The legend of the Von Erich wrestling family begins with father Fritz Von Erich. Born Jack Adkisson on August 16, 1929, and hailing from Jewett, Texas, Jack Sr. played football as an offensive lineman for the Dallas Texans in their one pro season in 1952 before entering professional wrestling. He married Doris Juanita Smith in 1950, and soon they had their first of six sons, Jack Adkisson Jr., in Dallas.
Jack Sr.’s first attempt at a character, a hometown firefighter, did not work out, but when he started shocking fans as Fritz Von Erich the Nazi, his legend immediately started to grow. At first, he predictably played the role of the “heel,” or bad guy, but in 1967 that changed and he started to embrace the “baby-face,” or good-guy, role. By that point, Jack Sr. had moved the family back to Texas after a stint in the northeastern U.S. He had four more sons — Kevin, David, Mike, and Kerry Adkisson — but had also lost one, Jack Jr., in 1959. He had a sixth son, Chris Adkisson, in 1969.
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Jack Sr. had a very successful 35-year career as a wrestler before his retirement in 1982, and he also founded the World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) organization that helped turn his sons into superstars. Sadly, Jack Sr. would outlive five of his six sons by the time he passed away in 1997. He died of a brain tumor after he was diagnosed with lung and brain cancer. He was 68 years old.
