Fritz Von Erich (real name Jack Adkisson) started his athletic career as a Texas football player in the 1950s, but eventually pivoted toward the world of professional wrestling. At 6’4″ tall, he immediately drew the attention of Stu Hart (as in the father of Bret and Owen Hart) who was captivated by his size and visible Germanic appearance. He was immediately packaged as the villainous heel “Fritz Von Erich,” a Prussian Nazi character. Von Erich drew immediate heat for obvious “Nazis are bad guys” reasons, and while this character angle would eventually phase out throughout his career, the association with this character has been the source of many urban legends to “explain” what would eventually happen to the Von Erichs.

The second generation of Adkisson/Von Erich children would comprise of Jack Adkisson Jr., Kevin Von Erich, David Von Erich, Kerry Von Erich, Mike Von Erich, and Chris Von Erich. The first child, Jack Jr. died prematurely at the age of six when he was shocked unconscious by an exposed wire and fell face first into a mound of snow that eventually drowned him. The other five Von Erich children followed in their father’s footsteps by joining the wrestling business, and becoming bonafide wrestling superstars.

“We were family, we loved each other,” said Kevin Von Erich in his family’s episode of “Dark Side of the Ring.” He continued by saying, “We regarded our fans as people, not tickets.” There have always been rumors that the Von Erichs weren’t as heroic as they appeared, but given the circumstances of their eventual, cataclysmic demise and their legacy in the industry, many have chosen to let sleeping dogs lie.