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Territorial Turmoil: Dallas Wrestling & The Von Erich Family

Posted: Oct 8th 2007 By: mikeiles

In the days when the professional wrestling industry was divided into territories and there was no single national entity, different regions took different approaches in presenting their product. This week, we'll be taking a look at the Dallas wrestling promotion and how it earned the reputation of presenting one of the wildest versions of the sport to be found anywhere.

In Texas, professional wrestling evolved through the years into an entity uniquely different from other territories. By the mid-1960s, several prominent companies co-existed throughout the Lone Star state; sometimes they worked together, other times they stayed within their own prescribed boundaries.

But the one thing that made wrestling special anywhere in Texas was the "anything goes" attitude that thrilled the fans and filled the buildings. Sometimes extravagant, sometimes chaotic and always exciting, this was the norm in Texas decades before the introduction of Extreme (originally Eastern) Championship Wrestling in 1993 Philadelphia. ECW became a company which took the business to unimagined levels of violence that included audience participation. But Texas-style wrestling came long before that. And while the level of violence was known to go beyond the pale compared to the tamer territories, it rarely crossed the line that made suspension of disbelief difficult.

The four largest companies were located in the cities of Houston, Dallas, Amarillo and San Antonio. In particular, Dallas produced some of the most memorable wrestling, due to the efforts of Fritz Von Erich (Jack Adkisson) and his brood. In many ways a parallel to Stu Hart's family in Calgary, the patriarch was a successful wrestler and then an even more successful promoter. Like his northern counterpart, Fritz would raise a gaggle of kids that became actively involved in the business, with tragedies of Shakespearian proportions to come.

Von Erich took over the Dallas office in 1966 from the original owner, Ed McLemore. He remained an NWA member in good standing until 1982. After a falling out with the hierarchy, he broke away, making the newly renamed World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) an independent promotion.

During his years behind the helm, Von Erich successfully built up his company with a recipe consisting of hard-nosed tough wrestling, a liberal interpretation of the rules, bloody grudge bouts and increasingly flamboyant showmanship. Dallas' famed Sportatorium, a converted barn, was the site of weekly wrestling cards that drew consistently large and boisterous crowds. The bigger shows were held at Reunion Arena, which could hold more than the 1,200 that were shoehorned into the Sportatorium. Like the state itself, wild and wooly had become the wrestling standard, and those grapplers arriving from other territories quickly adapted to the style or moved on to less physically demanding promotions elsewhere.

Former World Class Championship Wrestling, United States Wrestling Association and Global Wrestling Federation referee and administrator, James Beard, provides insight into how Fritz Von Erich's company was perceived by the fans:

"(As a kid growing up in the area), I watched the Dallas promotion regularly and had a lot of pride in the fact that it seemed like folks from everywhere respected "Texas Wrestling" because it was rough and tumble and full of action. They pushed it as being a place where, if you were successful there, you were among the best in the world. With Fritz Von Erich as the top guy, there seemed to be a steady stream of great wrestlers coming and going, trying to knock him off the top position. Fritz, at that time, was universally hated (having built his career selling the image of a Nazi sympathizer, it's no wonder! RB), which might seem strange to some these days - a hated heel being the cornerstone of a promotion. But, it was true and guys like Pepper Gomez, Cowboy Bob Ellis, Red Bastien, Billy Red Lyons, Jose Lothario, Johnny Valentine and a slew of great names became a part of the Dallas promotion's appeal while trying to dethrone Fritz."

Such an approach flew in the face of traditional thinking when it came to booking the top man in an area. While it's true that in most territories a heel might reign supreme for a limited duration, more often than not the lead babyface would be the one to represent the company. Suffering the occasional loss of a title to a particularly daunting rule-breaker resulted in a series of bouts that would culminate in the fan favorite inevitably regaining the championship. Not so in Dallas, when Fritz Von Erich, brandishing his "Iron Claw" finishing hold, was to continue on as a formidable wrestler until his retirement in 1982.

It had been Fritz's plan all along to promote his sons to the very top of the business. In a foreshadowing of the human suffering yet to come, his oldest boy, Jack Jr., died at the age of six when he was struck by lightning, fell face first into a puddle of water and drowned. There was nothing Fritz could do but carry on, placing his lofty expectations on his five remaining sons, Kevin, David, Kerry, Mike and Chris. David, who was a truly gifted athlete, would be groomed as the heir apparent and to eventually hold the NWA world championship.

By the time 1982 rolled around, the production values of the television program were so far beyond that of any other promotion, that Fritz was able to sell World Class Championship Wrestling in syndication around the world. Being the first to utilize music entrances, pyrotechnics and video packages as regular features, WCCW built a large and enthusiastic following everywhere it was seen. In particular, the Middle East fell in love with the Von Erich boys, to the point where the company eventually booked a one week tour of Israel in 1985.

Dallas wrestling was to attain a far-reaching influence unknown by any single wrestling company up to that time. The wrestling product was compelling, but the shocking death of David Von Erich while touring in Japan in February, 1984 signaled the beginning of the end. World Class Championship Wrestling never fully recovered, although the program itself remained exciting and vital for several more years. Yet, the eventual implosion of the family, with four of Fritz's five living sons taking their own lives, had been put into motion. (There is no clear consensus on the death of David. The official cause was acute enteritis, though many in the business swear it was actually due to a drug overdose).

With the loss of its brightest light, WCCW would continue on, despite the sense of sadness that hung in the air. The booking of the matches remained at a very high level, and The Freebirds, Chris Adams, Iceman King Parsons and General Skandor Akbar with his stable of heels all played a large part to keep the company rolling. It culminated in the now legendary "David Von Erich Parade of Champions Memorial Show," held May 6, 1984 at Dallas' famed Texas Stadium.

The final match of the night saw the NWA World Heavyweight champion, Ric Flair, lose the title to Kerry Von Erich. It was a sound result for two reasons. First, it was a fitting tribute to the memory of David Von Erich. Secondly, Kerry, while lacking the necessary experience to retain the belt for long, had the look of a champion. It would give the NWA brass a chance to see how well he handled himself in the role; a successful short run would open up the door for a more substantial reign in the not-too-distant future. So, less than three weeks after defeating Flair for the belt, Kerry would lose it back to him in Japan.

Kerry was destined to become the best known of all the Von Erich boys in the United States. And like David before him, he would die tragically before scaling the heights that were seemingly within his grasp. In 1986, he was involved in a serious motorcycle accident that resulted in the amputation of his right foot. To continue working as an active wrestler, he had a special boot made and wore a prosthetic foot that concealed his handicap. Once he had recovered sufficiently, Kerry returned to the ring wars.

Leaving home, he was to attain success in the WWF, going as far as winning the Intercontinental title. However, rumors within the business circulated that he was becoming increasingly erratic in his behavior and less than dependable when working, with drugs being cited as the source. In 1992, he finally left that company and returned home to Texas. His father's World Class company had long since been bought out, absorbed and then shut down by the United States Wrestling Association of Memphis, Tennessee. Kerry went to work for the newly formed Global Wrestling Federation, but again, stories began making the rounds of his problems, which in retrospect were obviously spiraling out of control.

The final straw came in 1993. Facing the very real possibility of jail time due to a second arrest for drug possession while he was on probation for the first offense, Kerry committed suicide at his father's ranch. This was now the fourth Von Erich son to die at a ridiculously young age. (Along with Jack, David and Kerry, Mike had taken his own life in 1986, after barely surviving Toxic Shock Syndrome, a condition that doesn't usually afflict men).

That left two Von Erich sons to carry on in the business. Kevin, the most stable and realistic of them all, had been highly successful within his father's promotion. While an excellent athlete that was capable of bringing a crowd to its feet, he was tagged with the label "regional star" and never given serious consideration beyond Texas and a few surrounding states. Nevertheless, Kevin would be the one member of the family with the inner strength and resolve to survive.

And that left Chris, who was another sad story. He was the youngest of the brood and the least impressive physically. His growth had been stunted as a child, but not his heart. More than anything else in the world, he wanted to be a top flight wrestler, to make his father proud and to win titles in the memory of his fallen brothers. But try as hard he as he did (and from all accounts Chris was obsessed with "making it"), he simply didn't have the size or the skills to get beyond the preliminaries. His name alone would not be enough. Finally succumbing to depression and a sense of isolation, he too joined the departed by committing suicide in 1991.

The story of the Von Erich family is one that will someday be grist for Hollywood. Hopefully, when that time comes, the more positive aspects of the wrestling promotion will not be overlooked. In its heyday, Dallas wrestling was second to none when it came to giving the fans a good reason to become emotionally involved with the action taking place in the ring. Tough men plied their trade there, and some of the most inventive angles and story lines first saw light in Fritz Von Erich's promotion. The World Class Championship Wrestling company also set the standard for television production that was to be adopted by Vince McMahon, Jim Crockett and others.

It now remains for those who were involved in World Class Championship Wrestling, along with those who study wrestling from that era, to decide whether or not the price for its success came at too high a cost.

Tags: WCCW, Fritz Von Erich, David Von Erich, Mike Von Erich, Kerry Von Erich, Kevin Von Erich