Summary

• The Iron Claw is a biographical sports drama about the Von Erich family, including their rivalries in professional wrestling, particularly with Ric Flair.
• The film portrays the story of the Von Erichs, although some details and people were omitted from the script.
• Ric Flair's role in the film is significant as he was involved in a memorable match against Kerry Von Erich, who wrestled in place of his late brother, David, in 1984.

The Iron Claw revolves around the Von Erich family and their influential role in the professional wrestling world, including a couple of monumental fights against Ric Flair. Ric is a professional wrestler (in real life and on the screen) who often faced the Von Erichs in the ring for important matches. The 2023 biographical sports drama film is based on the true story of the Von Erich family, including the patriarch, Fritz, who started the wrestling dynasty and relentlessly pushed his sons to continue his legacy (resulting in them fighting people like Flair).

The Iron Claw, starring Aaron Dean Eisenberg as Ric Flair, is available to stream on Max.

Aside from Ric and Fritz, some of the other real-life characters in the movie are Fritz's wife, Doris, and their four sons, Kevin, Kerry, David, and Mike — their first child, Jack, died when he was six, and their sixth son, Chris, was left out of The Iron Claw entirely. The film does its best to portray the Von Erich family's story as accurately as possible, even if director and writer Sean Durkin had to omit details, events, and people from the script. However, Ric could not have been excluded from The Iron Claw, given his importance in the true narrative.

Ric Flair's Role In The Iron Claw Explained

Ric Flair Plays An Important Role In The 2023 Film

Throughout the Von Erich family's time in professional wrestling, each member had their fair share of rivalries with other fighters. In particular, one of Kerry Von Erich's most formidable opponents was Ric Flair, the Nature Boy. But David Von Erich was Ric's rival before Kerry and Ric's feud. Ric, the world champion at the time, was supposed to fight David for the National Wrestling Alliance heavyweight title in 1984. Sadly, David died from acute enteritis in Japan just before the match was scheduled to take place, making the match against Ric a significant moment in The Iron Claw.

Ric [Flair] is in The Iron Claw because he played a significant role in the Von Erich family's life (especially in the months following David's death).

Kerry and Kevin flipped a coin to see who would wrestle Ric in their late brother's place. Kerry won the coin flip and later honored David's memory by defeating Ric during the match. The victory was undoubtedly a highlight in Kerry's career, and he would continue to face off against Ric multiple times before Kerry tragically died in 1993 (which some attribute to the Von Erich curse that allegedly took many lives). So, Ric is in The Iron Claw because he played a significant role in the Von Erich family's life (especially in the months following David's death).

Who Plays Ric Flair In The Iron Claw

Aaron Dean Eisenberg Plays The Famous Wrestler In The Biopic

Aaron Dean Eisenberg portrays professional wrestler Ric Flair in the 2023 biographical sports drama. Before appearing as the famous athlete in the movie, Eisenberg had roles in television shows such as Gossip Girl, Blue Bloods, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Public Morals, The Deuce, and Joe Pickett. However, Eisenberg is now garnering a lot of attention for playing Ric Flair in The Iron Claw.

Why There's Backlash Surrounding Ric Flair's Depiction In The Iron Claw

Some Were Unhappy With The Movie's Portrayal Of The Wrestler

Following the release of The Iron Claw in December 2023, the movie and Aaron Dean Eisenberg received some backlash for the movie's portrayal of Ric Flair. Some believed that Eisenberg's performance as the professional wrestler was inaccurate and felt more like an impersonation than a faithful representation of Ric. According to Wrestling Inc., Eisenberg tried to defend his depiction of Ric in The Iron Claw. He said:

"A lot of it, for me, was about the stakes for the Von Erichs because of their relationship to their father and what it meant to the family to get this belt. It felt like the stakes were so high for them, that my take on it became a more serious thing than Flair was in real life. It was a darker take on him. It's been a bummer that a subsection of the wrestling community has been like ... it made them mad. It feels like it pissed them off. I just wish they understood what it was as opposed to thinking I went for a mimic of Ric Flair and I missed."

Source: Wrestling Inc.