'The Iron Claw's Von Erichs Were My Hometown Heroes Here's What It Got Right

The Big Picture

• The Iron Claw captures the rise and fall of the Von Erich family in wrestling, exploring their personal struggles and tragic fates.
• The film accurately portrays the Von Erichs' impact on Texas youth culture, highlighting their popularity and influence in everyday life.
• The tragic deaths of the Von Erich brothers left a lasting impact, with Kevin soldiering on in the face of devastating loss.

In the late 1970s and into the 80s, the television show Dallas was ubiquitous, and the biggest query across the country became, "Who shot J.R. Ewing?" But to me and most of the young men who lived here in Big D during that time, the exploits of a local wrestling family known as the Von Erichs were far more important. Of course, the Dallas Cowboys were big too, but Kerry, David, Kevin, and Fritz Von Erich were the most fabulous royal family in town (even though they lived an hour north in Denton). The A24 movie The Iron Claw more than adequately recounts the tragic tale of the brothers who all appeared ready for superstardom only to have their lives cut short by a series of tragic events that crushed this little kid's heart. As an elementary-age child, I can recall how every boy wanted to be a Von Erich, and every girl had a crush on one of them. They were the biggest, most badass cats in town, and Dallas was proud to call them native sons.

The Iron Claw (2023)

'The Iron Claw' Captures the Atmosphere of The Sportatorium

It definitely wasn't Buckingham Palace, but the Sportatorium was the Texas barn version where the Von Erichs held court. Located just south of downtown, close to the Trinity River, and near what is now the popular Bishop Arts Entertainment District, it was nirvana for me and my brothers. The Iron Claw does a wonderful job of recreating the middle-sized, low-tech arena, always stuffed to the rafters with wrestling-crazed fans. As a wee lad, my dad took us boys to witness the Von Erichs beat down whichever opponent that "wasn't from around here," like the Freebirds, Bruiser Brody, and Ric Flair. The Iron Claw accurately portrays what a Saturday night was like. Ford pickup trucks and Camaros were the order of the day, and Coors Light and Budweiser coolers were spread freely in the parking lot. I was a little too young to partake in the drunken rowdiness, so my dad kept me close to his leg as we waited in line to get in, but it was my earliest comprehension of what a party was supposed to look like. Our favorite heroes signed autographs on their way inside, as shown in the film, and finding out which Von Erich brother might make a surprise appearance was what made school during the weekdays go by faster.

Every Texan Kid Idolized the Von Erich Brothers

It wasn't just the weekends that were Von Erich-central — they were part of everyday life in school, too It also wasn't just the boys who couldn't shut up about them. The actors in The Iron Claw nail the likability and charisma of the Von Erich brothers, which is what made them idols and heartthrobs to kids in the area. The girl who sat next to me in social studies had an enormous crush on all the Von Erichs — particularly Kerry (played to perfection by Jeremy Allen White in The Iron Claw), who was the most popular with women and girls. We'll call her Stephanie to protect her anonymity, but suffice it to say that she didn't hear a word about Plymouth Rock or the Louisiana Purchase. Why? Because she was always doodling about her love for Kerry in her excellent Trapper Keeper binder. She would draw a giant heart pierced by an arrow with her initials SM + KVE inside. She was also rocking a collage of Von Erich boys (mostly Kerry) on the inside door of her little locker which was next to mine. Later, when she moved away, and I headed on to middle school, I often wondered how Stephanie dealt with the tragic events that would unfold, and how they occurred so close together.

‘The Iron Claw’ Makes a Mistake by Not Including All the Von Erich Brothers

Writer-director Sean Durkin purposely left out one Von Erich brother.

The Death of Each of the Von Erich Brothers Hit Hard

First, David (played by Harris Dickinson in the movie) died way too early. That one hit hard because, as The Iron Claw depicts so deftly, he was the voice on the mic who talked the talk and feuded with the outsiders so well. The movie also shows how he always brought levity to a family environment cultivated by competition and austerity. In the scene where Kevin can't get his lines right for the TV promotional spot, David is in the background giving his brother some good-natured ribbing. Dickinson's performance as David is fresh and stands out among all the Von Erich boys. When I close my eyes, I hear David's voice echoing throughout the Sportatorium. He beefed with the best of them, including the one and only "Nature Boy" Ric Flair (Aaron Dean Eisenberg), as shown in the film, who was the face of American wrestling before the Hulk Hogan era. I was young, but I still knew that he wasn't supposed to die so soon. Mike's health issues and suicide followed soon after, and I was already thinking about how all these things could happen to one family. After that, the "Von Erich Curse" started to be whispered in hushed tones. As one of five brothers myself who are all fortunate enough to be alive, I've always been in awe of how Kevin (Zac Efron) soldiered on in the face of such devastation.

The Von Erich Brothers Will Always Be Remembered and Adored

All the Von Erich brothers except for Kevin would die before reaching 35. When we hear that lone shot ring out when Kevin comes to check on his brother Kerry in the movie, it is the most stark and halting moment of the film. You know, at that moment, he is gone and Kevin is now without a brother. Kevin carrying Kerry inside is tough to watch, but seeing him sail to the pier to be with his dead brothers is a final moment of peace for the brothers. I was too young to remember which one died in which year, but the one death that I remember where I was, like most of my peers, was Kerry. Jeremy Allen White's portrayal of "the mini Conan the Barbarian," as we used to say, is spot on. Maybe it's because he had dealt with so much, both emotionally and physically, trying to cope with living as an amputee and having lost three brothers already. I was old enough to recognize the permanence of death when he died in 1993.

I was at high school football practice, and our coach ended the session an hour early because it was like a personal and collective gut punch. The "Von Erich Curse" continued and took the life of the brother that my friends and peers identified most closely with. This was no overreaction; the Von Erich (Atkisson) family was a part of the fabric of Dallas youth and sports, and continuing with practice just didn't feel right. Most of us still blame Fritz (played by Holt McCallany in the movie) for the so-called curse. His apparent endless meddling and insatiable drive to live vicariously through his sons surely killed David. In the film, an absence of true love and compassion from him and their mother, Dotti (Maura Tierney), contributes to the suicides of Kerry and Mike. In The Iron Claw, neither parent took the time to understand their sons' individuality. Everything — on screen and perhaps in reality — was about the family name first.

A fire damaged The Sportatorium beyond repair in 2001, and the building was demolished two years later. Whenever I drive down I-35 heading south and pass by the exit we used to take, many childhood emotions still run through my head. There's happiness in the joy that we shared as a family, but there's also an air of deep sadness surrounding the fate of the wrestling heroes who made a living in Dallas a hell of a lot more fun as a kid.

The Iron Claw is available to stream on MAX in the U.S.

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