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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

  • 1961 The Bolos (The Great Bolo [1st] & The Mighty Bolo) became the TSW Champion
  • 1987 Frankie Lancaster & Eric Embry def. The Fantastics (Tommy Rogers & Bobby Fulton) for the WCCW World Tag Team Titles
  • 1999 Tarantula def. Original Renegade for the OPW Oklahoma Light Heavyweight Title
  • 2005 Li'l Joe def. Phillip for the ACW Hardcore Title
  • 2009 Brandon Groom def. The Handsome Spoiler for the TOPW Oklahoma Heavyweight Title
  • 2009 Kevin James Sanchez def. Bobby Starr for the BYEW Entertainment Title
  • 2009 The Handsome Spoiler became the TOPW Oklahoma Heavyweight Champion
  • 2021 Most Wanted (Dan Webber & Reese) def. Los Loco Moscas (Elijah Sparks & El Greengo Loco) for the WAH Tag Team Titles
  • 2025 Microman def. Mini Abismo Negro for the EDW Heavyweight Title

Week of Sun 06-21 to Sat: 06-27

  • 06-21 1982 Junkyard Dog def. Bob Roop for the MSW North American Heavyweight Title
  • 06-21 1987 Al Perez def. The Dingo Warrior for the WCCW Texas Heavyweight Title
  • 06-21 2003 Kitty def. Manservant for the TPW Womens Title
  • 06-21 2008 Tim Rockwell def. El Super Colibri for the ComPro Oklahoma X Division Title
  • 06-21 2008 Li'l Joe def. Xavior for the GPCW Cruiserweight Title
  • 06-21 2014 Buster Cherry def. Havoc for the SWCW All-American Title
  • 06-21 2024 Big Sed def. Sam Adonis for the TexPro Heavyweight Title
  • 06-21 2025 Dan Webber became the LCW Lionheart Champion
  • 06-22 2005 Phillip def. Se7en for the ACW Hardcore Title
  • 06-22 2018 Joe Cuedo def. Brock Baker for the ComPro Oklahoma X Division Title
  • 06-22 2024 Pastor Brent def. Daniel Aaron Michalles for the WAH Hunger Dojo Title
  • 06-22 2024 Daniel Aaron Michalles def. Pastor Brent for the WAH Hunger Dojo Title
  • 06-22 2025 Billie the Kiid def. Dan Webber for the ASP Heavyweight Title
  • 06-23 1972 Billy Red Lyons def. The Spoiler for the WCCW American Heavyweight Title
  • 06-23 1980 Mr. Hito & Mr. Sakurada def. Jose Lothario & Tiger Conway Jr. for the WCCW American Tag Team Titles
  • 06-23 1982 Ted DiBiase def. Junkyard Dog for the MSW North American Heavyweight Title
  • 06-23 1984 Gino Hernandez became the WCCW Texas Heavyweight Champion
  • 06-23 1989 The Stud Stable (Robert Fuller & Brian Lee) def. Jeff Jarrett & Mil Mascaras for the WCCW World Tag Team Titles
  • 06-23 2001 Big Daddy Moore def. Adam Lacroix for the OPW Oklahoma Television Title
  • 06-23 2001 Grenade became the OPW Oklahoma Light Heavyweight Champion
  • 06-23 2009 Joshua Michael & Epic became the ACW Tag Team Champions
  • 06-23 2023 Dustin Tibbs def. Thrash for the WFC Prime Title
  • 06-24 1972 Stan Stasiak def. Red Bastien for the WCCW Texas Heavyweight Title
  • 06-24 1974 Bull Ramos def. Rip Tyler for the TSW North American Title
  • 06-24 1977 John Studd became the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Champion
  • 06-24 1985 The Dynamic Duo (Gino Hernandez & Chris Adams) def. The Fantastics (Tommy Rogers & Bobby Fulton) for the WCCW American Tag Team Titles
  • 06-24 2000 Great Bolo [2nd] def. Ichiban [2nd] for the OPW Oklahoma Light Heavyweight Title
  • 06-24 2000 Ichiban [2nd] became the OPW Oklahoma Light Heavyweight Champion
  • 06-24 2005 Spoiler 2000 became the NWA-U Television Champion
  • 06-24 2006 Prophet SteVens became the AACW Television Champion
  • 06-24 2007 Matt Garza became the MSWA Mid-South Cruiserweight Champion
  • 06-24 2016 Dynamic Shields (Justin Dynamic & Shawn Shields) def. Terry Montana & Mighty Mouse for the ComPro Tag Team Titles
  • 06-24 2016 Seth Angel def. Steven Cruze for the ComPro Showtime Title
  • 06-24 2016 Adrian Dell def. Nathan Estrada for the ComPro Oklahoma X Division Title
  • 06-24 2017 Drake Gallows became the ASP Heavyweight Champion
  • 06-24 2017 Excellence Personified (Duke Swellington & Dustin Heritage) def. Shawn Hendrix & Aaron Anders (substituting for Anthony Andrews) for the ComPro Tag Team Titles
  • 06-24 2017 Dynamic Shields (Justin Dynamic & Shawn Shields) def. Big Smooth & Zakk Sinizter for the UWE Tag Team Titles
  • 06-24 2018 Shawn Sanders def. Chaz Sharpe for the ASP Inter-County Title
  • 06-24 2018 Canadian Red Devil def. Adam Patrick for the ASP Mid-American Title
  • 06-24 2020 Warren Powers def. Giganto for the BPW 365 Title
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  • 06-24 2023 C. M. Burnham def. Lunchador for the WAH Hunger Dojo Title
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  • 06-25 2011 Sam Stackhouse def. Shane Morbid for the BYEW Heavyweight Title
  • 06-25 2011 The Sons of Ireland (Devan Scott & Shane Scott) def. The New Age Syndicate (Scott Sanders & Shawn Sanders) for the BYEW Tag Team Titles
  • 06-25 2011 Chris Chaos became the BYEW Caution Champion
  • 06-25 2011 The Future Hall of Famers (John O'Malley & Brad Michaels) def. Bernie D & Aaron Neil (subbing for Max McGuirk) for the IZW Tag Team Titles
  • 06-25 2016 Brian Breaker def. Zakk Sinizter for the UWE Heavyweight Title
  • 06-25 2017 The Cub Scouts (Grizzly Gates & Brock Landers) became the MSWA Mid-South Tag Team Champions
  • 06-26 1961 The Bolos (The Great Bolo [1st] & The Mighty Bolo) became the TSW Champion
  • 06-26 1987 Frankie Lancaster & Eric Embry def. The Fantastics (Tommy Rogers & Bobby Fulton) for the WCCW World Tag Team Titles
  • 06-26 1999 Tarantula def. Original Renegade for the OPW Oklahoma Light Heavyweight Title
  • 06-26 2005 Li'l Joe def. Phillip for the ACW Hardcore Title
  • 06-26 2009 Brandon Groom def. The Handsome Spoiler for the TOPW Oklahoma Heavyweight Title
  • 06-26 2009 Kevin James Sanchez def. Bobby Starr for the BYEW Entertainment Title
  • 06-26 2009 The Handsome Spoiler became the TOPW Oklahoma Heavyweight Champion
  • 06-26 2021 Most Wanted (Dan Webber & Reese) def. Los Loco Moscas (Elijah Sparks & El Greengo Loco) for the WAH Tag Team Titles
  • 06-26 2025 Microman def. Mini Abismo Negro for the EDW Heavyweight Title
  • 06-27 1969 Wahoo McDaniel & Thunderbolt Patterson became the WCCW American Tag Team Champions
  • 06-27 1971 Johnny Valentine def. Toru Tanaka for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
  • 06-27 1976 Jose Lothario def. The Mongolian Stomper for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
  • 06-27 2009 Randy Price def. Dustin Heritage for the IZW Impact Division Title
  • 06-27 2009 Martin Justice became the OECW Southwestern Champion
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