ESPN Is Giving The Von Erichs Their Own 30 For 30 Short

[polychronopolous]

A year in the making, ESPN's 30 for 30 short film chronicling the rise and tragedy of Dallas' famous Von Erich wrestling family is set to air at 5 p.m. Friday.(2/27/15)
The news, confirmed by D Magazine and Kevin Von Erich on Twitter marks a new addition to the long line of stories and documentaries based on the famous Von Erichs, from patriarch Fritz down to his sons Mike, Chris, David and Kerry. From their beginnings in Dallas and Fort Worth, the group rose to insane heights in Dallas wrestling and beyond, once packing 41,000 people into Texas Stadium to watch Kerry wrestle The Freebirds and beat Ric Flair.
Up until World Wrestling Entertainment's (then the World Wrestling Federation's) WrestleMania 3 event in the old Pontiac Silverdome in 1987, this stood as the North American record for the largest crowd to ever attend a wrestling event.

Before Hulk Hogan really bought into the "say your prayers and eat your vitamins" routine that America ate up during the Rock N' Wrestling boom of the '80s, there were the Von Erich brothers, born-again Christians who would spout off Bible passages and testimony with the conviction of a fire-breathing deacon. Rugged good looks and country boy charm made them kings, not just to their legion of teenage fangirls but to their adoring fan base worldwide.

Tragedy always seemed to bring the Von Erichs back into the spotlight. David died in Japan in 1985 of a severe intestinal infection; Mike's health deteriorate due to toxic shock syndrome, leading him to commit suicide at 23 in 1987; and Chris and Kerry also committed suicide -- in 1991 and 1993, respectively. Despite the tragic circumstances befalling the family, they're still wrestling royalty. Especially in Dallas.

"I guess this is our destiny," Kevin told D Magazine in a 1988 profile on the family and their life in the business. "You have to go where your destiny leads you, no matter where that road might be. And for us, this is it."

[polychronopolous]

If anyone is interested in watching that is a Dallas article so it might be 5 o'clock central rather than eastern.

[WoogsRaven]

I'm tuning in to this.


This family was cursed in every way

[Montague]

Thanks for posting this!!

[Archer77]

There is another good documentary on the Von Erichs I watched recently and it was great.  What a tragic story.

[polychronopolous]

There is another good documentary on the Von Erichs I watched recently and it was great.  What a tragic story.

I think I read this one will only be 15 or 20 minutes so I am kind of disappointed in that. doesn't really do the family justice.

As the article said the family held the record for wrestling attendance before the Pontiac Silverdome Wrestlemania...that in itself speaks volumes of how big they really were at one time.

[Archer77]

I think I read this one will only be 15 or 20 minutes so I am kind of disappointed in that. doesn't really do the family justice.

As the article said the family held the record for wrestling attendance before the Pontiac Silverdome Wrestlemania...that in itself speaks volumes of how big they really were at one time.

Twenty minutes doesn't do the story justice at all. Twenty minutes for something like forty years of history is ridiculous. By the way, I was at the Pontiac Silverdome for Wrestlemania III.

[polychronopolous]

Twenty minutes doesn't do the story justice at all. Twenty minutes for something like forty years of history is ridiculous. By the way, I was at the Pontiac Silverdome for Wrestlemania III.

Yeah I think I remember you saying that before.

Any memories from it? I always thought you were just a few years older than me(34) and if so you couldn't have been that old.

[Archer77]

Yeah I think I remember you saying that before.

Any memories from it? I always thought you were just a few years older than me(34) and if so you couldn't have been that old.

I was ten.  I do remember a bit.  We had cheap seats initially but by the time of the final match my brother and I crept down to the lower deck.  Man, the Silverdome was a shitty stadium.  There weren't really any good seats. I saw a lot of Pistons and Lions games before they relocated.  You could buy a cheap ticket for five bucks.  I actually lived pretty close to the stadium and walked to Wrestlemania III. I bought a George the animal steel shirt.  I loved George the animal.

[polychronopolous]

I was ten.  I do remember a bit.  We had cheap seats initially but by the time of the final match my brother and I crept down to the lower deck.  Man, the Silverdome was a shitty stadium.  There weren't really any good seats. I saw a lot of Pistons and Lions games before they relocated.  You could buy a cheap ticket for five bucks.  I actually lived pretty close to the stadium and walked to Wrestlemania III. I bought a George the animal steel shirt.  I loved George the animal.

Could you even attempt to do that now in Detroit?? 

[Archer77]

Could you even attempt to do that now in Detroit?? 

I'd be leery about doing that.  Parking in downtown Detroit is tricky and something you will have to park a distance away from the stadium and walk.  A lot of people don't want to park to close to Comerica park or Ford fields because it costs more and the traffic is a bitch after a game and it takes forever to get out of the city. When I go to games I will always pay the extra money to park closer because I know I won't be driving home because I've consumed copious amounts of alcohol. Pontiac is a shit hole as well(think mini-Detroit) but I was close enough to the Silverdome not to worry about anything.

[polychronopolous]

I'd be leery about doing that.  Parking in downtown Detroit is tricky and something you will have to park a distance away from the stadium and walk.  A lot of people don't want to park to close to Comerica park or Ford fields because it costs more and the traffic is a bitch after a game and it takes forever to get out of the city. When I go to games I will always pay the extra money to park closer because I know I won't be driving home because I've consumed copious amounts of alcohol. Pontiac is a shit hole as well(think mini-Detroit) but I was close enough to the Silverdome not to worry about anything.

I'll never forgive you bastards for beating the Cowboys 38 to 6 back in 1992  

[Archer77]

I'll never forgive you bastards for beating the Cowboys 38 to 6 back in 1992  

You should feel pity. It was a god damn fluke. The Lions have been pathetic to mediocre for decades.

[gmflex]

Has the von Erich story being posted on YouTube?
Or is there a replay on Espn coming up?

Missed it 
Just got back from vacation..

[polychronopolous]

Has the von Erich story being posted on YouTube?
Or is there a replay on Espn coming up?

Missed it 
Just got back from vacation..

I dvr'd mine. 

I believe it said you can watch the replay on itunes so I guess they're trying to squeeze a buck out of it.

Overall it was pretty decent but as I stated a few days ago, 15 minutes just isn't long enough to cover everything. I don't know why they didn't do a full length 30 for 30 on it.

The most glaring omission of all was not even mentioning the oldest Von Erich brother(Jack Jr.) who died when Kevin was around 2 or 3 years old.

[njflex]

Kerry in his prime had an amazing build,,kevin was always athletic lean and ripped ,and didn't have the the frame/thickness Kerry attained through training/drugs,,,still great on the ropes...

[Montague]

Kerry in his prime had an amazing build,,kevin was always athletic lean and ripped ,and didn't have the the frame/thickness Kerry attained through training/drugs,,,still great on the ropes...

Didn't Kerry also have a prosthetic foot?

[polychronopolous]

Didn't Kerry also have a prosthetic foot?

Yeah they kept that a secret all the way until his death.

The rest of the WWF roster thought it was strange that he would always shower with his boots on.

[Montague]

Yeah they kept that a secret all the way until his death.

The rest of the WWF roster thought it was strange that he would always shower with his boots on.

Wow.

[Playboy]

Yeah they kept that a secret all the way until his death.

The rest of the WWF roster thought it was strange that he would always shower with his boots on.

Yup, apparently he lost that foot in a motorcycle accident back in 1987. It was for that reason that he got hooked on pain pills. Sad shit.

[WoogsRaven]

That's amazing that he wrestled with a prosthetic foot while in the WWF. You never would've thought that by looking at him or how he moved around the ring. He even got a chance to wear the IC belt despite the limitation.

[njflex]

 

[gmflex]

That's amazing that he wrestled with a prosthetic foot while in the WWF. You never would've thought that by looking at him or how he moved around the ring. He even got a chance to wear the IC belt despite the limitation.

His last match he had before he went on a downward spiral he was wearing a mask and during the match he lost his prosthetic foot in the ring.. he had to crawl under ring and put it 
Back on..the match I think is on youtube.com.. he came out with women ( benoit wife) as his valet...

[Playboy]

His last match he had before he went on a downward spiral he was wearing a mask and during the match he lost his prosthetic foot in the ring.. he had to crawl under ring and put it 
Back on..the match I think is on youtube.com.. he came out with women ( benoit wife) as his valet...

I remember hearing about this. Can it be youtubed?

[polychronopolous]

I remember hearing about this. Can it be youtubed?

He's even wearing his "Kerry" jacket while sporting the mask.

It's been a while since I've seen that video but he does take the mask off in the second part.

No telling what kind of mental condition he was in at that point.