The tragic true story behind 'The Iron Claw,' Zac Efron's new wrestling movie

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The legendary Fritz Von Erich and his sons made history in the world of professional wrestling in the 1970s and '80s. Now, the tragic story of the Von Erich family is coming back into the spotlight thanks to the upcoming sports drama "The Iron Claw."

The A24 film, out Dec. 22, follows the unexpected tragedies and deaths from the "curse" the close-knit family was said to have as they attempted to make a name for themselves in the world of wrestling and become heavyweight champions.

The cast features Zac Efron as Kevin Von Erich, Jeremy Allen White as Kerry Von Erich, Harris Dickinson as David Von Erich, Stanley Simons as Mike Von Erich, and Holt McCallany as family patriarch Fritz Von Erich.

Who were the Von Erichs? Are why are they said to have a curse? Read on to learn the true story of Texas' most famous wrestling family dynasty.

Who was in the Von Erich family?

Jack Adkisson, the Von Erich patriarch, is better known by his ring name Fritz Von Erich. He was a professional American wrestler who reached the heights of his fame in the 1960s and '70s before taking on more administrative roles in the industry.

Adkisson adopted the German name as part of the Nazi villain persona he cultivated — a "terrifying figure," per Dallas' D Magazine. He later switched to playing a good guy but kept the last name, which his entire family took on too.

Throughout his career, Fritz Von Erich became a star of professional wrestling and a pioneer of the sport in Texas, becoming the president of the World Class Championship Wrestling promotion based in Dallas and Fort Worth.

He made a name for himself through a trademark match-ending move called the Iron Claw, in which he would spread his hand over his opponent's face and squeeze it (hence the title of the film).

Five of Fritz Von Erich's sons — Kevin, David, Kerry, Mike and Chris Von Erich — became professional wrestlers themselves, with Kevin, David and Kerry Von Erich taking the top spots in the national limelight.

“Dad never, ever said we had to wrestle, or that we even ought to,” Kevin Von Erich told Dallas' D Magazine in 1988. “But we all knew what was going to happen in the end. It was inevitable. We were going to go into wrestling because we wanted to be just like our dad.”

The Von Erich family was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009.

What is the 'Von Erich curse'?

Fritz Von Erich's oldest son, Jack Barton Jr., was the only Von Erich brother who never had the chance to enter professional wrestling. At 7 years old, he was accidentally electrocuted by a live wire when playing in the trailer park where the Von Erich family lived in Niagara Falls, New York. He fell facedown in a puddle and drowned, per D Magazine.

Such began a slew of tragic events in the lives of the Von Erich brothers that ultimately left all but one of them dead. Between 1984 and 1993, three brothers each died by suicide a few years apart — which only pushed the narrative of the “Von Erich curse.”

“After all of this I went a little crazy,” Kevin Von Erich told ESPN in a 2019 "30 for 30" short called “Wrestling the Curse.” “I wanted to die, but I wasn’t going to kill myself. I wanted to go to prison and get in fights, and I wanted to be punished like I had done something. It was stupid.”

Who is part of the Von Erich family and what happened to them?

Fritz Von Erich

Fritz Von Erich passed away from brain and lung cancer in 1997 at the age of 68. He was married to Doris Adkisson, whom he had all six kids with. She moved to Kauai with Kevin Von Erich’s family and lived there until her death in 2015.

Kevin Von Erich

Kevin Von Erich became the oldest brother after Jack Barton Jr.'s death. At 66, he is the only Von Erich brother still alive.

After retiring from wrestling, Kevin Von Erich and his family moved to Kauai for years, but announced they were relocating to Texas in 2023. He has four children: two sons and two daughters.

“I knew I didn’t want to get old in the ring,” Kevin Von Erich said in a WWE feature. “The real thing that took me out of the business was that it wasn’t fun anymore. Everything reminded me of my brothers.”

Kevin’s sons, Ross and Marshall Von Erich, have also dived into the sport that launched their grandfather, father and uncles to fame, signing with Major League Wrestling in 2019. They are the longest-reigning tag team champions in MLW history.

In September, Kevin Von Erich launched a one-man show called “Stories from the Top Rope,” where he shared stories from his legendary career as a pro wrestler along with his brothers Kerry and David Von Erich.

David Von Erich

David Von Erich, known as “The Yellow Rose of Texas,” was the third son of Fritz Von Erich and Adkisson.

David Von Erich died suddenly from enteritis, an intestinal infection, in a Tokyo hotel in 1984, per the Dallas Morning News.

Kerry Von Erich

The fourth son, Kerry Von Erich, died by suicide at 33 in 1993. He was known as "The Modern Day Warrior" and "The Texas Tornado." Kerry Von Erich also wrestled in the early '90s in the then-WWF.

Mike Von Erich

Mike Von Erich, known as the "Inspirational Warrior," died by drug overdose in April 1987. He was 23, per the Baltimore Sun.

Chris Von Erich

The youngest brother, Chris Von Erich, died by suicide in September 1991 at the age of 21. Per the Baltimore Sun, his mother and a brother found him at the family’s 500-acre East Texas ranch. He is not portrayed in the film.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com