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Getbig Misc Discussion Boards => Wrestling Board => Topic started by: polychronopolous on February 25, 2015, 07:40:46 PM
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(http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/mixmaster/assets_c/2015/02/Von_Erich_family-thumb-565x468.jpg)
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."
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If anyone is interested in watching that is a Dallas article so it might be 5 o'clock central rather than eastern.
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I'm tuning in to this.
This family was cursed in every way
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Thanks for posting this!!
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There is another good documentary on the Von Erichs I watched recently and it was great. What a tragic story.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?? ??? :-\
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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.
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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 >:(
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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.
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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..
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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. 8)
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.
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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...
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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:)
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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...
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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?
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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.
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Nice vid...love that claw / discus punch combo. Another guy who died way too young.
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Did this air yet? If not when will it? If anybody knows.
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Did this air yet? If not when will it? If anybody knows.
Here ya go broski 8)
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I Knew about the prosthetic foot story. My buddy used to write for Dave Meltzer's Wrestling Observer back then. I used to read every week for about three years.
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Thanks!
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I Knew about the prosthetic foot story. My buddy used to write for Dave Meltzer's Wrestling Observer back then. I used to read every week for about three years.
When I was about 7 years old I lived in the same neighborhood with a guy who worked ringside security for WCCW. He of course knew all the wrestlers, managers, announcers etc.
Him and my dad would talk occasionally so I'd get to go over and see the MASSIVE amount of WCCW memorabilia he had in one of his spare bedrooms.
For a little kid who loved pro wrestling that was very impressive!
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When I was about 7 years old I lived in the same neighborhood with a guy who worked ringside security for WCCW. He of course knew all the wrestlers, managers, announcers etc.
Him and my dad would talk occasionally so I'd get to go over and see the MASSIVE amount of WCCW memorabilia he had in one of his spare bedrooms.
For a little kid who loved pro wrestling that was very impressive!
:)
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When I was about 7 years old I lived in the same neighborhood with a guy who worked ringside security for WCCW. He of course knew all the wrestlers, managers, announcers etc.
Him and my dad would talk occasionally so I'd get to go over and see the MASSIVE amount of WCCW memorabilia he had in one of his spare bedrooms.
For a little kid who loved pro wrestling that was very impressive!
I think that is so cool!
Especially back then, guys were EXTREMELY protective of the business and not very accepting of outsiders navigating the locker room area.
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I think that is so cool!
Especially back then, guys were EXTREMELY protective of the business and not very accepting of outsiders navigating the locker room area.
Yeah you can still catch a glimpse of him in some of the old videos on youtube. He's one of the guys always wearing a cowboy hat who just kind of walked around the ring and kept a presence in between the audience and the wrestlers/managers.
I was so young at the time that I can't really remember anything he said specifically but there is no doubt he knew all the guys from the stuff I seen.
I would like to think even the non-talent crew would keep with the principle of kayfabe but who knows? Maybe after a few beers they would become loose lipped?
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Yeah you can still catch a glimpse of him in some of the old videos on youtube. He's one of the guys always wearing a cowboy hat who just kind of walked around the ring and kept a presence in between the audience and the wrestlers/managers.
I was so young at the time that I can't really remember anything he said specifically but there is no doubt he knew all the guys from the stuff I seen.
I would like to think even the non-talent crew would keep with the principle of kayfabe but who knows? Maybe after a few beers they would become loose lipped?
It was sometimes a good idea to smarten up people like your friend so that they could better protect the workers. Now, it's not so much a problem, but up until maybe the early-80's, many fans in many towns took their pro-wrestling very seriously and would frequently engage in physical altercations over it.
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It was sometimes a good idea to smarten up people like your friend so that they could better protect the workers. Now, it's not so much a problem, but up until maybe the early-80's, many fans in many towns took their pro-wrestling very seriously and would frequently engage in physical altercations over it.
Oh yeah, I've listened to Michael Hayes on some of the podcasts.
He has some interesting stories concerning that same exact topic. 8)
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Monte do you know Meltzer?
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Monte do you know Meltzer?
Not personally.
Why?
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Not personally.
Why?
Just curious, My buddy used to write for the Observer when it was the shit in the late eighties. Just thought it was an amazing insider newsletter that had absolutely everything in it from the early days of MMA New Japan etc. Now with the internet it seems like nothing, but back then it was the shit! Dave was and I guess still is a good dude. Had a chance to hang out with him when he came to S. Fla for a visit with my buddy Back then he was also a bodybuilder and a Bodybuilding fan. This thread about the Von Erichs just got me nostalgic and made me long for the good old days.
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Just curious, My buddy used to write for the Observer when it was the shit in the late eighties. Just thought it was an amazing insider newsletter that had absolutely everything in it from the early days of MMA New Japan etc. Now with the internet it seems like nothing, but back then it was the shit! Dave was and I guess still is a good dude. Had a chance to hang out with him when he came to S. Fla for a visit with my buddy Back then he was also a bodybuilder and a Bodybuilding fan. This thread about the Von Erichs just got me nostalgic and made me long for the good old days.
Yes!! That was back in the days of the "dirt sheets!"
Guys would actually huddle around in the locker room to read what the sheets had to say. Ironically, Meltzer was somewhat resented within the industry. He was considered an outsider profiting from the sweat & pain of the wrestlers.
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The good old days..
I used to get the pro wrestling torch..
Had a yearly subscription during the Monday night wars..
It would arrive the old fashion way.. mailman would deliver it..
Lol.. I think the mail man was reading it.. it was always opened..
The tape would always be torn...
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Watched it on YouTube, thanks for the link. It was pretty good, but this one is much better:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/511v4bd7IXL.jpg)
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Watched it on YouTube, thanks for the link. It was pretty good, but this one is much better:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/511v4bd7IXL.jpg)
Yeah I think I seen that one on Netflix.
You are right, that was an excellent documentary. I think it was actually shot by someone in Kevin's inner circle or with more of Kevin's input rather than an ESPN production.
I just ran across this video on youtube. The commentators are poking alot of fun but you can clearly tell Kerry is spiraling out of control.
I think by this point he was well on his way out of WWF and about a year away from taking his own life.
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Watched it on YouTube, thanks for the link. It was pretty good, but this one is much better:
Here's a link to another really good one. It's around 2.5 hours. They filmed it right before the Dallas Sportatorium(where they wrestled) was torn down.
If you are a fan of Von Erichs/WCCW, this youtube channel has a TON of content on his channel and looks like he is uploading almost daily.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51JPJVYZ41L.jpg)
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Here's a link to another really good one. It's around 2.5 hours. They filmed it right before the Dallas Sportatorium(where they wrestled) was torn down.
If you are a fan of Von Erichs/WCCW, this youtube channel has a TON of content on his channel and looks like he is uploading almost daily.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51JPJVYZ41L.jpg)
Just finished watching it. It was great, thanks. I used to watch the WCCW on Saturday Nights on cable back then in S. FL. Remember seeing Dingo Warrior (Hellwig) and Jeep Swenson for the first time on there. What a great product. Fritz could have been McMahon but blew it. Fritz was one stubborn son of a bitch which caused him his family and his business.
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Just finished watching it. It was great, thanks. I used to watch the WCCW on Saturday Nights on cable back then in S. FL. Remember seeing Dingo Warrior (Hellwig) and Jeep Swenson for the first time on there. What a great product. Fritz could have been McMahon but blew it. Fritz was one stubborn son of a bitch which caused him his family and his business.
teah,,,announcer mercer,u had gentleman chris adams and his famous kick,handsome half breed geno hernandez,gary hart I think,i know Percival percy pringle lol was great prior to being takers mgr...one man gange,kamali went through there too I believe.
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teah,,,announcer mercer,u had gentleman chris adams and his famous kick,handsome half breed geno hernandez,gary hart I think,i know Percival percy pringle lol was great prior to being takers mgr...one man gange,kamali went through there too I believe.
One of the true legends in the business.
A couple little known facts about Bill Mercer...
1. He called the legendary Ice Bowl (Dallas vs. Green Bay)
2. He was standing just a few short feet away speaking to Oswald just moments before he was shot by Ruby.
http://www.wncn.com/story/24048756/durham
Durham man came face to face with Lee Harvey Oswald
DURHAM, N.C. -
A man who now lives in Durham was working for a Dallas television station 50 years ago.
On Nov. 22, 1963, Bill Mercer was 37 and working for KRLD. He remembers the day President John F. Kennedy was killed as "chaotic" and "hectic."
Mercer was there as Lee Harvey Oswald was brought before the press at the Dallas police station.
In the brief press conference, Oswald said he had not been charged with killing the president but Mercer was one of the few people who knew official charges had been typed up.
Video shows Mercer telling Oswald, "You have been charged, sir." Oswald remained near emotionless after hearing the news.
"He just kind of had one of those Oswald no-expression faces and turned around and walked out."
Mercer said he was focused on the story and not the man who was he was talking to.
"When he was there, I mean, I was sitting right here looking at him. I didn't even think about what a nasty guy or, 'You're the killer.' All that," Mercer said.
The veteran journalist kept the details of his involvement on that fateful day to himself. He so rarely spoke of it that his family didn't know the full story until Mercer co-authored a book on the assassination.
"It's sort of like the war. You don't start talking about it until you're 60," Mercer said. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
The experience was so painful for Mercer that he moved to sports broadcasting two years later.
"I just decided, 'I don't want to do this. I don't want to cover shootings and all that,'" he said.
Mercer completed his career as a sports broadcaster and even taught broadcasting at the University of North Texas, retiring in 2007.
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Just finished watching it. It was great, thanks. I used to watch the WCCW on Saturday Nights on cable back then in S. FL. Remember seeing Dingo Warrior (Hellwig) and Jeep Swenson for the first time on there. What a great product. Fritz could have been McMahon but blew it. Fritz was one stubborn son of a bitch which caused him his family and his business.
Your welcome.
Its just a really good wrestling documentary whether you are a fan of WCCW or not.
It's crazy to think that WCCW was pulling such great ratings in WWF's backyard.
To think how wrestling might be different had Fritz not been so set in his Old School Territorial way of thinking.
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teah,,,announcer mercer,u had gentleman chris adams and his famous kick,handsome half breed geno hernandez,gary hart I think,i know Percival percy pringle lol was great prior to being takers mgr...one man gange,kamali went through there too I believe.
Yup, just about everybody also came through Florida back then too, Florida Championship Wrestling was NWA. Plus Steiners, Funks, Mike Graham, Kevin Sullivan, Steve Kern, Dusty Rhodes, Lex Luger... list goes on and on.
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Your welcome.
Its just a really good wrestling documentary whether you are a fan of WCCW or not.
It's crazy to think that WCCW was pulling such great ratings in WWF's backyard.
To think how wrestling might be different had Fritz not been so set in his Old School Territorial way of thinking.
Absolutely. Vince was a visionary and a great businessman, which was what everything that all the old promoters were not.
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Yup, just about everybody also came through Florida back then too, Florida Championship Wrestling was NWA. Plus Steiners, Funks, Mike Graham, Kevin Sullivan, Steve Kern, Dusty Rhodes, Lex Luger... list goes on and on.
Stone Cold says in this shoot interview that his favorite all time era for pro wrestling was from 1980 to 1990 and I would say he nailed it with that statement. So many great wrestlers, managers, announcers.
Damn I miss the old territory days!!! :)
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Stone Cold says in this shoot interview that his favorite all time era for pro wrestling was from 1980 to 1990 and I would say he nailed it with that statement. So many great wrestlers, managers, announcers.
Damn I miss the old territory days!!! :)
Absolutely!