Iron Claw is an upcoming sports drama film by Sean Durkin set to release on December 22, 2023. The film has garnered buzz for reasons other than its star-studded cast which includes Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Maxwell Jacob Friedman, Holt McCallany, and Lilly James. It is based on the true story of one of the most famous pro-wrestling families in the United States — the Von Erich family that popularized the “iron claw wrestling hold”.
What is an iron claw?
The Iron Claw was perfected by Fritz Von Erich during his wrestling days in the 50s. It is applied by grabbing the opponent on the head or shoulder by the palm and applying pressure through the fingers. If applied properly, it was a painful experience for the opponent as they would feel pressure exerted on their body from five different points compelling them to tap out. Later other members of the Von Erich family also used this technique against their opponent. Most recently this move has been used by The Great Khali in WWE, where he uses both hands instead of one. Dwayne Johnson in a recent podcast with Joe Rogan talked about the film and said that his father used to train in the Sportatorium in Texas that was owned by the Von Erich family, making people online curious about the story behind the film.
The Von Erich family
Fritz Von Erich, whose actual name is Jack Barton Adkinsson started wrestling in the early 1950s and adopted the German stage name “Von Erich” as part of his stage persona where he portrayed a Nazi heel. He had six sons, five of whom became wrestlers and held on to the stage surname, hence the “Von Erichs” became a popular wrestling family with strong, charismatic, and competitive personalities. They garnered enormous popularity in the 1980s and had fans all over the world, but their happiness was short-lived, and soon they became part of a tragic legend. Five of the six sons of Fritz Von Erich died one by one before he died in 1997, this phenomenon was named by the media as the “Von Erich curse”.
The Von Erich Curse
The Von Erich family story is the perfect mix of success and tragedy. They touched the sky of success, wealth, and popularity, and were once called “the Beatles of wrestling”. And soon five out of seven male members died prematurely. Fritz’s firstborn Jack Jr. died at the age of six from drowning in a puddle. The breakout star of the family David Von Erich, known for his fiery temper and memorable television appearances died from enteritis in 1984 at the age of 25. He was on tour for All Japan Pro Wrestling in Tokyo and died in his hotel room. David’s daughter Natousha Adkinsson tragically died of SIDS at just 13 weeks old.
Fritz’s three sons Mike, Chris, and Kerry all died by suicide. Mike killed himself near Lake Lewisville in 1987 by Placidyl overdose. Known for his guitar skills, he expressed the desire to be a musician but eventually followed his father’s instruction and remained in wrestling. He underwent shoulder surgery during a tour in Isreal, was diagnosed with toxic shock syndrome, and suffered brain damage too, resulting in an excessive loss of weight. He suffered a deadly car accident in 1986, and according to the eldest brother Kevin, he once purposely drove into a streetlight over his frustration with his condition.
The youngest of the family Chris, shot himself in the head in 1991 at the age of 21. He had several health conditions including asthma, and after Mike’s suicide, he fell into depression and drug abuse before eventually taking his life. Kerry Von Erich was known as “the Texas Tornado” debuted in 1978 and remained a wrestler till 1992. He lost a foot in an accident in 1986 but continued wrestling with the help of prosthetics. He shot himself in the chest on his father’s farm in 1992 at the age of 33. Like his younger brother Chris, he fell into depression and drug abuse and expressed the desire to join his brothers in heaven before taking his own life.
Kevin is the only one among Fritz’s sons who is still alive. He once said that “I used to have four brothers, now I am not even a brother”. It is depressing to think that a family went through so many unfortunate premature deaths, it indeed feels like a curse. But Kevin and other members of the current Von Erich family are alive and well. They have proved that every adversity can be fought and every so-called curse can be broken.
The film is yet to hit theatres so its authenticity and impact cannot be judged by the audiences yet. However, the early reviews of the film by the critics have been positive. Chris Gore from Film Courage called it “one of the best films of the year”. One critic called it “the Manchester By The Sea of the wrestling movies”. If the critics are to be believed, The Iron Claw might be the perfect movie for this Oscar season.
