It’s been over 30 years since Kerry Von Erich died by suicide, signifying the end of an era for the Von Erich wrestling dynasty, whose notoriety for personal tragedies by that point had already surpassed the family’s decades-spanning legacy in the ring.
As The Iron Claw hits theaters, ET is looking back at its rare interviews with Fritz and Kevin Von Erich, which took place just one day after Kerry's death on Feb. 18, 1993.
At the time, the family patriarch was still reeling after having discovered Kerry’s body on their Texas ranch. "It was a horrible experience for me," Fritz said, before recalling their interaction from earlier that morning. "He said, 'I just want to go back to a quiet place to just be alone for a while.' …When he saw me, he grabbed me and hugged me. And I hugged him. I kissed him. He said, 'Dad, I really love you.' And I should have realized that was different. That something wasn't right there."
In the wake of losing a third brother to suicide, Kevin (played by Zac Efron in the new biopic) explained the many hardships Kerry (Jeremy Allen White) faced in the days, weeks and years leading up to his death. The most distressing issue at the time was the looming threat of a prison sentence, after Kerry was indicted by a grand jury for cocaine possession, therefore breaking his probation following a separate drug charge.
"[Kerry] told me that if he had to go to prison, he was gonna kill himself," Kevin said of their final conversation. "He had seen that he could get as far as he was gonna get with me, so he said, 'OK, Kev. I won't do it. I won't commit suicide. Whatever you say, buddy.' And that's the way we left it right there."
As their father (portrayed by Holt McCallany) figured, "So many problems had piled up that Kerry just couldn't see over the hill. He just simply ended it all."
While Kevin claimed not to be "the superstitious type," the mythologized Von Erich family "curse" was top of mind. "I have thought, 'What the heck is this? Some kind of a curse or something?' I don't believe in that sort of stuff," he said, before admitting "it would appear that we've had more than our share."
In addition to three deaths by suicide -- Mike in 1987, Chris in 1991, then Kerry two years later -- 9-year-old Jackie, Fritz and wife Doris' first son, died in 1959 after he was electrocuted, fell into a puddle face first and drowned. There was one more son, David, who died suddenly from an intestinal infection in a Tokyo hotel room in 1984. (Chris is, and somewhat controversially, omitted from The Iron Claw.)
The Von Erich family’s tragedies became the perennial talking point at the famed Sportatorium in Dallas, Texas, where Kerry’s wrestling peers and fans gathered for a tribute ceremony on Feb. 19. One of the attendees, David "Angel of Death" Sheldon, was previously set to face off against Kerry in the ring that same night. Instead, he was remembering his late friend.
"[Kerry was] kind of like a big, overgrown puppy dog," Sheldon told ET. "Just a real friendly guy."
At the event, another of Kerry's demons was made public for the first time, a years-long secret known only to his inner circle: Kerry’s right foot had been amputated following a motorcycle crash in 1986. In the aftermath, he had been performing with a prosthesis in order to compete, keeping his disability a secret from opponents and fans alike.
"I'm sure there's a lot of wrestlers around the world today, who have wrestled Kerry in the last six years, that are stunned that he had one foot," shared David Simms, a former wrestling coach and referee.
One of the few pro wrestlers aware of Kerry’s secret was "Gentleman" Chris Adams, who described how his longtime friend endured a hidden battle during every match.
"To wrestle with [the prosthesis,] just the cast itself would dig into the leg," he explained to ET. "Every time he went out, it would either swell up or bleed, so the man went through a lot of pain every time he did any activity."
"At some point he planned to reveal the fact that he had lost that foot to inspire people in the same condition," Fritz said. "But, unfortunately, Kerry died before he could."
According to Grey Pierson, then-president of Northstar Promotions -- the organization Kerry was competing under following his long stint with the World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) -- the revelation would have gone a long way. "Frankly, I'm sorry the fans didn't know," he said. "I think the fans would have admired [Kerry] even more had they known the struggle he went through."
Pierson added, "I think he didn't want pity. I think that he felt the world had pitied the family and felt sorry for the family. And he didn't want that. He didn't want them to cheer out of pity. He wanted them to cheer because of his athletic ability."
"[Kerry] loved his fans more than life. He really did," Fritz remembered. "[The fans have] given my whole family everything we have. That's what I want them to remember. That Kerry loved them and loved them truly."
Decades after Kerry’s death, Kevin spoke with ET at The Iron Claw’s premiere in Los Angeles, sharing his hope for the audience’s takeaway after watching the Von Erich family’s story on the big screen.
"A lot of people are hurting in a bad way and maybe are at the bottom and thinking, 'How am I gonna get out of this?'" Kevin said. "And a man has to fight. Life is hard, and a lot of people have it a lot harder than I have it, but I think that if this would be the kind of movie that could help lift someone up and maybe show them that you can do it. Don't quit. Keep fighting. Keep trying."
The Iron Claw is in theaters now.
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