The Iron Claw
Summary
Because of the film ’s timeline of events , The Iron Clawexcludes much of Fritz Von Erich ’s animation before and during his 30 - year pro wrestling calling . The Iron Clawtells the honest story of the Von Erich family , a banding of brothers from Texas who followed in the footsteps of their father , Fritz Von Erich ( Holt McCallany ) , and dominated the pro hand-to-hand struggle scene in the ' 80s . However , the " cursed " Von Erich family also experienced immense disaster and loss . Every death inThe Iron Clawis filtered through the lens of the only surviving Von Erich brother , Kevin ( Zac Efron ) .
While the timeline of the film does n’t absolutely line up with the specific dates and times of real - life events , The Iron Clawchronicles the Von Erich brothers ' wrestling journey . The Iron Clawbegins sometime in the 1950s while Fritz was still wrestle , showing Doris ( Maura Tierney ) pregnant with Kerry and Kevin and David as children . After the opening shot , though , The Iron Clawskips forwards to 1979 after Kevin already started writhe . As a result , the bulk of Fritz Von Erich ’s aliveness and pro wrestling career before his son inscribe the ring are not depicted inThe Iron Claw .
The Iron Claw secern the true story of the Von Erichs , a legendary grapple family , but the film modify and left out some details about their lives .
Fritz Von Erich Attempted To Be A Professional Football Player Before Wrestling
He was also skilled at clarinet and track and field
Fritz Von Erich was born Jack Barton Adkissonon August 16 , 1929 , in Jewett , Texas . Fritz , who still went by Jack , graduated from Crozier Tech High School in Dallas , Texas , where he excelled in cut and bailiwick ( viaSlam Wrestling ) . As Doris reveals inThe Iron Claw , Fritz was also " classically trained on the clarinet " and gave up a euphony eruditeness to the University of Texas to play football game at Southern Methodist University .
After attend SMU from 1948 to 1949 , Fritz channelize to Corpus Christi University and continue to play football before dropping out . In June 1952 , after working as a firefighter , Fritz was signed to the NFL as a sentry go for the now - defunct Dallas Texans . However , as noted by Tim Hornbaker in his al-Qur’an , National Wrestling Alliance : The Untold Story of the Monopoly That Strangled Pro Wrestling , he cease up getting cut from the team and gave up his pro football dreams for skilful .
Fritz Von Erich & Doris Got Married In 1950 & Started A Family
The couple was married for 42 years and had six sons together
After leaving SMU,20 - year - honest-to-god Fritz married 17 - twelvemonth - old Doris on June 23 , 1950.They welcomed their first kid on September 21 , 1952 , and named him Jack Adkisson Jr. after his beginner . Next came Kevin , born on May 15 , 1957 , followed by David on July 22 , 1958 . As told by Kevin inThe Iron Claw , Jack Jr. tragically died at only six days old on March 7 , 1959 , as a result of an inadvertent electrocution and subsequent drowning . Though he passed long before the events of the film , Jack Jr is seen inThe Iron Claw ’s endingduring the afterlife prospect .
Less than a year later , Kerry arrived on February 3 , 1960 . After Mike was acquit on March 2 , 1964,Fritz and Doris welcome their 6th and final son , Chris , on September 30 , 1969 . However , The Iron Clawleaves the youngest Von Erich brother outentirely , as though Chris never exist . In real life , after Chris ' demise in 1991 mark the 4th child they ’d lost , Fritz and Doris got divorce in 1992 . Though they split before Kerry ’s death in 1993 ( which is render onscreen ) , in the motion picture ’s timeline , Fritz and Doris ' divorce happen afterThe Iron Claw .
The Iron Claw distinguish the true story of the Von Erich family of pro wrestlers and their tragic history , but it leaves out some key sept member .
Fritz Von Erich Began Wrestling In 1953 & Changed His Name
Jack Adkisson became Fritz Von Erich
Back in the ' L , after Jack Jr. was have and his attempts at a professional football career failed , Fritz switched career paths . stand at 6 infantry 4 and weighing upwards of 230 pounds , he was convinced to give squirm a guess by showman Ed McLemore , who owned the Dallas Sportatorium seen inThe Iron Claw . After training with celebrated Canadian wrestler Stu Hart , Fritz made his official entry as a professional wrestler under his dedicate name in January 1953 , competing in preliminary mates for McLemore and young man booster Maurice Beckat the Sportatorium .
Sometime over the next year or so , he adopted the ring name Fritz Von Erich , “ the German Giant from Munich,”and formed a tag team with his kayfabe " brother , " Waldo Von Erich . The Von Erichs ' controversial Nazi personasdrew ire from live crowds and television viewers alike and made them villains in the ring that viewer loved to detest . After Jack Jr. ’s death in 1959 , Fritz put a pause on his wrestling life history before returning to the ring in the ' 60s .
In professional grapple , " kayfabe " is a term that refers to the act of portray staged performances or kinetics as material or authentic in the closed chain , such as rivalries or familial relations , for the sake of promotion . Though they were n’t blood - related , Fritz and Waldo Von Erich were billed as " brothers"and exert this burlesque to the public .
In 1966 , Fritz partnered with McLemore , who had shown him the ropes of wrestling promotion and engagement and become somewhat of a mentor . Together , they bought out the Dallas / Fort Worth Wrestling Office , open up Southwest Sports , and launched the Big Time Wrestling furtherance , a territory of the National Wrestling Alliance ( NWA ) . In 1969,McLemore go bad of a heart onset and left the caller and the Sportatorium to Fritz .
Fritz continue grappling on the regional and home circumference and won numerous U.S. and World Championships in both Heavyweight and Tag Team division . His decade - spanning calling also take him to Japan , whereFritz splendidly grow and popularize his signature finishing move , The Iron Claw , which enliven the name of the moving-picture show . This clawhold also give him his Japanese nickname , Tetsu no Tsume , which roughly interpret to " The Iron Claw . "
The Iron Claw depict several famous real - life pro wrestlers but also features a phone number of cameos who have decades of corporate wrestling experience .
Fritz Von Erich Retired From Wrestling In 1982 To Promote WCCW
Fritz’s pro wrestling career spanned 30 years
Toward the end of the ' 70s , Fritz ’s three firstborn sons , Kevin , David , and Kerry , made their back - to - back wrestling introduction as teenagers and adopted the Von Erich byname . In 1982 , after 30 years of contend , Fritz decided to retreat and concentre on promote his sons through Big Time Wrestling , which he rename World Class Championship Wrestling ( WCCW ) . By the remainder of his pro wrestling career , Fritz was a three - time World Champion and a 20 - clock time NWA United States Champion . After the events ofThe Iron Claw , Fritz died of mastermind and lung malignant neoplastic disease on September 10 , 1997 , at 68 year honest-to-god .
Fritz Von Erich ’s Wrestling Titles
Promotion
Title
Number of Times Won
All Japan Pro Wrestling
NWA International Tag Team Championship
1
Big Time Wrestling
NWA United States Heavyweight Championship ( Detroit Version )
3
Maple Leaf Wrestling
NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Championship
Mid - Atlantic Championship Wrestling
NWA Southern Tag Team Championship ( Mid - Atlantic interlingual rendition )
NWA Minneapolis Wrestling and box Club / American Wrestling Association
AWA World Heavyweight Championship
NWA World Tag Team Championship ( Minneapolis version )
World Heavyweight Championship ( Omaha edition )
2
NWA Western States Sports
NWA International Tag Team Championship ( Amarillo version )
NWA North American Heavyweight Championship ( Amarillo version )
4
NWA World Tag Team Championship ( Amarillo edition )
Southwest Sports , Inc / NWA Big Time Wrestling / World Class Championship Wrestling
NWA American Heavyweight Championship
13
NWA American Tag Team Championship
7
NWA Brass Knuckles Championship ( Texas variation )
5
NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship
NWA United States Heavyweight Championship ( Texas interpretation )
NWA World Six - Man Tag Team Championship ( Texas version )
NWA World Tag Team Championship ( Texas Version )
Stampede Wrestling
Alberta Tag Team Championship
source : Slam Wrestling , Tim Hornbaker : National Wrestling Alliance : The Untold Story of the Monopoly That Strangled Pro Wrestling , The Smackdown Hotel
