He recalls a wrestling match in Wichita Falls where he was invited to be the celebrity judge at a Halloween costume contest for kids. Von Erich says he'd lift up each kid to show off their costume and stand them on the top rope so everyone could see and cheer the little ones.
"This one little girl dressed as a witch kept backing away from me," he says. "She was the last little girl, and she was heavy. I didn't realize how heavy. So I picked her up, and the rope popped."
Von Erich says he worried someone would start to snicker and the crowd would follow and humiliate this cute kid in her costume. He says he continued to champion this brave "witch," and the crowd didn't make a sound.
"I was so proud of the people of Wichita Falls because it would've broken her heart," Von Erich says. "They didn't make a sound. That was my greatest moment. It's so good to have something that gives you some gratification rather than just another day, another dollar."
Kevin is the second-oldest and last living son of the equally legendary wrestler Fritz Von Erich (real name Jack Adkisson), whose family built a wrestling kingdom in North Texas. The Von Erichs' story, including all of their successes and struggles, serves as the basis for an upcoming film called The Iron Claw, named for the signature move of Fritz the German Bomber. Zac Efron will star as Kevin alongside The Bear's Jeremy Allen White as Kevin's brother Kerry, Harris Dickinson as David Von Erich and Mindhunter's Holt McCallany as the family patriarch.
Von Erich says when he heard about The Iron Claw movie, he wanted to maintain some control over his family's story. So he decided to tell his story directly to his fans in a live Q&A show called Stories from the Top Rope on Friday, Sept. 1, at the Majestic Theatre. The event will be hosted by former WFAA sportscaster and commentator Dale Hansen.
"I caught wind of this movie coming out, and it's kind of a shocking thing," Von Erich says. "I don't know what I'm gonna say or anything."
Kevin Von Erich says he wants to tell the full story about his family in his show at The Majestic after all the misinformation that has spread across the internet.
WCCW/Buddy Rogers
"[Durkin] said this was a labor of love," Von Erich says. "[Durkin] said he always wanted to do this. It's something he wanted to do in his life and I think it could really be something good."
Von Erich has reason to be concerned. Thanks to the lack of fact checkers, the internet has spread a lot of unfounded rumors about the Von Erichs' story, even in the midst of very real tragedies in the family's life.
"That's what was tearing at me," Kevin says. "If you're gonna go by what's on YouTube, you get a bunch of crap out there. These wrestlers commenting on it hardly knew me, to talk about [how] we were like this or always on drugs. It's just not true."
He also wants to set the record straight about his father, whom he describes as "a strong man" who "demanded a lot from people but he gave his best.
"All of the great promoters cherished every word my dad said," Von Erich says. "My dad's handshake was considered like a contract. If he gave you his word, it wasn't gonna be broken. He used to tell me a man's only as good as his word. Never break your word."
Von Erich says he's ready to talk about his family to put his legacy into perspective and to address a wrestling industry that's changed and grown in ways no one could've predicted.
"I don't mind that a bit," Von Erich says. "I probably should be, but I'm kind of looking forward to it. I'm gonna be talking to people who've been my neighbors for so long. We didn't act like big shots. We knew the fans loved us, and we loved them. We never did have talent agencies or many big media machines pitching us. It was all organic, all word of mouth. The way we saw our fans, they are really our loved ones. It's just different now. We didn't consider them like a ticket."
