The Iron Claw: The tragic story behind Zac Efron-fronted wrestling drama

New film from writer-director Sean Durkin is based on real-life wrestlers the Von Erich family

The Zac Efron-starring wrestling biopic The Iron Claw arrives in US cinemas this week.

The new film from writer-director Sean Durkin stars Efron as real-life wrestler Kevin Von Erich, with Jeremy Allen White as Kerry Von Erich, Harris Dickinson as David Von Erich and Stanley Simons as Mike Von Erich. Holt McCallany also stars as the brothers’ father Fritz Von Erich.

The Von Erich family are a real-life wrestling dynasty from Texas, who enjoyed enormous success throughout the Eighties.

“The Von Erich brothers were the biggest rock stars in wrestling to ever come out of Texas,” Efron explained in a recent making-of featurette about the film, with White adding: “They were God-like. They were like comic book heroes.”

However, outside the ring, the family were confronted by what became known as the “Von Erich curse”. By the time family patriarch Fritz Von Erich (real name Jack Adkisson) died of cancer in 1997, five of his six sons were already dead.

Firstborn Jack Jr died in a tragic accident in 1959 at the age of just six. In 1984, David Von Erich died at the age of 25 after contracting enteritis in Tokyo. Mike, Chris and Kerry Von Erich all died by suicide. Mike in 1987 at the age of 23, Chris in 1991 at the age of 21 and Kerry in 1993 at the age of 33.

Harris Dickinson, Zac Efron, Stanley Simons and Jeremy Allen White in ‘The Iron Claw’ (Eric Chakeen)

Kevin Von Erich is the last surviving son and told Durkin that he would only agree to the film if it showed how much he and his brothers loved each other. “I was able to say: ‘That’s what the movie is’,” recalled Durkin.

“I felt really comfortable,” said Von Erich. “I trusted him after that.”

He added that he was impressed with the cast’s handling of his family history: “There were certain things that [Efron] would say, or that Harris would say, and it was like I was listening to Dave.”

However, some changes were made to the family’s story when Durkin translated it to the screen. The director told Entertainment Weekly that the film omits youngest brother Chris in order to keep the film’s running time manageable.

Zac Efron and Sean Durkin on the set of ‘The Iron Claw’ (House Claw LLC.)

The true story of the Von Erich family

Fritz Von Erich was born Jack Adkisson on 16 August 1929, in Jewett, Texas. As a young man, he trained with the influential wrestling coach Stu Hart, who paired him with Canadian wrestler Walter Sieber as “evil German” brothers the Von Erichs. Sieber adopted the name Waldo Von Erich. Fritz went on to become one of the top stars in the National Wrestling Alliance throughout the Sixties, and in the Seventies served as the organisation’s president. He also wrestled in Japan, where he was known as “The Iron Claw” after the wrestling hold he helped popularise.

Fritz married Doris Smith on 23 June 1950. Together they had six sons before divorcing on 21 July 1992. Fritz Von Erich died on 10 September 1997, when lung cancer spread to his brain.

The couple’s first son Jack Jr died at the age of six after an accidental electrocution outside the family’s Niagara Falls home caused him to fall face-first into a puddle and drown.

Kevin Von Erich was born on 15 May 1957 in Belleville, Illinois, and went on to become a celebrated wrestler known as ‘The Golden Warrior’. He competed mostly in the Texas-based World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) and had memorable feuds with fellow wrestlers such as ‘Gentleman’ Chris Adams and Ric Flair.

Zac Efron and Kevin Von Erich at the premiere of ‘The Iron Claw’ in Los Angeles (Momodu Mansaray/Getty Images)

David Von Erich was born on 22 July 1958 in Dallas, and became known as ‘The Yellow Rose of Texas’. Like his brothers, he competed mostly in the WCCW. When he died in Tokyo while on tour with All Japan Pro Wrestling on 10 February 1984, his official cause of death was listed as acute enteritis. Enteritis is an inflammation of the intestines which can cause them to rupture. However, other theories suggest he could have had a fatal heart attack, while Ric Flair wrote in his 2004 autobiography To Be The Man that “everyone in wrestling believes” David died from a drug overdose.

Kerry Von Erich was born on 3 February 1960 in Niagara Falls. He achieved the greatest wrestling success of any of his brothers, and was known by the nicknames ‘The Modern Day Warrior’ and ‘The Texas Tornado’. In 1984, shortly after David’s death, Kerry Von Erich won the National Wrestling Alliance World Title from Ric Flair. He died by suicide on 18 February 1993.

Mike Von Erich was born on 2 March 1964 in Dallas, and was known as the ‘Inspirational Warrior’. He only started wrestling full-time after the death of his older brother David. He died by suicide on 12 April 1987.

Chris Von Erich, the youngest of the six brothers, was born on 30 September 1969 in Dallas. After a brief career in wrestling, he died by suicide on 12 September 1991.

The Von Erich family continues to compete in professional wrestling to this day. Kevin’s sons Marshall and Ross Von Erich are a tag team signed to Major League Wrestling, where they are former World Tag Team Champions.

Kerry’s daughter Lacey Von Erich competed in both World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) before her retirement in 2010.

The Iron Claw is in US cinemas from 22 December and will arrive in the UK on 9 February.

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