his sons in tow, the old wrestler put up a show. His fans, themselves parents now, cheered wildly. “I’ll never forget what Israel did for me when I came here after my brother, David, died,” he told the Israeli press. “I’ll never forget how you wrapped me up with love. I love you guys. I love Israel.” There was nothing fake about his words: a traumatized man, he returned to the only place that ever gave him unconditional love, to a traumatized country that needed him as much as he needed it. And for one fleeting moment, those of us who grew up watching him fight every Saturday night imagined that we were still young, that David and Kerry and Mike and Chris were still alive, and that our fiercest struggles took place in the ring, featuring five perfect American boys who we knew would always win.

 

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Spotlight in History

  • 1966 Fritz Von Erich def. Brute Bernard for the WCCW American Heavyweight Champion
  • 1972 Tom Jones & Ivan Putski def. The Continental Warriors (Bobby Hart & Lorenzo Parente) for the TSW United States Tag Team Champion
  • 1981 Jake Roberts def. The Grappler for the MSW North American Heavyweight Champion

Week of Sun 06-02 to Sat: 06-08

  • 06-02 1979 The Spoiler became the WCCW American Heavyweight Champion
  • 06-02 2007 Damien Morte def. Kareem Sadat for the SWCW Hardcore Champion
  • 06-02 2007 Lady Venom became the SWCW Womens Champion
  • 06-02 2007 Prophet def. Dexter Hardaway for the SWCW Sooner Xtreme Champion
  • 06-02 2010 Michael Barry def. Kevin James Sanchez for the BYEW Heavyweight Champion
  • 06-02 2010 Saints of the Damned (Draven Cross & Sage) def. New Canada (The Canadian Red Devil & The Canadian Luchadore) for the BYEW Tag Team Champion
  • 06-02 2010 Death Row [2nd] def. Rick Russo for the BYEW Caution Champion
  • 06-02 2012 Brandon Walker became the UWE Heavyweight Champion
  • 06-02 2012 The Syndicate (Scott Sanders & Shawn Sanders) def. The Franchise Players (Rick Russo & Les Mayne) for the SWCW Tag Team Champions
  • 06-02 2012 Drake Gallows def. Kareem Sadat for the SWCW Hardcore Champion
  • 06-02 2017 Cody Burns def. Brandon Groom for the BPPW Oklahoma Champion
  • 06-02 2019 Team Boner (Drake Gallows & Mascara La Parka/MLP) def. The Saints of Pro Wrestling (Scott Sanders & Shawn Sanders) for the ASP Tag Team Champions
  • 06-02 2019 Brock Landers def. Adam Patrick for the ASP Inter-County Champion
  • 06-02 2019 Erica became the ASP Women's Champion
  • 06-02 2024 Toxic Masculinity (Johnny Lightning & Johnny Dynamite) def. Mr. Nasty & Eddie LeVaughn for the WFC Tag Team Champions
  • 06-02 2024 Thrash def. Tim Rockwell for the WFC Heavyweight Champion
  • 06-03 1968 Fritz Von Erich def. Spoiler #1 for the WCCW American Heavyweight Champion
  • 06-03 1968 Danny Hodge & Lorenzo Parente def. Jack Donovan & Ron Reed for the TSW United States Tag Team Champion
  • 06-03 1969 Baron Von Raschke became the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Champion
  • 06-03 1980 David Von Erich def. Gino Hernandez for the WCCW Texas Heavyweight Champion
  • 06-03 2016 Brock Landers def. Terry Pantera for the MSWA Oklahoma Champion
  • 06-03 2016 C. J. Ward became the MSWA Mid-South Cruiserweight Champion
  • 06-03 2017 The Pinnacle (Anthony Andrews & Shawn Hendrix) def. Excellence Personified (Dustin Heritage & Duke Swellington) for the ComPro Tag Team Champions
  • 06-04 1937 Ray Villmer became the TSW Missouri Junior Heavyweight Champion
  • 06-04 1981 Kerry Von Erich def. Ernie Ladd for the WCCW American Heavyweight Champion
  • 06-04 1981 The Spoiler became the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Champion
  • 06-04 1984 Gino Hernandez def. Chris Adams for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Champion
  • 06-04 1986 The Von Erichs (Kevin Von Erich & Lance Von Erich & Mike Von Erich) became the WCCW World 6-Man Tag Team Champion
  • 06-04 2002 Billy & Chuck def. Rikishi & Rico for the WWE RAW World Tag Team Champion
  • 06-04 2004 Justin Lee def. Brian Lakewood for the TPW Oklahoma Heavyweight Champion
  • 06-04 2010 The Foreign Legion (Boris Saarikoski & Dutch Hagen) def. The Old School Express (Jason Jones & Jake Boulder) for the MWA Tag Team Champions
  • 06-04 2021 Warren Powers def. Father Padge for the EPW Internet Television Champion
  • 06-04 2022 Tommy Dean def. Mr. Nasty for the CPW Heavyweight Champion
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  • 06-04 2022 Mascara Purpura def. Double D for the CPW 918 Champion
  • 06-05 1975 Dick Murdoch def. Danny Miller for the TSW North American Champion
  • 06-05 1997 Generation X (Zane Morris & Ian St. James) became the OPW Oklahoma Tag Team Champion
  • 06-05 2009 El Super Colibri became the MWA MAX-Division Champion
  • 06-05 2010 Rick Russo def. 3rd Rail for the SWCW Heavyweight Champion
  • 06-05 2021 Two Man Sam (Sam Stackhouse & Samuel Savage) became the CPW Tag Team Champions
  • 06-05 2021 Tommy Dean def. Double D for the CPW Heavyweight Champion
  • 06-06 1966 Fritz Von Erich def. Brute Bernard for the WCCW American Heavyweight Champion
  • 06-06 1972 Tom Jones & Ivan Putski def. The Continental Warriors (Bobby Hart & Lorenzo Parente) for the TSW United States Tag Team Champion
  • 06-06 1981 Jake Roberts def. The Grappler for the MSW North American Heavyweight Champion
  • 06-07 1969 Jose Lothario def. Johnny Valentine for the WCCW Texas Heavyweight Champion
  • 06-07 2008 Ky-ote Johammed def. Dane Griffin for the 3DW Violent Division Champion
  • 06-07 2008 Mo'Body Gillespie def. Ky-ote Johammed for the 3DW Violent Division Champion
  • 06-07 2013 Bobby Starr def. Steven Sterling for the ComPro Showtime Champion
  • 06-07 2013 Ignition def. Super Skunk Ape, Jr. for the ComPro Oklahoma X Division Champion
  • 06-07 2013 The Canadian Red Devil def. Michael York for the ComPro Heavyweight Champion
  • 06-07 2014 Steven Sterling def. Sam Stackhouse for the ComPro Showtime Champion
  • 06-07 2014 Jake O'Brien def. The Canadian Red Devil for the ComPro Heavyweight Champion
  • 06-07 2014 Terry Montana def. Ignition for the ComPro Oklahoma X Division Champion
  • 06-07 2014 Havoc def. Buster Cherry for the SWCW All-American Champion
  • 06-07 2014 Rick Russo def. David Kyzer for the SWCW Luchadore Champion
  • 06-07 2014 Kevin James Sanchez def. Kareem Sadat for the SWCW Hardcore Champion
  • 06-07 2014 Kareem Sadat def. Kevin James Sanchez for the SWCW Hardcore Champion
  • 06-07 2014 Terry Pantera became the BPPW Junior Heavyweight Champion
  • 06-08 1959 Frankie Kovacs & Jerry Miller def. Pretty Boy Collins & Duke Scarbo for the TSW Louisiana Tag Team Champion
  • 06-08 2013 L. J. McDaniels became the SWCW Hardcore Champion
  • 06-08 2013 Hurricane Ross def. Billy Ray for the NAW Heavyweight Champion
  • 06-08 2019 Michael Duplanti def. Anarchy [2nd] for the NAW Lightweight Champion
  • 06-08 2019 Big Smooth def. Hurricane Ross for the NAW Heavyweight Champion
06-06
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