All about: David Von Erich

David Von Erich was an American professional wrestler, who was widely known as the 'Yellow Rose of Texas' when he was competing in the 1970s and early 1980s. He was the son of Fritz von Erich, and a part of the famed American wrestling Von Erich family, whose real name was Adkisson. This article is all about the life and career of David Von Erich.

Overview

David Alan Adkisson, to give him his real name, was born on 22 July 1958, and was named after a brother of his mother's, who had died of a brain tumour soon before he was born. The Adkissons, or Von Erichs, were a famous wrestling family, and David was the brother of Jack Jr., Kerry Von Erich and Kevin Von Erich, as well as Mike and Chris. A promising high school athlete who had excelled in basketball and American football, Adkisson dropped out of education after wining a scholarship to North Texas State University to play those two sports. Instead of pursuing a career as a college athlete, Adkisson opted instead for a career in professional wrestling, adopting the stage name David Von Erich in 1977.

Career

Fieriness and passionate nature Von Erich's perceived fieriness and his passionate nature made him a hit with wrestling fans in the USA, and he would enjoy a career behind the scenes as well as in the ring, helping with the guiding concepts and underlying story arcs of the shows. Von Erich made one appearance as part of a World Wrestling Foundation card in 1979 at Madison Square Garden, where he fought Davey O'Hannon. Prior to that, he had defeated NWA champion Harley Race in Missouri. Pantomime villain In the early 1980s, Von Erich worked in Florida, largely as a 'heel', which is a type of professional wrestler who adopts the persona of a pantomime villain. During this time, Von Erich was managed by James J. Dillon, and was part of a stable of wrestlers which included Kendo Nagasaki and Jimmy Garvin, with whom Von Erich would enjoy a long-running and manufactured 'feud'.

Other points

Von Erich was married twice, firstly to Candy L. McLeod, with whom he had a daughter who died in infancy, and lately to Patricia A. Matter. Von Erich's death Von Erich died in Japan in 1984, with there being much speculation as to the real cause of his death. Some accounts maintain that Von Erich died of a drugs overdose, but other people insist that the star suffered a heart attack due to intestinal ruptures. He had reportedly been complaining of pain in his abdomen in the weeks leading up to his passing.