Winning a promotion’s top championship is the pinnacle of business and often demonstrates who the head of the promotion feels can best lead the company into the future. On this day in wrestling history, May 6, 1984, Kerry Von Erich notched his claim as one of the best wrestlers in the world.
His family is synonymous with professional wrestling, but more for being cursed than their talent or exploits in the ring. The death of David Von Erich, who was further along the title hunt and expected to challenge for the NWA world championship, helped propel Kerry Von Erich into his feud with Ric Flair. While this is only speculation, there’s little doubt that had Kerry and his brothers avoided their tragedies, they each would’ve been among the greatest champions the sport has ever seen.
Pride of Texas
The Von Erichs were the wrestling family in Texas, sometimes viewed as the United States’ version of Canada’s Hart family. In 1984, it was felt it was time for him to take the next step, so he and the “Nature Boy” Ric Flair began working toward a championship match that could’ve changed the trajectory of both careers.
Their match was set for the First Von Erich memorial Parade of Champions that took place in Texas Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys.
The show was a full on celebration that was reminiscent of the largest events like WrestleMania as Kerry came out to Tanya Tucker’s “Texas” for this match. The impact of the upcoming title change even garnered attention from the WWE.
As is often the case with those looking to be great, Cody Rhodes offered his thoughts on this match.
(Special thanks to @awrestlinghistorian for the excerpt.)
“All I do is watch old wrestling. Fritz Von Erich actually said that David Von Erich himself was really close to being NWA World Heavyweight Champion. David’s untimely death put Kerry Von Erich in the title picture, but Kerry would’ve become the most popular of the Von Erichs regardless of what happened just off sheer look alone. Nobody looked more like a star than Kerry Von Erich.
“What I remember about that match was not just Texas Stadium in Dallas being outdoors and the huge amount of people there, but the end of the match came with a simple backslide. It was a really, really beautiful thing.” – Cody Rhodes in a WWE.com interview January 8, 2013.
More than a championship or tragedy
It’s easy to look back and think of the Von Erichs as a cursed family that crumbled under the expectations and ordeals of professional wrestling. We often forget they’re more than the characters they portrayed; forget that they were people, good and bad.
Sycho Sid, a retired wrestlers from WCW and WWE fame, recently spoke about Kerry Von Erich on his Instagram account.
“I got to work with Kerry Von Erich in World Class and this is a true story, he did an interview with Pro Wrestling Illustrated and he said in the magazine I was the toughest opponent he ever had and, believe it or not, that got to Jim Barnett and that’s how I got my job with WCW. Kerry was one of the nicest people I met and a gentleman. R.I.P.”
High praise and something we should take time to remember when watching wrestlers of the past and present create their own this day in wrestling history.
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