Summary
- The tragic story of the Von Erich wrestling family explores addiction, mental health, and untimely deaths.
- The Iron Claw showcases the personal struggles and lasting impact of the Von Erich family in wrestling history.
- Through heart-wrenching narratives, the film captures the legacy of the Von Erich brothers in a poignant manner.
This article discusses issues around drug addiction, mental health, and suicide.
The Iron Claw told the tragic story of the Von Erich wrestling family and depicted the brothers at different points throughout their lives. With life stories that were categorized by one heartbreaking event after another, many of the Von Erichs had untimely deaths and suffered from addiction issues, mental health troubles, and a myriad of personal problems. While the story of The Iron Claw was seen through the eyes of the only living brother, Kevin Von Erich (Zac Efron), the harrowing circumstances of the entire legendary wrestling family’s existence were captured throughout.
While not every Von Erich brother was depicted in The Iron Claw, most of the siblings were seen throughout the film, and the eldest son, who died before the events seen on screen, even made a brief appearance. While showcasing the heart-wrenching personal lives of the Von Erichs as well as the many wrestling matches seen in The Iron Claw, writer and director Sean Durkin captured a part of wrestling history that was unknown to the majority of the general public with pathos and vulnerability. While so many of the Von Erichs died tragically young, their legacy lives on in The Iron Claw.
|
The Von Erich Brothers |
Date Of Birth |
Portrayed By |
|---|---|---|
|
Jack Adkisson Jr. |
September 21, 1952 |
Romeo Newcomer |
|
Kevin Von Erich |
May 15, 1957 |
Zac Efron |
|
David Von Erich |
July 22, 1958 |
Harris Dickinson |
|
Kerry Von Erich |
February 3, 1960 |
Jeremy Allen White |
|
Mike Von Erich |
March 2, 1964 |
Stanley Simons |
|
Chris Von Erich |
September 30, 1969 |
Not featured in The Iron Claw |
6 Jack Adkisson Jr.
September 21, 1952 - March 7, 1959
The sad story of Jack Jr. was the first in a series of tragic events for the Von Erich wrestling family, as he died at just six years old before the events of The Iron Claw. Jack Jr.'s death loomed large throughout The Iron Claw as the family struggled with the “Von Erich curse” that haunted their family, and his passing was just the first of many untimely deaths for the brothers. After Jack Jr.’s death, Kevin became the oldest living brother, although he struggled with this new role and, when questioned, would state, “I’m not the oldest.”
On March 7, 1959, Jack Jr. stepped on a trailer tongue and was electrocuted, which caused the young boy to fall into a puddle of melting snow and drown. The Iron Claw did not expand on the details of Jack Jr.’s death, but he did briefly appear in the scene where Kerry was reunited with his brothers in the afterlife and was played by Romeo Newcomer. Only Kevin was born before Jack’s passing, so none of the other Von Erich brothers ever got to know their oldest sibling, although they all felt the ripple effects of his important and heartbreaking legacy.
5 Kevin Von Erich
May 15, 1957
Kevin Von Erich is Fritz Von Erich's last surviving son, and the story of The Iron Claw was primarily told through his life experiences. Zac Efron was 35 years old when he portrayed Kevin in a career-defining performance, and although he was briefly seen as a young child in the opening black-and-white scene, he was 22 during the first wrestling match in 1979. The Iron Claw took viewers through the 1980s as Kevin succeeded as a professional wrestler and pursued his dream of becoming the World Heavyweight Championship and gaining his father’s approval.
Kevin married Pamela J. May in 1980, when he was just 23, and they had four children together. In 1983, at 26, Kevin finally got his chance at the Heavyweight Championship title in a match against Ric Flair, for which he was disqualified for using his family’s signature iron claw move for too long while grieving the recent loss of David and Mike. The Iron Claw ended with the title card that revealed Kevin, along with his brothers, were inducted into the WWE half of fame in 2009, when he was 52. In 2024, Kevin's 67 years old.
The Iron Claw ended with a title card that told Kevin's story after the events of the film and stated: “Kevin and Pam have been married for 40 years. They bought a ranch, and everyone came to live with them. All four children and thirteen grandchildren.”