 Von Erich,c. 1985 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Michael Brett Adkisson (1964-03-02)March 2, 1964 Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | April 12, 1987(1987-04-12) (aged 23) Lake Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Suicide |
| Family | Von Erich |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name | Mike Von Erich |
| Billed height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)[1] |
| Billed weight | 200 lb (91 kg)[1] |
| Trained by | Fritz Von Erich |
| Debut | 1983 |
Michael Brett Adkisson (March 2, 1964 – April 12, 1987) was an Americanprofessional wrestler under thering nameMike Von Erich. His four brothers,David,Kerry,Kevin andChris, also wrestled. He was the son of longtime Texas wrestler and wrestling promoterFritz Von Erich and a member of theVon Erich family.
Mike had five brothers:David,Kerry,Kevin, Jack andChris.[2] His father, longtime Texas wrestler and wrestling promoter,Fritz Von Erich, trained all his sons in professional wrestling.[2] Several wrestlers associated with Mike, such as his brother Kevin,King Kong Bundy,"Gentleman" Chris Adams,Gary Hart andJake Roberts, have all stated that he never wanted to be a wrestler. Instead, he wanted to work for his father's company,World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), as a cameraman. He played the guitar and wanted to be aguitarist.[3]
Mike made his debut on November 24, 1983, winning a match againstSkandor Akbar during "WCCW Wrestling Star Wars" at the Reunion Arena. He was then involved in several encounters withThe Freebirds. Von Erich andMichael Hayes brawled on October 17, 1983, in Ft. Worth, after Hayes ripped a jacket given to Mike by his brother Kerry. Mike teamed up with his brother Kevin againstTerry Gordy andBuddy Roberts on December 25, 1983. The only time Mike ever teamed up with his brother David was in January 1984 when, along with Kerry, they battled the Freebirds. Mike took David's place teaming with Kerry after David's death in February 1984.
WCCW tried to give Mike a feud of his own against Brian Adias in October 1986, since Kerry was out of wrestling with an ankle injury. Mike and Adias were to battle in a match atParade of Champions on May 3, 1987, but Mike died on April 12 of that year. His final match took place at the Sportatorium on April 3, 1987, against Mike Williams.
While wrestling for World Class, Mike ventured to Japan for the first and only time in his career, to wrestle forNew Japan Pro-Wrestling in January 1987, during theirNew Year Dash series tour. Even though he didn't wrestle for very long on that tour, Mike had a strong encounter with thenIWGP Junior Heavyweight ChampionShiro Koshinaka, facing him on January 3, in a losing effort. He also teamed with fellow foreigners such asTony St. Clair,Black Bart,Konga The Barbarian andThe Cuban Assassin against the likes ofAntonio Inoki,Tatsumi Fujinami,Osamu Kido andYoshiaki Fujiwara. However, he also enjoyed some success in it, scoring victories against veteranKantaro Hoshino, young lionShunji Kosugi and South Korean wrestler Kim Su Hong. After wrestling for 10 days in their tour, Mike returned home to America.
Mike was married on February 14, 1985, to Shani Danette Garza.[4] Mike and Shani divorced later that same year.[citation needed] He was a born-again Christian.[2]
He underwent shoulder surgery on August 22, 1985, due to an injury suffered during a wrestling tour ofIsrael.[5] He was released from the hospital but later he developed a fever of 107 °F (42 °C).[2] He was later diagnosed withtoxic shock syndrome.[2] He suffered somebrain damage as a result of his illness and lost a great deal of weight.[6]
In 1986, he suffered head injuries from a car accident in which his vehicle overturned after he lost control. In addition, Kevin cited an incident in which Mike attacked a streetlight in frustration over his current condition. Kevin once said that Mike also suffered from the pressure of having to "be David" after his brother's death. Since the beginning of his career, Mike felt pressure to succeed on the same level as his brothers.[2]
On April 12, 1987, Mike left asuicide note for his family, then went toLewisville Lake (originally known as Lake Dallas), where he drank alcohol and overdosed on the sleeping aidPlacidyl. A few days before his death, Mike had been arrested forDUI andmarijuana possession.[2][7] His body was found four days later and buried at Grove Hill Memorial Park in Dallas.
Starting in 2001, Von Erich was part of the video gameLegends of Wrestling series, first appearing inLegends of Wrestling as an unlockable character and inLegends of Wrestling II (2002).
In 2009, he was inducted into theWWE Hall of Fame along with his family. He was inducted by FreebirdMichael Hayes. It was accepted by his surviving brother Kevin.
In 2019, Mike's story was covered as part of theDark Side of the Ring episode on the Von Erichs.
The 2023 filmThe Iron Claw depicts the Von Erich family story, with Mike (whose story was fused with brotherChris's) being played byStanley Simons.
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