Where Do the Von Erichs Stand Among the Great Wrestling Families?

The Von Erich Family are forever immortalized with Friday's release of The Iron Claw, a major motion picture starring Zac Efron and Jeremy Allen White.

The story of a set of brothers who achieved incredible success in the pro wrestling industry amid a strict father. They experienced the highest of highs in their triumphs and the lowest of lows in several tragedies that have almost overshadowed their unprecedented success.

In preparation for the film's release, relive the incredible legacy of the family, including a look at the other wrestling families they stand alongside.

Who's who in the Von Erich family?

Fritz Von Erich: The patriarch of the family who transitioned from the gridiron to the squared circle, training under the legendary Stu Hart in Calgary before becoming a star as an evil German heel. He would achieve his greatest success as the booker, then owner, of the Dallas territory known as World Class Championship Wrestling before training his sons to be his promotion's top babyfaces.

He died in 1997 at the age of 68.

Kevin Von Erich: The eldest of the Von Erich wrestling brothers, the barefoot competitor battled legendary wrestlers from Ric Flair to Harley Race to Bruiser Brody throughout his career.

He won several championships, including the NWA American Heavyweight title from Brody, but would fall short of capturing the historic organization's world championship on several occasions.

Kevin, 66, is the sole surviving Von Erich brother.

David Von Erich: Considered by many to be the best wrestler of the legendary family, David was earmarked for success from the get-go. A big, tough worker, he won titles and inspired excitement about his prospects and the possibility that he could defeat Ric Flair for the NWA World Championship.

His feud with "Gorgeous" Gimmy Garvin gave way to some of the best television in the promotion's history, including a vignette in which Garvin lost and both he and his valet, Sunshine, had to work on the Von Erich farm for an entire day.

David died on February 10, 1984, at the age of 25, from acute enteritis.

Kerry Von Erich: Should have been the most successful of all of his brothers. He looked like an adonis, physically, and had success as a record-breaking discus thrower before stepping into the squared circle. A world-class athlete, pun not intended, he had all of the tools necessary to transcend WCCW and become a star on a national stage.

A motorcycle accident ultimately cost him his foot and meant that he would spend the rest of his career competing in a prosthetic. He never quite returned to the level of performer he was prior to that, but remained immensely popular and, arguably, was as charismatic as anyone in the family.

He competed for WWE after the demise of his family's promotion, where he won the Intercontinental Championship by defeating fellow Hall of Famer, Mr. Perfect.

Kerry committed suicide on February 18, 1993, at the age of 33.

Mike Von Erich: Mike never wanted to be a wrestler. He had other aspirations but ultimately found himself in the family business, where he teamed with his brother, Kerry, in battles against the Fabulous Freebirds.

A shoulder injury suffered during a tag team match in Israel led to surgery, after which Mike became ill, with a fever of 107 degrees. It was revealed that he had toxic shock syndrome and suffered brain damage as a result.

He would attempt a comeback but was never the athlete that he was before the injury and illness.

He died on April 12, 1987, at the age of 23 after overdosing on the sleeping aid Placidyl.

The brothers had two other siblings, both of whom met similarly tragic fates, lending to the idea of a "Von Erich curse."

Jack Jr. passed away at the age of six when he was electrocuted, fell face-first into the snow, and drowned. Chris, the youngest, died in 1991 at the age of 21 of a self-inflicted gunshot.

Being sons of an accomplished wrestler, who trained them from an early age to continue the family business and put pressure on them to be the biggest, fastest, quickest, best, and most successful they could be, had to weigh heavily on the Von Erichs.

Kerry felt shame for his run-in with the law, stemming from addiction to painkillers and other drugs, that had him facing jail time. Mike and Chris both felt immense pressure to live up to the example set by their brothers.

There are different reasons for the fates of the young men involved, none of which amount to a curse. It is impossible, though, to tell the family's story without recognizing the incredibly dark cloud that hangs overhead.

The Von Erichs revolutionized pro wrestling.

Fritz operated a promotion that forever changed the way pro wrestling was produced for television, thanks to Channel 39's Mickey Grant, who introduced new camera shots and rolled out instant replay.

The promotion also became the first on a grand scale to introduce popular, mainstream music for entrances of top stars. The Fabulous Freebirds (Michael "P.S." Hayes, Terry Gordy, and Buddy Roberts) did so first, predictably entering the world-famous Sportatorium in Dallas to Lynard Skynard's "Freebird" but it was only a matter of time before their protagonists did the same, and so on.

The show unabashedly featured WCCW's top stars and storylines, at a time when pro wrestling television was rife with squash matches in hopes of convincing fans to come out to the live events to see the marquee bouts.

The work on that side of the camera only enhanced what was going on in the squared circle, where the Von Erich brothers became larger-than-life stars. Young, handsome, in incredible shape, and naturally charismatic, they captured the attention and adoration of the fans in Dallas.

They were relatable because they were good, God-fearing, southern boys with upstanding parents. They were the picture of apple pie and Americana and they were as beloved as any other star in the business.

Kevin, David, Kerry, and Mike may have risen to the top of the promotion because they were sons of the promoter, but they worked hard and had the weight of their fathers' expectations on them. Their rivalry with the aforementioned Freebirds elevated the stature of the promotion, with the epic heel turn by Hayes on Kerry on Christmas night in 1982 being particularly excellent.

Booker Gary Hart focused his efforts on presenting the creative around the Von Erichs and told stories of brotherhood, friendship, and, ultimately, betrayal. With a cast of characters around Fritz's sons that included the Freebirds, "Iceman" King Parsons, "Gentleman" Chris Adams, Gino Hernandez, and others, the show captured the attention of wrestling fans away from Dallas, who either were lucky enough to watch the show on television in their market or read about it in the pro wrestling magazines.

So popular was the show that it arguably beat Saturday Night Live in the ratings, per the 2006 documentary, Heroes of World Class.

The Von Erichs were the driving force behind that product, its biggest stars, and proof that young athletes could be the focal point of an otherwise physical, grueling, aggressive wrestling show and attract and audience.

Their connection with the people of Texas made them idols to some and heroes to many.

Their triumph is often overshadowed by the tragedies surrounding the family.

For all that the Von Erich family accomplished, be it in the production style or the unprecedented success it achieved in Dallas as the biggest stars on one of wrestling's most popular shows, they are as synonymous with tragedy as anything.

It is impossible to tell their story without those details; incomplete without understanding the sad demises of the same men who became real-life Texas heroes to millions of wrestling fans.

The Von Erichs were among the biggest attractions in professional wrestling between 1982 and 86, fueling an industry that reached unfathomable heights during that period, and making Dallas a destination for other wrestlers to want to compete.

Except for Kevin, they also succumbed to the immense pressure of being Fritz's sons, television stars, and global heroes.

Their legacy more than anything, is complicated, but there is one certainty: they were the hottest act in professional wrestling during their magical run.

The Von Erichs were a classic wrestling family.

Fritz was the booker and veteran in-ring competitor who gave way to his sons, who absolutely benefited from nepotism but mostly because their father could trust them above all else to carry the family business.

After all, no one was going to be more loyal to World Class Championship Wrestling than those whose hard work helped keep it alive and whose livelihoods were a direct result of it.

Father and sons lived the business and helped revolutionize it, both in and away from the ring. Their contributions to the industry that is alive and well are still being seen and felt in WWE and AEW today.

The closest comparison to what the Von Erichs accomplished would be the Hart family.

Fritz's trainer, Stu, was the patriarch who ran Stampede Wrestling out of Calgary and relied on his family to help run every aspect of it.

Ditto The Funks. Dory Sr. promoted Western State Sports and created stars out of his sons, Dory Jr. and Terry.

In the case of the Von Erichs, the success was fleeting. As quickly as they rose to success with World Class Championship Wrestling in 1982, it was gone by the end of the decade. Tragedy, bad business decisions, and a changing landscape ultimately ended their run as one of the most influential families in the sport.

For that reason, more than anything, one would be hard-pressed to put them above the Harts, at least, with the Anoa'i family its multitude of champions and main event stars in WWE likely topping the list.

Still, there is no denying the Von Erichs' relevance, their contributions, or how enormously successful and truly popular they were at the height.

Kevin's sons, Ross and Marshall, carry on the legacies of their father, uncles, and grandfather today and recently made appearances on AEW TV.