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Every Member Of The Von Erich Wrestling Family, Ranked Worst To Best

Posted: Jun 22nd 2024 By: Dan Morris - TheSportster.com

When it comes to professional wrestling families, the Von Erich wrestling family in Texas is infamous for many reasons - some good and some tragic. On one hand, the wrestling talent that was embedded in the family's history is legendary and produced some of wrestling's greatest talents. Unfortunately, the family is also remembered for experiencing unspeakable tragedy that overshadows some of their accomplishments.

No One Could Have Predicted The Von Erich Family's Trajectory In Wrestling History

The way that wrestling history plays out is nothing if not unpredictable. When kayfabe brothers Fritz and Waldo Von Erich played monster heels with Nazi undertones in the 1950s, no one could have guessed the legacy that would follow. Fritz became a promoter and his real life sons became his top babyface stars. Collectively, they put Dallas on the map as one of wrestling’s biggest wrestling towns and staked a claim as one of the top promotions in the country.

On paper, it looked like the Von Erichs might be starting a dynasty. Indeed, Kerry won an NWA World Heavyweight Championship and another generation of the family got into wrestling too. Tell someone in the early 1980s that there wouldd be a major motion picture based on the Von Erichs 40 years later, and one would have to assume it would be a victory lap, celebrating their accomplishments.

Tragedy befell the Von Erichs, though, and The Iron Claw film brought that story into the mainstream. It’s unclear what the future holds for this family in the wrestling business, but there’s nonetheless little denying that different members have had a significant impact.

11. Chris Von Erich Was The Youngest Of The Siblings
The Younger Brother Just Didn't Seem Cut Out For The Business

With brothers like Kerry, David, and Kevin all having very successful wrestling careers, it was natural for Chris Von Erich to want to follow in their footsteps. Unfortunately, for all the passion and heart that Chris had for the wrestling business, he was not able to deliver inside the ring for a variety of reasons. That includes his physical stature as he only stood 5 feet 5 inches and was smaller than most managers of his day, let alone any wrestler he might find himself standing across the ring from.

Chris had the desire to become as big of a star as his brothers, but due to health issues preventing him from becoming a physical specimen similar to them, he floundered inside the ring. Ultimately, the pressure of living up to the name allegedly got the better of him, and he died by suicide in 1991.

10. Lacey Von Erich Is Kerry's Daughter
Lacey Von Erich Didn't Last Long In The Wrestling Business

While the Von Erich wrestling family carries a massive legacy of technically sound and popular wrestlers at the helm, not all members of the family can be considered equal. Despite having the Von Erich name, Kerry's daughter Lacey struggled to carry the weight of the name throughout her time in wrestling.

Lacey Von Erich's in-ring performances left much to be desired. She did have a brief stint in WWE developmental followed by a more noteworthy run in Impact Wrestling alongside The Beautiful People, Despite being a former Impact Knockouts Tag Team Champion, Lacey relied heavily upon her last name and had to be carried by her teammates in the ring and on the mic. She wound up retiring form teh business 2010, leaving just as swiftly as she'd turned heads with her arrival on the scene.

9. Lance Von Erich Was The 'Fake' Von Erich
Fritz Von Erich's Attempt To Cast A Local Athlete Into His Family Flopped

Lance Von Erich was not a real member of the Von Erich (Adkisson) family. Instead, his name was Ricky Vaughan, and he was a wrestler whom Fritz Von Erich helped train before sending him to the Pacific Northwest to train under the name Ricky Vaughan. By the time Fritz felt he was ready, he brought him to World Class Championship Wrestling and introduced him as a cousin of the Von Erich family.

Fans knew Lance wasn't a real Von Erich and rejected him from the start. Worse yet, some fans maintain that they actually lost faith and trust in the Von Erich for lying to them and trying to pass off this imposter as part of their clan. However, Lance attempted to make it work and even won the tag team titles with a wrestler known as the Dingo Warrior, who would later go to WWE as The Ultimate Warrior. Lance was not a Von Erich for long, as Fritz fired him after two years after he asked for a raise.

8. Mike Von Erich Struggled To Match His Brothers
Mike Is At Times A "Forgotten" Von Erich Brother

Following the loss of David Von Erich, the other family members rallied to maintain their spot in the wrestling business. While some of the brothers flourished, others found it difficult to continue. Combined with the fact that Mike allegedly did not want to be an in-ring performer in the first place, this only contributed to the family's tragedies.

Despite having the same look as his more successful brothers, Mike did not have the same level of passion that they did to succeed. Ultimately, he did not reach the same level of stardom and was not comparable to his older brothers.

7. Ross & Marshall Von Erich Are Kevin's Sons
They Are The Only Von Erichs Currently Involved In Wrestling

Part of the reason that the Von Erichs were so popular in Texas was due to how cohesively the brothers worked as a tag team. At the height of their popularity, they were collectively considered to be one of the most popular tag teams of all time. Thankfully, that spirit continues to thrive with the next generation.

Ross and Marshall Von Erich are the sons of Kevin Von Erich and have been quietly building up their resumes to live up to the Von Erich legacy. The brothers really started making their mark in MLW, where they held the world tag team titles there. Thankfully, wrestling doesn't seem to be their entire lives, and while they might never reach the level of their dad and uncles, they seem happy with where they are in life.

6. Waldo Von Erich Was Fritz's 'Fake' Brother
The Earliest Stages Of The Von Erich "Family" Were Pure Gimmick

A lot of fans protested when the "fake Von Erich" showed up in World Class under the name Lance Von Erich. However, what those fans never seemed to connect was that none of these wrestlers were "Von Erichs." Instead, they were part of the Adkisson family. All Von Erich's were wrestling characters. It all started with two men - Fritz and Waldo Von Erich, two wrestlers who portrayed brothers in the 1950s. However, Waldo was not an Adkisson. His real name was Walter Sieber, and he was not related in any way to Fritz Von Erich.

Years before Lance ever showed up, Waldo and Fritz terrorized the territories as the heel Von Erich brothers, winning tag team titles along the way. Waldo Von Erich even achieved huge success when he headlined Madison Square Garden in 1964 for three matches for the WWWF World Championship against Bruno Sammartino, although he never won the big title. When Lance first appeared, he was called Waldo's son.

5. Fritz Von Erich Is The Patriarch Of The Von Erich Family
Fritz Von Erich Thrived As A Heel Before His Major Turn As A Promoter Rather Than In-Ring Talent

While most of the narrative around the Von Erich family is centered around his sons, Fritz Von Erich also enjoyed a solid wrestling career and was the main event player in many different companies. Before settling into his role as the promoter for World Class Championship Wrestling, Fritz was a very dependable wrestler in his own right.

Beginning his career in the mid-1950s, Fritz traveled the world as an evildoer with a mean streak. He solidified himself as a top guy with title reigns as AWA World Heavyweight Champion and other regional belts. In his later years, he would hold tag team championships alongside his sons, capping off his career.

Of course, history being what it is, perceptions of Fritz changed dramatically over time. In the heyday of World Class Championship Wrestling, his fame as a babyface patriarch readily exceeded fans' memories of him as heel. Indeed, Dallas fans grew emotionally attached to the legend, perhaps less based on their own memories of his full-time wrestling career than on recognizing him as the father of the beloved Von Erich brothers.

Fritz's legacy would take another turn posthumously. As stories emerged about the family's history, he took on shades of gray with some undertones that he may have been both a bully to his boys and a bit out of touch as time went on as a business man and promoter. The scales tipped further with the release of The Iron Claw film, with all its gray areas between fact and fiction. Despite Kevin's protests to the contrary--that his father was not nearly villain the movie portrayed--the film clearly placed a lot of the weight of the family's dysfunction and misfortune on his shoulders.

4. Kevin Von Erich Is The Lone Surviving Von Erich Brother
Kevin Von Erich Is The Last One Left To Tell His Generation's Story

As the sole-surviving Von Erich brother, Kevin Von Erich has a lot of grief and sorrow to carry. While the wrestling world mourned alongside him and relived it during recent episodes of Dark Side of the Ring focusing on the Von Erich curse, Kevin's wrestling career is something to be celebrated.

As one of the pillars of the Texas wrestling community, Kevin teamed with his younger brothers to incredible success. While he did not reach the levels of either David or Kerry, he was an essential piece of the Von Erich puzzle which helped make them incredibly popular.

Of course, another part of Kevin's legacy is that he is the last Von Erich Brother left standing. Kevin never matched David in terms of earning respect for his all-around abilities as a wrestler and certainly never matched Kerry for the national profile he achieved via world title glory with the NWA and mid-card run in WWE. Just the same, by virtue of surviving decades past his kin, Kevin has become the voice who can still that generation of his family's story. Moreover, it's telling that when the Iron Claw film came about, the role of Kevin was the lead, portrayed by marquee move star Zac Effron.

3. Kerry Von Erich Was The NWA World Champion
On Paper, Kerry Had The Look And Accomplishments To Be The Top Star Of His Family

As the most recognizable Von Erich family member, Kerry Von Erich reached levels of stardom that several other members of his family deserved as well. After David passed away, Kerry became his successor as the main event player in the family and defeated Ric Flair to become the NWA World Heavyweight Champion at the 1984 tribute show for his brother.

While Kerry had a truly sensational look and charisma, it's unfortunate that those who worked with him tended not to speak so highly of him. Indeed, he dropped the NWA Championship in short order with undertones that the board didn't believe he could handle the pressures of being the traveling world champ for long. Parties including Jerry Lawler would lament that he could be difficult to work with, citing mishaps like Kerry absentmindedly cutting his own arm open with a razor he intended to use to get color at the start of their high profile Super Clash III match.

Kerry was the only member of his family to have an extended stint in WWE as The Texas Tornado, holding the Intercontinental Championship during the title's heyday. Just the same, this tenure was tarnished by the fact he was wrestling on one foot for this run, after a motorcycle accident led to the other being amputated. To be fair, it's remarkable how well he performed with this handicap. Nonetheless, the injury limited his potential and was a prime demonstration of his questionable judgment. Kerry may well have been a much bigger star had he consistently had his head on right and stayed healthy.

2. David Von Erich Was Considered The Best Of Them All
While Not The Biggest Star, David Von Erich Was The Most Talented Member Of His Family

If there was one wrestler poised to become the breakout member of the Von Erich family, it was David. With great in-ring abilities and great mic skills, he was in line for big things in his wrestling career before his passing in 1984.

After proving himself as a leader in tag team matches alongside his brothers, David positioned himself to become NWA World Heavyweight Champion and was actively feuding with Ric Flair. Had he not left the world prematurely, David may have reached incredible heights as a wrestler and found his place among some of the greats. While his titles and longevity were not the best, he was still the best Von Erich family member when he stepped into the ring based on pure talent.

1. The Legacy Of The Von Erich Family In Wrestling
Few Wrestling Families Have Remained In Fans' Consciousness Like The Von Erichs

Professional wrestling has more than its share of legendary figures, but there are only a few who truly stand the test of time to linger in the memories of fans after retirement or death, let alone to crossover to the mainstream consciousness. That's precisely what the Von Erichs have managed to do as magnetic personalities with powerful narratives from their lives. Indeed, while families like the Anoa'i, Rhodes, Hart, and McMahon clans have tended to take center stage, there's a real case that the Von Erich family belongs in the conversation of the greatest bands of relatives in wrestling lore.

Heroes of World Class dropped in late 2006, and though it reached only a niche audience of wrestling fans, the well-received documentary highlighted both that the Von Erichs and their WCCW promotion had rich stories to offer and that there was still an audience for that story. WWE followed up with its own documentary, The Triumph & Tragedy of World Class Championship Wrestling in 2007, in another largely celebrated production which took advantage of the vast tape library WWE has accumulated.

There's little question that The Iron Claw took matters to the next level, with a national theatrical release, star cast, and by-and-large excellent reviews. While this film took some liberties with the truth, it nonetheless succeeded in bringing the Von Erich story to its largest audience yet and reinvigorating interest in them to a degree the next generation of wrestlers--Ross, Marshall, or Lacey--have not yet been able to. Indeed, while only time will tell, hopefully a reinvigorated interest in their family will help the youngest of the Von Erichs to have stepped in the ring, and perhaps we'll see them featured in a consistent national spotlight before too long if that's the path they desire.