.jpg) Von Erich in 1977 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jack Barton Adkisson (1929-08-16)August 16, 1929 Jewett, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | September 10, 1997(1997-09-10) (aged 68)[3] Lake Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Brain and lung cancer |
Spouse | |
| Children | 6, includingKevin,David,Kerry,Mike, andChris |
| Family | Von Erich |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Fritz Von Erich Tetsu no Tsume (Iron Claw) Jack Adkisson[1] |
| Billed height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm)[2] |
| Billed weight | 260 lb (118 kg)[2] |
| Billed from | Denton, Texas Munich, Germany Berlin, Germany Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Trained by | Stu Hart |
| Debut | 1953[1] |
| Retired | 1982 |
Jack Barton Adkisson Sr. (August 16, 1929 – September 10, 1997), better known by hisring nameFritz Von Erich, was an Americanprofessional wrestler, wrestling promoter, and the patriarch of theVon Erich family. He was a 3-timeworld champion and a 20-timeNWA United States Champion. He was the owner ofWorld Class Championship Wrestling.[4]
Adkisson was born inJewett, Texas on August 16, 1929. He was theonly child of Benjamin Rush Adkisson Jr. and his wife Coren.[5] He attendedCrozier Tech High School inDallas, where he was active infootball andtrack and field, particularly inshot put anddiscus throwing.[5]
He attendedSouthern Methodist University initially on a music scholarship, where he continued to perform in athletics.[5] He later transferred to theUniversity of Corpus Christi.[5] However, he dropped out following an ankle injury and to take care of his ill grandmother.[5] Between 1951 and 1952, he worked as afirefighter.[5]
He has been reported to have played with the now defunctDallas Texans of theNFL (not theAFL team which became theKansas City Chiefs),[6] but this is not true.[7] He was signed as a guard but was cut.[8] He then tried theCanadian Football League (CFL).
Adkisson debuted as aprofessional wrestler under his real name in August 1952, under the auspices of local promoter Ed McLemore.[5] After relocating to New England in 1953, he adopted a newheel persona and ring nameFritz Von Erich, billed fromMunich, Germany (or sometimesBerlin).[5] Wrestling historian Steve Johnson credits the gimmick to promoters Tony Santos andJack Pfefer, who felt Adkisson's Texasbabyface gimmick would not work in New England.[5] Years later, Von Erich would claim "Erich" was his mother's maiden name,[9] though this has not been substantiated.[5]
While inEdmonton, he met wrestler and trainerStu Hart, and Hart decided to train and book him in hisKlondike Wrestling promotion. Hart gave teamed him withkayfabe "brother"Waldo Von Erich.
Von Erich's oldest son Jack Barton Adkisson Jr. was born September 21, 1952. He died in 1959 after an accidentalelectrocution anddrowning, and Jack Sr. stopped traveling to the east coast, allowing former partner Waldo to use the Von Erich name in theWorld Wide Wrestling Federation.
Despite Jack Jr.'s death, Von Erich continued to travel and wrestle. Von Erich won both versions of theAWA World title in 1963. His major circuit wasSam Muchnick'sNWA territorialstronghold inSt. Louis, Missouri. He wrestled there until 1967, when he voluntarily left the territory after losing a match for theNWA World Heavyweight Championship against then-championGene Kiniski.[10] In the late 1960s, with Muchnick's backing, Von Erich became the promoter for theDallas area, effectively overseeing theHouston andSan Antonio territories, as well.[10]
Von Erich was a part of rebuildingJapanese wrestling after the stabbing death ofRikidōzan in 1963. He became a star due to his feuds withAntonio Inoki andGiant Baba, and his "Iron Claw" hold, which became one of the most popular wrestling moves in Japan.
In 1982, he held his first retirement match againstKing Kong Bundy in the newly renamedWorld Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) promotion, based in Dallas. The promotion was known for its high production values, use of entrance music and the use oftelevision syndication. He wrestled his last match on November 27, 1986, defeating Abdullah the Butcher by disqualification in Dallas. By the end of the 1980s, the promotion's talent pool was thin and it was eventually merged withJerry Jarrett'sContinental Wrestling Association to create theUnited States Wrestling Association in 1989.
Von Erich was part of the video gameLegends of Wrestling series, first appearing inLegends of Wrestling (2001) as an unlockable character, inLegends of Wrestling II (2002) andShowdown: Legends of Wrestling (2004). Also appeared in the video game; Giant Gram 2000: All Japan Pro Wrestling 3 (2000) onSEGA.
In 2019, Von Erich was covered as part of theDark Side of the Ring episode on the Von Erichs.
Von Erich married Doris J. Smith on June 23, 1950.[11] Together, they had six sons, includingKevin,David,Kerry,Mike andChris. The couple divorced on July 21, 1992.
Von Erich died of brain and lung cancer at his home inLake Dallas, Texas on September 10, 1997.[12]
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 son Kevin.
The 2023 filmThe Iron Claw depicts the Von Erich family story, with Fritz played byHolt McCallany.
search historical players, Jack Adkisson
,Internet Wrestling Database| Preceded by | President of theNational Wrestling Alliance 1975–1976 | Succeeded by |
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