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Pro Wrestlers on How the Von Erichs were in Real Life - Behind WCCW Wrestling
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- Опубликовано: 19 дек 2020
- Find out what the legendary Von Erichs were really like in real life, backstage WCCW Wrestling ➤ TitleMatchNetwo...
Enjoy this exclusive feature discussing Fritz, David, Kerry, Kevin, Chris & Mike, behind the scenes of World Class Championship Wrestling.
The wrestling legends on this Von Erichs include One Man Gang, Demolition (Bill Eadie, Barry Darsow), Bam Bam Bigelow, The Grappler, Tito Santana, Bushwhackers, Pat Tanaka & Black Bart.
Timecodes:
00:02 One Man Gang
03:43 Demolition
04:25 Bam Bam Bigelow
07:12 The Grappler
09:27 Pat Tanaka
13:33 Tito Santana
14:37 Bushwhackers
15:14 Black Bart
➡TitleMatchNetwo...
Title Match Media LLC digitally remastered the original raw footage, including color correction and advanced audio editing specifically for this RUclips release.
Timecodes:
00:02 One Man Gang
03:43 Demolition
04:25 Bam Bam Bigelow
07:12 The Grappler
09:27 Pat Tanaka
13:33 Tito Santana
14:37 Bushwhackers
15:14 Black Bart
➡TitleMatchNetwork.com
Thanks for the timestamp breakdown!
Wrong
Sad that Bigelow is no longer with us.
@@troylowe814BAM BAM in Peace
18:00 More black Bart please 😂
If only Kerry knew how much he would have been respected and praised wrestling at such a high level with one foot . Its such a damn shame
Everyone I have ever heard speak of Kerry says he was the nicest, sweetest, most thoughtful guy. That is an awesome testimony to have. Despite the demons in his life, even in all the pain he must have been in, he was still a good-hearted soul. May we all be thought of so highly by our peers.
Completely by accident I worked out with him once around 1985. Couldn't have been nicer.
David Von Erich was on the brink of super stardom and in my opinion the Von Erich Family had a hard time rebounding from his death.
I disagree. If that was the case Kerry wouldn’t have been nwa or intercontinental champion afterwards. I think once Fritz started declining and then pulling away from the business, that’s when they started declining. Remember, Fritz was the clean up man for them. They get wasted, he sends Ken mantell or Brody in on clean up duty. They get sick or miss a show, Fritz rearranges the booking. They were really daddy’s boys, like for real for real. The real sad part was that since Fritz played favorites, Kevin missed out on a lot of pushes and opportunities when quite honestly he was the better wrestler (whereas Kerry was the better all around Athlete, Kev was better in the ring). Fritz was done after David but he knew he had more responsibility so he soldiered on. By the time like 85 or 86 came around and the heart attack angle popped up he along with the promotion was done as far as ‘Von Erichs’ go. If Fritz was still involved with wrestling overall as a business and not just his sons and close friends he could’ve made something of WCCW. Remember, when Joe Blanchard defaulted on payment and lost his slot with the USA network (pre WWF I’m talking, the USA network was only 3 years old at this time) the very next company they went to was WCCW to get a weekly show for Sunday mornings but Fritz declined (either on his own accord or because of the unanimous NWA board vote I don’t know.)to do it. I think had he not become jaded on the business the Von Erich sons would have done a lot better.
@@ludotoyhunter8492 Your comment basically supports my comment. I said David Von Erich was on the brink of super stardom. Many experts in the wrestling business including wrestlers feel the same way. He would have defeated Ric Flair for the NWA World Heavyweight Title in Texas. Who knows if his brothers would have had drug problems specifically Kerry if he didn't pass away.
@@KD_SWAGGERI think Wccw would've survived a little longer if David didnt die. Dude was the complete package and was still very young. He would've became a mega star forsure
@@mattrice3993 Agreed!
Yep David was the total package
Who would have taken odds in 1984 that One Man Gang would outlive damn near EVERYBODY? Good on you, George.
Von erichs were incredible especially with the freebirds feud ! Sad that all these tragedies had to happen !
Them and the 2nd Dynamic Duo
Von erics and the freebirds I had some of the best matches ever they were my introduction to pro wrestling.
I remember Kerry as MDW ie. The Modern Day Warrior
WOW - Pat Tanaka said he accidently pulled off Kerry's leg and then everyone acted as if it did not happen. Kerry was very liked
Yeah! They were looking out for their buddy!👍
Leg❓ what leg❓
I didn't see anything👀
That's how bad ass he was. Fighting with one foot.
@@dhare07 agreed
Everyone needs a Friend like Pat.
Pat Tanaka sounds like a real chill dude.
Tanaka is a good friend to have. You can tell he knows more,but he doesnt tell to protect his friends.
David Von Erich was the truth, of all the brother's he had pure Wrestling skills.
He was touched in a personal way
Grew up in the Dallas area near where the Von Erichs lived. It's hard to express how huge they were. WCCW did a fundraiser for our football team's booster club in the Spring of '83. I got to ring the bell. By bell I mean a tire rim that was hung by a rope from the ring apron that I wailed on with a hammer. Fun memory.
I used to watch it with my grandma every Saturday night KTVT Channel 11 back in the day
KTVT Channel 11 The Super Ones
Championship Sports.Big Time Rasslin’before that.
Those old channels man.... Miss it
Same!!! I’m an East Texas girl!!
Lol... my grandma, my cousin, and me... staying "up late" to watch the wrasslin and all three of us sleeping during the church service the next morning. Good times.
I'm glad to say that I was blessed to live in that era! The von erichs were phenomenal! They were the only reason that wrestling was big in the sportatorium in my day and time! If they weren't on the card we weren't interested in going 🤗 Friday night at the sportatorium and Saturday night on channel 11..
a pallet on the floor in front of the TV and a big bowl of popcorn cooked in a cast iron skillet!!!! Man those were the days 🤗😍
Almost identical to my household growing up. We always sat where the heels left the ring. I remember being so scared of the Kamala. 😆
Same here except my family hated wrestling so I got rid of the family lol
Lucky !!!! I remember racing home from school just to catch WCCW on ESPN a t 4 o clock !
@@Brando-Lee3725same here. Late 80’s early 90’s in NY it played on ESPN after school.
Man them were the good oldays 80ies rocked for a 9 to 13 year old😂
I grew up in Fort Worth, TX and I remember watching them on TV every Sat night with my grandma. They would film wrestling matches in the FW stockyards.
I remember every Friday or Saturday at 10 pm to 12 pm wccw. Damn I lived to watch them fight. It wasn't as fake as folks think. At the sportatorium. One night Kerry and Michael Hays threw down in that Gravel parking lot for real!! About 100 mf's watching. Kerry picked him up..Threw him threw a windshield of some dudes Buick Rivera. True Story. Then I heard gun shots. We all took off running. FACTS
You mean 12am?
@Stony420 yep my bad I was high
@@Stonymoj But True Story!!
I grew up in Ft.Worth. My Poppy would take us to the sportatoriam and Will Rogers, we'd go once or twice a month. I had Kevin and Kerry's autographs. I absolutely loved Andre the Giant. Saw him twice. Such good memories.
Grew up in Ftw, TX. Watching them on TV every Sat night. Dad even got me to some live shows at Will Rogers Coliseum ❤
I love the workmanship these guys have. It's very telling about these guys. It shows what top notch performers are like.
I can honestly say they were very very nice to me and my friends as a kid they would sit in the stands in my hometown and was very approachable
Even outside the arena he was a great guy. We felt every loss deeply. Denton born felt as close to family without being blood. Meet Kerry twice each time a hug and huge as smile. Loved them all and Kevin teaching and training his boys and Lacey doing her thing now. I'm forget a Von Eric fan💖💖💖
It was the 80's The Von Erich's we're not the only wrestlers doing drugs
The same ones that were talking poorly about them we're probably the ones doing drugs alongside him
Well considering the fact Bam Bam Bigelow did indeed die of a drug overdose I don't think he room to say much of shit for the interview he did.
True but the Von Erichs were portrayed as All American God fearing Good’Ol boys. In fact when Kerry was busted for pot, they spun it that Michael PS Hayes planted it on him. It didn’t help WCCW when the truth came out.
Probably getting the drugs for them!!
@@spidey1z Pot.. smh. Weed, Green.
2021 And say "POT"... lol
None these were no better expt tanaka black bart was drunk n coke head
Up here in western Canada, us poor kids with just cable and not a 20 foot satellite dish in our back yards only had Stampede wrestling in the late 70s/ early 80s. And then the WWF and AWA in 84 ish. Stampede will always be bar none my favorite Indy style promotion but I would have killed as a kid to see this (Frits's) promotion and all the other great ones in the States! I'm still grateful and blessed to see all the Harts and a young Benoit, plus the infamous ROAD WARRIORS in their prime!
In the mean time, and in between time...
That first wrestler One Man Gang/African Dream? I haven't seen either one in a long time. Loved both of those characters. Freakin hilarious when Hakeem would dance. Heck,that character in general was hilarious. One Man Gang,he just looked like a big bad dude. And he could pull off some pretty athletic moves considering he was billed at 450 lbs. I liked Big Boss Man too. But he sadly passed away almost 20yrs ago.
One Man Gang was one of the scariest monster heels I ever saw as kid. He was exactly the guy you didn't want to meet in a dark alley on the wrong side of town.
When he turned African, forget about it. The Hakeem The African Dream dance with Slick to this day is one of the most absurdly funniest things ever in the wrestling business.
I lived in Abilene , channel 11 at 10 on Saturday nite, wrestling for hour and half, good memories
I used to watch it KTVT TV in Dallas, Texas.
Hell yea same here
This is The Missouri Tiger my comment is I personally had a close and wonderful relationship ship with them. They we're very kind to me and went out of there way to always help me in the business in my early year's. Soon u will see my interviews and know the truth. Instead of the mistruths. God bless u all
It was NOTHING like The Von Erichs in the 1980s in Texas they were like The Beatles !
This is when I watched wrasslin'. I couldn't get enough of the Von Erichs and The Freebirds. I haven't watched wrasslin' since because I saw it at its peak.
97 to 2005 was the best time of wrestling
Always love Black Barts interviews!
Me too. The amount of knowledge Bart has is incredible.
@@DeaconYormouth yes, his knowledge and also how he tells the story… “raslin” and “dabgum” kill me every time
Don’t care what is said I totally loved the Von Erich’s
Especially Kerry
Being English I only knew of Texas Tornado in WWF as a kid me and my brothers loved him and Ultimate Warrior. Such a sad story about the family
Our area didn't get the show till Sunday afternoon. I swear when the Von Ericks, The Freebies, Kabuki, Devastation Inc, Gino Hernandez or The Missing Link would be on the card. It was guaranteed to be a amazing show! Such a great energetic show!
I was living in Lubbock, TX when all this was going down, and because of me watching it, I would have fought ANYONE that ever said wrestling was fake. These dudes were really fighting in the ring back then. Dammitman.
Well, they weren't REALLY.
I discovered World Class flipping through my UHF stations. It came on at 9am in the Philadelphia market. The picture was a bit grainy, but I was hooked immediately.
i never really saw David, i think i was just discovering wrestling not long after his passing. but Kerry was my favorite wrestler growing up, and honestly im not really even sure why. i mean obviously he looked great, but there was something else there, some sort of charisma or presence he had. i barely ever heard him talk, i didnt really know anything about wrestling and whether he had good technique or anything like that. there was just something about him that radiated through the tv screen. it is a shame the way so many things went for him and his brothers.
Really neat to see Bam Bam on here. I feel like people forget him, he was great, as well as Tito Santana, I loved watching them two as a kid.
Ricky Morton told one that once Kerry was so f*cked up, that in the locker room as Kerry was putting on his gear, he somehow laced up his Walkman headphone wires into his wrestling boots😂
I love listening to Black Bart tell stories.
Many people didn't know..
Kerry lost his foot in a motorcycle accident.
I remember. When it happened.
But Kerry was so freaking talented in hiding it.
He had moves like a Magician..
By doing those moves, to think he had any artificial part just wasn't a thought.
His tornado spin..
Man..
What an inspiration..
I see these guys talk about them boys..
My heart just breaks.
No matter what bad anyone thought of them young men..
They drew crowds..
They made people big money..
They give it all in the name of entertainment..
Man..
Yes I can just imagine the pain professional wrestlers endured.
Matches night after night..
Injuries match after match..
They had to keep going..
People doesn't understand this.
I do..
Almost every bone in me has been broken.
Because I always in everything, held nothing back.
God i wish someone could have saved them good ole boys..
They were so loved..
They are so missed..
Legends is the best I can describe all them good ole boys..
Tanaka was trying his best to just be nice and respectful
Very interesting, but disappointing
that no pictures of the wrestlers in
their prime were included not to
mention photos (or video!) of the
very wrestling matches that are
mentioned
These clips are great, good job!
I just today found out the Bushwhackers were capable of speech
Other than not having great promos, the Von Erich’s really were a complete. David was a star and great in ring. Kevin had the high flying, fast paced style (he would’ve been much more appreciate in todays era, then Kerry was the powerhouse.
I remember hearing about a scathing expose article done on the Von Erichs and WCCW that was published in _Penthouse_ magazine.. and from the parts that were quoted some of this stuff is true.
Kerry was my favorite, Kevin was the one I wanted to look like, David was the best, Mike I felt sorry for, and just god bless Chris!!!
They all say Kevin is crazy and a weirdo but he the only one alive
love the von erichs ...
Kevin has always been my fave..wccw and later when kevin was on usaa
Kerry looked like a million bucks, but I too thought Kevin was the best wrestler of the bunch
My grandma used to cuss out one man gang
at Spartanburg memorial auditorium when he first started.. had the Mohawk and long hair.. he would cuss her right back🤣🤣
Lived in Ft Worth so we went to those matches every week and watched the Dallas broadcast on Saturday
Fritz really fucked them up.
Tito: “Kerry ended up decapitating one of his foot” 🤣🤣
I almost peed myself. 🤣🤣
And he is an educator lol
Kerry losing his foot over a drug deal? 👀 First time I've ever heard that comment. They were phenomenal to watch together. It's such a sad ending that that family.
Motorcycle accident
Who knows if that was true or not. Look at the source. Didn't Bigelow die of a drug overdose? He was found with toxic levels of cocaine and benzodiazepines in his system.
@@TEXASLOYALyeah running away from drug deal gone bad
Pat Tanaka is an underrated wrestler.
World class championship wrestling was the best wrestling there ever was or ever will be. Thats a fact.
The theme song to WCCW still relaxes me when I have trouble sleeping at night.
I was raised on continental championship wrestling with Gordon Solie. Loved bullet bob and Adrian street
Crockett has them beat.
@@jackbarnes9728 crockett had the road warriors but world class championship wrestling had freebirds vs von erichs that is the greatest rivalry in the history of wrestling.
Facts brother I grew up there
Loving this one thanks for sharing very information blessed love to all knowledge is power hopefully everyone pays attention keep up the good work 🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲
I lived it breathed ate it every Sat night. Reason I got into weight lifting because of Kerry. In Texas back in late 70s to mid 80s was the Von Erichs were royalty and I was the biggest fan ever my younger brothers took the Torment Suplexes,The Claw,Sleeper holds even pile drivers etc,etc,etc on mattresses that we would set up in the backyard with ropes corner poles with two king sized mattresses...and Kids sleeper holds will put you out so don't try it. Till my Dad found out we couldn't sit for a week!!! The good ol days. Great years till we saw the sad Truth it all was a lie...
What why is that that wrestling is fake.? I don't care what anybody says those guys are high level athletes and big guys like that throwing each other around like that and putting football style hits on each other with no pads, yeah jump on in the ring with one of those guys and tell him how fake it is and let him show you ! Guarantee if those guys wanted to put a real hurting on somebody the average guy wouldn't be getting up, he had to be carried out on a stretcher.
@@scottbrown5587 I should have clarified the whole Kayfabe thing we believed it in the 70s and 80s as kids then all the drugs they were our hereos. It's a given they could hurt you.
This is missing the best take on the Von Erics ever, Jack Vicotry, his RF shoot was classic especially the parts about the Von Erichs
Great video! Thanks for the upload.
I always loved One Man Gang. His yell alone
Pat Tanaka seems like a cool guy
I still respect the Von Erich Family regardless.
Agreed, but I always hoped they'd be looked upon as a cautionary tale. But that never seems to be the case.
In fairness to that family, those boys were young rich good looking popular and everyone wanted to be their friend. Men and women alike. And during the hedonistic 80s. It's really no surprise the way things turned out if there's any surprise, It's that it didn't happen in more examples with other people. It's just too bad that those boys' parents weren't a little more strict. World Class sounded like a CRAZY place
I really loved David and Kerry
Kevin was one of my favorite wrestlers back then
I live in Alabama and yeah here in Alabama we get wrestling a lot, some fans take it seriously as well lol
Yeah there was definitely some mad love for the Von Erich's in North Texas for sure, he ain't lying about people believing its real to lol. My grandmother would cuss out the refs and any heels that went against the Von Erichs, we would be laughing our asses off till she turned her gaze on you lol. Man the Freebirds were my favorite all time heels for the Von Erichs, those matches were just so brutal and epic every time. I also remember when Abdullah the Butcher came to the sportatorium lol, him and Bruiser Brody had one of the best matches I've ever seen in my life.
Someone's grandma we knew swore up and down that Gary Hart was the most evil man alive😅
@@ddave7026 lol
17:00 more black bart please 😂
I would like to have match with Von Erich vs:
Four Horsemen,
Hart Foundation,
Demolition,
Road Warriors,
NWO,
Money Inc,
Million Dollars Corporations,
Mega Power
The Sheepherders!!!That would’ve been brutal.
Kerry went against demolition with ultimate warrior.
For those who watched David, I never saw David wrestle but I remember hearing the Von Erich's and World Class via Pro Wrestling Illustrated or various pro wrestling magazines and of course watching the NWA on TBS with Ric Flair as World champion.
I started watching the NWA on TBS right after Magnum's accident where Dusty was cutting a promo with Nikita Koloff, this is my timeline around the time I started watching the NWA and then World Class and the AWA on ESPN.
My question regarding David, would David been able to have been a member of The Four Horsemen in the Luger/Windham spot?
Seeing those three was like seeing the Beatles.It was unreal.Pure magic.
No not a good fit
I knew David from CWF in 82 before we got cable tv and World Class. I learned about Kerry and Kevin from PWI and other wrestling magazines. David was the best of them all. He was going to be NWA World Champion.
@@harshtruth5003
I agree.
Technically David was a savant and absolutely had the skills to be a Horseman but his rough & tumble no-nonsense cowboy personality wouldn’t have meshed well with the suit wearing playboy image the 4H had.
Plus I couldn’t imagine he nor Fritz would have wanted him in any other longterm stable or partnership besides one with his brothers. The Von Erich’s were a package deal.
I bet Butterfinger LOVED the promo spot!!!
Great interviews…
Pat Tanaka !!! I loved that dude! I thought Badd Company was a great team . The Orient Express was kinda cool too . But Pat seemed like the key member to both teams . I really Liked Paul Diamond a well though . I would be interested in seeing a documentary or a quick package history on both guys
Badd Company was highly underrated, especially with DDP as the manager. They were fluid and had skills.
Someone buy One Man Gang some sunglasses that fit. :)
and get Black Bart some dentures.
It's so sad when I hear this because these guys I love watching that championship wrestling I live here in Houston I've lived here my whole life I remember Fritz Von Erich coming to Houston wrestling several times but I would watch that Von Erich wrestling on Saturday nights Friday or Saturday nights
I love pro wrestling it's the live action comic book you got these amazing people doing these amazing things suspension of disbelief if you see wrestling for being fake you're missing out 🤯
I only realised today that One Man Gang and Bam Bam Bigelow are 2 different people, lol
Hate to call out Bam Bam, but “first wrestler to have a Sports Illustrated write up”? Must not have known about Andre in 81 or Hogan in 85. Also, he said David was a great guy, which may be what he heard, but David passed in 84 and Bam Bam didn’t make it to World Class until late 86. He wasn’t even in the business in 84.
The demolition boys are always a class act
awesome wrestling back then. just sad the way sports entertainment is. excellent interviews.
Good luck CLEANLY beating those Von Erichs in Texas! lol
I heard Kerry would be jamming out. laces boots into his headphone 🎧 cable.
Kerry was the only person to ever "decapitate his foot".
How do you let Bam Bam say that about the foot/drug deal and NOT ask a follow up question...
In hindsight, it fits the narrative much better than a motorcycle accident.
If you don't pay your drug debts to the cartel you lose a foot
Right
That guy is a terrible interviewer. Just goes down his list of questions. Has no social ability to improvise off of what's being said or ask follow up questions
13:49 Tito, you’re a school teacher, you can’t dec*pitate a foot. Dec*pitation is when someone get their head c*t off.
I used to go and get at least second row seats every month and in Lubbock Texas to watch these guys you were so awful and your family continues to keep the legend going I will continue watching as long as you continue wrestling
I think you meant "you were so awesome" not awful
Good interviews 😮
Most people say hands down David von Erich was a world champion of the future. They say he was by far the best wrestler and that kerry got by on his body and Kevin got by on his good looks. I had an autograph of David von Erich one time but I would kill for if I can find it and I lost it and never found it. My aunt got kerrys autograph back then all the girls favorites was either Kevin or kerry. I don't know if it's true I have heard that Fritz's favorite was David and that he was very very hard on kerry. He tried to turn Mike von Erich into the next David and in fact that Mike suicide note, which he had suffered from brain damage, he wrote he was tired of embarrassing the family and that he can never be David von Erich. Mike and kerry were definitely savable. Mike one time he got talked into his body from a bacterial and suffered brain damage and he was seen one time beating up a streetlight. And carry basically told anyone that will listen other than his family that his dead brothers were basically calling muster on him. That family was at the height of power and it really I don't understand the suicides other than drug addiction. Very very close to Mike plus he knew he would never be a world champion and it was kind of understood in Fritz's eyes, all of his boys were future world champions. Chris new duty is brittle bones that were breaking quite often told to never wrestle again. He felt like he was a disappointment to his father and like I said he was very close to mike. What I don't know about wccw isn't worth knowing. I went to countless events met many of the superstars including the von erichs. A few times we were allowed behind the scenes because my cousin one time got crushed in an autograph stampede. Even as a kid I knew the von erichs were higher than a kite. Free it's basically should have reeled in men but they were grown at this point at the top of their game at that would have been extremely difficult. Mike would have been saved which would have saved Chris and kerry let everyone know.
they were all big strong men but a they were all weak azzzz mental midgets with pink slits
I knew Kerry Von Erich lost his foot. I forget when and where I learned it from, but I knew it had happened long before he showed up in the WWF. I remember a local wrestling writer in Toronto reported the story of Kerry losing his boot and exposing his stump. I don't know why every wrestler claims it was a big secret. I was just a fan who read magazines and the few wrestling stories in the newspapers but I knew Kerry Von Erich had lost his foot. To his credit, even though I knew The Texas Tornado only had one foot, you could barely notice it when he ran.
Bam Bam has to be getting Kevin and Kerry mixed up.
I thought One Man Gang was from Halsted St in Chicago?? Picked up a southern accent spending all that time in Texas...
He was born there (Chicago), then moved to the south when he was like 2 or 3.
Tito looks young. I remember watching him wrestle when I was a kid and I look older than him right now.
Black Bart is "The Man Who Knows Too Much."
After watching The Iron Claw, I now understand why Fritz reacted to David's death the way he did.
The One Man Gang was awesome!
I still remember Percy Pringle tonguing at a hot dog while staring my best buddy (male) in the eyes at a small town match, we thought oh man hes weird and gay as hell
Texans loves their heroes
I lived in Fort Worth at that time and was at the sportatorium and in Fort Worth
Super off topic, listening to bam bam talk reminds me of Stavros Halkias and how he talks lol
You can probably count the number of times One Man Gang got body slammed on one hand.
I met Brett Harte when the WWF came to Oakland and we had drinks and talked about the Von Erich’s. Poor Brett he was kind enough to allow me to question him over and over about Kerry. I found out many things and while I will not mention them I can say those boys had some issues especially with drugs
But it was the eighties, did t we all
Yea buddy
We need a new one man gang there's plenty of big men to take that role but that is a name that almost cannot be replaced because there's only one one man gang
lol. My grandad wore the same jumpsuits.
Bam Bam is funny as hell 🤦🏾♂️😆