The world of pro wrestling has no shortage of tragic deaths. Owen Hart, Eddie Guerrero, Randy Savage, The Ultimate Warrior… the list goes on and on. But if you know your old-school wrestling history, you’d probably agree that death seems to have a vendetta against the Von Erich family. Make no mistake, they were wrestling’s version of the Kennedys, good looks and limitless potential cut violently short by sudden death. Of Fritz Von Erich’s six sons (five of whom were wrestlers), only Kevin remains. Suicides, drug overdoses, and childhood accidents claimed the rest. It’s easy to throw around the word “cursed” when talking about trivial things like a baseball team’s World Series drought, but this is a far more apt scenario to use it.
I know there’s already more than enough awful news coming out of wrestling (especially the recent STARDOM shoot), but at the very least, this is a story worth retelling as a cautionary tale of just how psychologically and physically draining the world of wrestling can be. Kevin Von Erich will soon get the chance to let the world hear it again:
I’m definitely looking forward to seeing this. While it doesn’t appear to a be a full edition of a 30 for 30 and rather just an interview segment, ESPN has traditionally done an admirable job when they make a rare venture into the world of wrestling journalism. Their E:60 piece on Scott Hall is still gritty and heartbreaking, and their Vince McMahon profile is a great look at a side of the chairman we often don’t see. (Fun fact: I actually used that McMahon segment as a source for a leadership development paper I wrote in college.) I’m sure Kevin wishes he was watching with his brothers, but for right now, the least we can do is send him lots of love and be glad that one of wrestling’s greatest families still endures.
