What Happened To The Von Erich Family After The Iron Claw
This article discusses the real-life story of The Von Erichs and as such could be viewed as containing spoilers for "The Iron Claw."
Sean Durkin's "The Iron Claw" is the tearjerker film of the year, one that I called "emotionally eviscerating" in my review as it takes a folkloric look at the real-life tragedies of the Von Erich wrestling dynasty. The film focuses on Kevin, David, Kerry, and Mike Von Erich throughout the 1980s and early '90s, a decade filled with unimaginable deaths and heartache. Despite this, "The Iron Claw" ends with a bit of optimism, and a cathartic release for Kevin Von Erich, known as "The Last of the Von Erichs." The film ends sometime in the 1990s and given the harrowing true story at the center of the film, non-wrestling fans might be wondering what happened to Kevin Von Erich and the rest of the family in the years that followed.
Important reminder: "The Iron Claw" is not a documentary and some creative liberties were taken in favor of the film's narrative structure, so some of these updates might reflect a different narrative than what was shown in the film. For example, patriarch Fritz Von Erich died in 1997 from lung cancer, outliving five of his six children at the age of 68. Yes, there were six Von Erich boys, as Chris Von Erich was not included in the film.
Additionally, Kerry Von Erich was married and had children before his passing, and Kevin Von Erich's daughters were born before his sons. However, with masculinity at the center of the film, the timeline was altered for the film's themes. While there were additional losses not included in the film, the legacy of the Von Erichs is thriving beyond the bleak infamy. Here's what happened to the Von Erich family after the events of "The Iron Claw."
Sadly, there were even more deaths in the Von Erich family
"The Iron Claw" addresses the deaths of Jack Jr., David, Kerry, and Mike Von Erich, which is unfathomably sad enough as is. However, they were not the only Von Erichs to pass away under unfortunate circumstances. Chris Von Erich's story is loaded with heartbreak: The 5-foot 5-inch "runt" of the Von Erich litter, he endured asthma and a brittle bone condition developed as a result of his asthma medication. He tried in vain to wrestle like his big brothers, but was never able to reach the heights of their success. He would eventually also die by suicide. He passed away in 1991, four years after Mike's suicide and two years before Kerry's.
While the film has David dying in 1984 correctly, it doesn't include that he was married twice before his passing and had a daughter in 1978. Baby Natosha Zoeanna Adkisson passed away 13 weeks after birth because of sudden infant death syndrome. Mike Von Erich was also married before his passing, to a woman named Shani Garza in 1985. They did not have any children. Following the death of Fritz Von Erich, his ex-wife, Doris Adkisson, moved to Hawaii to live close to her remaining son Kevin and his family. She passed away in 2015 at the age of 82.
The Von Erich legacy lives on
In 2009, the Von Erich family was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, introduced by the family's longtime rival, Michael Hayes of The Fabulous Freebirds. Fritz, Kevin, David, Kerry, Mike, and Chris were all inducted, with Kevin presented with Hall of Fame rings for each of them. They also made additional rings for Kerry Von Erich's daughters, Hollie and Lacey. Lacey Von Erich later became the first to join the family business, wrestling for both WWE under a developmental contract and Total Nonstop Action (TNA) where she was a former TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champion. She retired from the ring in 2010, but in 2021 became part-owner of SWE Fury wrestling, a Texas-based promotion.
Kevin Von Erich has four children: Kristen, Jillian, David Michael Ross, and Kevin Marshall. He's also the proud grandfather of 13. His sons wrestle as a tag team under the names Ross and Marshall Von Erich and have been actively working in the independent circuits. They were eventually signed to Major League Wrestling, and the duo are former World Tag Team Champions. They are currently free agents, but recently appeared with their father for an exhibition match with All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
And yes, Kevin Von Erich unleashed the Iron Claw at the end to a roaring crowd.