Jim Cornette on Which Von Erich Would Have Been The Biggest Star

[@MazeDaGr8]

The Von Erichs are the Kennedy's of Pro wrestling

[@OhJaniceWhyOhWhy]

The Stu Hart family second.

[@Smurffitness]

@@OhJaniceWhyOhWhy I'd say they are the Clintons. The VE'S are definitely the Kennedy's

[@twsstar]

The Jacksons

[@lancethiele1563]

You have to consider the Armstrong Family as well. It stinks that the one Armstrong that got the most fame probably was the worst athlete, but when you look at Bob and his sons, they are about as close as the American version of the Harts.

[@Garrett316]

VonErich’s would be the Kennedy’s Hart’s would be the Royal Family.

[@MeatandTatersGaming54]

I saw Kerry in person when i was 6 years old , i remember Kerry picking me up and putting me on his shoulder for a picture back stage with me and my two sisters : )

[@suprcrzy]

I have the same exact picture with Kevin at the Sportatorium 😊 I was about 6 also. I dont think I've ever been so high up in my life. I was terrified lol

[@kibadubio]

So lucky! I wish I was around back then it would have been something to see!

[@diablo666541]

Bruiser Brody pick me up on his shoulder when I was little at sportorium.

[@bryantcraighead5173]

NICE!

[@carpenter155]

@@diablo666541 that must’ve been scary! HUSS! HUSS! HUSS!

[@josevalenzuela517]

For me it would have been David hands down. Kevin was the most athletic, Kerry had the build and the look, tremendous charisma, David had it all, well rounded, promo, best worker

[@zacharyradford5552]

Kerry probably would have been better if not for the drugs and the prosthetic foot.

[@user-py6sy4zm1v]

He was not a good promo he couldve gotten better but he stumbles in all his promo. Fritz was the best promo

[@erniemarin1682]

@@user-py6sy4zm1vhe was the best promo guy out of the three brothers

[@erniemarin1682]

David would have been the big star in NWA. Kerry in WWF if he didn’t have drug problems.

[@TheAgileFatman]

Also he was so young, imagine how much more he’d improve as time woulda went on

[@suprcrzy]

Poor Chris Von Erich.. He was so small, and his bones would often break on contact, but he wanted to be like his bigger brothers and get in the ring. He ended his life after his brothers died, and also due to the fact that he just couldn't compete physically in the ring.. God this family was so cursed, its so sad.

[@faeriegraver]

I feel so sorry for Chris, man.

[@sullyb23511]

I wish that he had been happy behind the curtain.

[@Sasso-pf1mo]

He never should have been in that position.. It was obvious he couldn't be a wrestler.. He couldn't even hit the ropes properly

[@mikedarrow3809]

He would have been a great commentator.

[@FerretJohn]

Life is not fair, of all the brothers Chris had the most passion for the business, he lived, ate, and breathed pro wrestling. Sadly his body just didn't allow it

[@MilMaska]

Is so sad that they were surrounded by tragedy and sadness.

[@tonyh1718]

The bright side is that kevin boys are tearing it up in mlw and seem very down to earth

[@clayp7284]

David moved pretty damn good for someone his size but Corny Von Erich is my choice

[@scottaustin4035]

clayp72 Who’s Corny. Great way to talk about somebody deceased.

[@clayp7284]

Corny is Jim's nickname and he's depicted as a Von Erich in the picture. And my statement about David's agility for a guy his size is a compliment to him not an insult. The Von Erichs are my favorite Wrestling Family. They may have had their faults but at the end of the day they were only human

[@scottaustin4035]

Oh I’m sorry I missed understood. I grew up in Dallas in the 80’s. The Von Erich’s were superstars.

[@clayp7284]

Grew up on Memphis Wresting So you're a Territory kid like me lol

[@davestuddaman8127]

David had two college scholarships for both basketball and football. He was athletic as fk

[@DarkLordofTheSith69]

For me it was David ...he was the most well rounded and he was big he could talk and he was so believable in his hatred of Garvin ...I loved the storyline where David had Garvin and sunshine as farmhands for the day ...making them move hay bails and wash his dog ..sat in his lawn chair with his rifle "Stop your belly aching Garvin" ... "Shut your trap and dig your holes Garvin " ..

[@kenpentalow5176]

I loved that segment

[@KEICRUMBIE]

That was so awesome and memorable. I died laughing when he sat in that lawn chair. Wrestling can't produce feuds and skits like that anymore nor make it believable.

[@olbanxxx]

CLASSIC!!!!!

[@diablo666541]

Garvin was good freinds with David .also made their. Guess beliveable

[@mminkoff]

He shot it off and Garvin Jumped!

[@tevinlandry1885]

Kerry had the look. David had the ring knowledge. Kevin had the athleticism.

[@krt88nc]

Kevin was far too stiff, Kerry was limited in ring, David was the star.

[@nothing5283]

poor chris he wants to be like his brothers

[@marvinalexander6796]

Mike would've been a great tag champion, and light heavyweight champion

[@bobbyevans727]

We pro wrestling

[@mikelin2703]

I've always thought that David would succeed in NWA/WCW because he was the best worker, Kerry in WWE because of his superstar look, and Kevin in ECW because of his high-flying style and being barefoot which gives him that wild look.

[@JEGFL85]

Kerry. Vince would of made him the next Hulk Hogan if not for Kerry's drug problems. The NWA was hesitant for putting the belt on Kerry for the same reason.

[@troyturner173]

The belt was meant for David on 5/6/84-the show was in the planning stage, it just hadn't been announced yet. But when David died, the NWA was being nice when they gave Kerry the belt for 18 days (he defended the belt in WCCW, Florida, and one Japanese rematch with Flair)

[@davestuddaman8127]

If you look at his schedule as champ. He worked every single day, just about. At least 16 of those days. 🤷‍♂️ They sure used him a lot

[@troyturner173]

@@davestuddaman8127 That's the way it worked back in the day. The new champ took over the previous champ's schedule as close as possible. WCCW probably used Kerry with the belt once or twice more than they should have (a non-title loss to Flair on 5-8 or 9 in Muskogee, OK is an example)

[@jeremyboehm5512]

@JEGFL85 And the fact Kerry had one foot. After his motorcycle accident.

[@saveus228]

Kerry had the look. If everybody stayed healthy and sober no doubt kerry would have been the biggest star.

[@cardsharpHS]

He was ‘Kerry Von Erich The Texas Tornado’ for a while in WWF. They didn’t drop the name straight away

[@igorivanov299]

The modern day warrior

[@jaythor70]

Actually, they went to "Kerry Von Erich, the Texas Tornado" after a while.....didn't acknowledge his name right away until they saw the fans DID know him, and were calling him by name. Allowed him to use the "Von Erich Claw" eventually, too.

[@arlopear7136]

He didn't debut as Kerry Von Erich in any way. It took awhile for him to be acknowledged as Kerry Von Erich. Reason being Vince despised the territorial ways of the business & wanted to hopefully mold Kerry into a WWF star of his making.

[@UltimateSenshi]

This was what they did with alot o wrestlers when changing their name and phasing their old name out. When Curt Hennig first came to WWE he was "Mr Perfect" Curt Hennig before completely dropping Curt Hennig and just being Mr Perfect.

[@ziahamm1603]

Lots of heartbreaking stories in pro wrestling but none more so than the Von Erich Tragedy. Feel sorry for Kevin the most. The amount of pain and heartache he must have gone through is truly awful 😔😔 shows a lot of strength and character to endure all that and carry on. Agree that David especially was destined for great things and its such a shame he passed when he did.

[@LockedonWrestling]

The whole Benoit deal is very close if not worse

[@alberthenley2062]

Actually, The Undertaker got his break because Fritz Von Erich saw him and thought he looked like David.

[@sparks2spare782]

I remember my first time watching wrestling, 1983 World Class Championship Wrestling! The Von Erich vs Freebirds feud was amazing! I think Kerry would have been a big star. I remember when he beat Flair for the NWA title.

[@MsJimmysgirl]

He only got the match against Rick Flair because of the memorial match after David's death because he was slated to be the next champion. I loved Kerry but he wasn't meant to keep the belt because he wasn't reliable due to his drug addiction.

[@vestel777]

David hands down. I was there in St. Louis at the actual Wrestling At The Chase when David put the Famous Iron Claw on then NWA Champion Harley Race and busted Him open and He bled all over the mat and David won. That I think was 1979. I was 9 years old.

[@jonarnett8284]

I'm from St Louis I saw it on TV I miss the good old days

[@steveeisenhowereisenhower7130]

I was there also

[@vestel777]

@@steveeisenhowereisenhower7130 Was it 1979 or was it 1978? I'm 50 years old now and my memory isn't that good anymore.

[@steveeisenhowereisenhower7130]

@@vestel777 1979

[@vestel777]

@@steveeisenhowereisenhower7130 Thanks that's what I thought. For Me the years just seem to blend together. There are days when I see old friends and school mates of mine whom I completely blank on meaning I can't remember their names and or what classes I had with them.

[@immortallegacy100]

He was called Kerry Von Erich for quite awhile in WWF. His nickname was just "The Texas Tornado", but eventually they did start referring to him more as Tornado probably more for marketing purposes. The name made sense given his finishing move in WWE (Tornado Punch), and I don't think WWF ever hid the fact that he was a Von Erich. It's just that "The Texas Tornado" sounded cooler and was more marketable nationwide.

[@daviddanielducker5446]

yeah same with curt hennig, ted dibiase, and davey boy smith

[@GraemeCree]

The Tornado Punch was called the Discus Punch in WCCW.

[@immortallegacy100]

@@GraemeCree That's why I said WWE.

[@GraemeCree]

@@immortallegacy100 I know, but I'm saying they didn't have to name him Texas Tornado to match his move, since that wasn't the move's name until he had the name. I remember the announcers calling him "Von Erich" once or twice, informally. But the official name of the character was just Texas Tornado. WWF didn't hide the name "Von Erich" (as if they could), they just didn't use it officially.

[@immortallegacy100]

@@GraemeCree I never said they did. I think you either misread my comment or are responding to the wrong one.

[@jamieburnette2438]

Miss those days of World Class Championship Wrestling. Great to see Kevin Von Erich's sons continuing the legacy in MLW .

[@gillster3744]

Von Erich Story Want to see this as a Film go back in time 70’s 80’s in Texas classic Wrestling come on make it happen Hollywood or Netflix

[@trustobey1016]

I could see that. I could see Eric Roberts playing an older Kevin Von Erich.

[@WhelmedButReady]

They were all skilled workers, but based on look alone I'm starting my promotion with Kerry Von Erich. Just tremendous marketability

[@patale1640]

RedLightning17 Kevin was more jacked and a better athlete... better worker... Better teeth too lol

[@WhelmedButReady]

@@patale1640 that's fair

[@wrestlingcommunity]

Has anyone reading this watched Iron Claw?

[@sandyunderpants4376]

Yes. I saw it yesterday. It is an extremely difficult story to tell, but the writer/director did it well. I'm not sure that it should have been done, it was very depressing, I'm still depressed from it, and my 13 year old is depressed and hasn't stopped asking his mom questions about death and heaven and hell since the movie ended. And we aren't religious.

[@Kslay007]

Just imagine The Von Erich's VS The Anoa'i Family that would have been a good rivalry

[@troylowe814]

Kevin's early promos were rough but by the mid 80s he was credible if not too dynamic. In the ring he was very credible.

[@misterelom]

Anyone else been having a lot of Von Erich videos popping up in their recommendations lately with the Iron Claw movie coming out soon?

[@bradbogard4603]

My favorite of the group was the pairing of Kevin and Kerry. They were amazing! I've always heard Kevin had the most charisma and interest in the business, but Kevin and Kerry always gave you goosebumps. You knew they weren't to be messed with. They'd tangle with anyone!!!

[@frostysmoke37]

Grew up watching WCCW wrestling in Chicago in the 80's on channel 62? ( I think ). Loved the Von Erich/ Freebirds feud. Missing link, the super destroyers, Ice man Parsons, Jimmy Garvin and Gino Hernandez and Chris Adam's. Really a great stable of wrestlers.

[@nicholastam7727]

Wow, same, pretty sure it was channel 62 lol

[@frostysmoke37]

@nicholastam7727 yeah I think so too. It was a great time for watching wrestling

[@IvanLendl87]

If he had been able to keep clean, Kerry would've been the biggest star. At his best - circa 1980-81 - he had that star factor that you can't teach. Either have it or you don't.

[@shlidgn90]

David would have been. He had the most natural charisma. David should have been an heel.

[@chrislewis6488]

That was my exact answer as I listed to the podcast yesterday.I was 9 years old when David passed but even then I was like David was my favorite and would've been a great heel champion.

[@chrislewis6488]

@Wrestling Stuff I had almost forgotten about his time Florida thank you for the reminder

[@patale1640]

David would have been a better fit with JCP, but not New York... I feel like Kevin and Kerry would have been more over in NYC.

[@SteveSport_]

David's CWF run was incredible and very believable.

[@raiderking69]

I'm from Florida and I watched him growing up. Even saw him at the Eddie Graham Sports (shed) Complex. He was a tremendous worker.

[@scottaustin4035]

I remember seeing Kevin tag team with Kerry in the WWF. Only time Ive seen Kevin with wrestling shoes. Never saw Kevin in the WWF again. In 1984 the fans in Dallas Fort Worth hatted the WWF. WCCW had all the big stars before Vince.

[@thedoctor9138]

It's because the WWF was a Cartoon and WCCW was revolutionary.

[@walterclark3198]

I loved the Von Erichs. Kerry was my favorite. David was the ring general. Kevin was just a awesome athlete and was great in the ring. I just though Kerry was so cool and he had that spinning tornado punch. All of the Von Erichs would of been stars if they lived.

[@ziggypop79]

I remember hearing Ultimate Warrior had a hand in Kerry getting signed/pushed in WWF because they were friends.

[@JDubya2k]

Yes! The Warriors team at Survivor Series 90 were awesome.

[@chrischar1969]

Vince wanted kerry before anabolic warrior was even a thought

[@davestuddaman8127]

You don't know much about steroids do ya

[@renstimpy2659]

In a perfect world. David: Perfect NWA Heel Champion. Kerry: Perfect WWF Face Champion.

[@carlosvelarde7355]

Ren stimpy i dont know about david as a heel but i know kerry von eric i would see him as a world champion

[@carlosvelarde7355]

I remember kerryvon eric as texastornado he was my second favorite wrestler after the ultimatewarrior

[@carlosvelarde7355]

And just like i was upset when ultimatewarrior lost theworld champion vs sgtslaughter especialy by cheating i also was upset how texastornado lost the ic belt to mr perfect especial by cheating by ted dibiase

[@angeloaaz]

I never seen the texas tornado as a gimmick more or less a nickname because they would refer to him as kerry van Eric and it fit good because he had the tornado punch and was from texas 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@BrutishYetDelightful]

I remember Kevin debuting that leg scissor thing. He did it to Ken Timbs. He hopped up there, hooked his feet, leaned back (demonstrating not just leg strength, but hellacious ab strength as well), and Timbs stood there for a second, began to wobble, and finally bumped like he had fallen off the Empire State building. Kevin just rolled him up with the same leg scissors, and everybody in the studio, ESPECIALLY Gordon Solie, went nuts. Gordon sounded like he was legit marking out. It was a hellacious move.

[@michaelailer5623]

Kerry had "the look" for outside WCCW. Watched them on Dallas Superstation on Saturday nights. WCCW territory was a tragedy. Some stayed short time and moved onto huge things i.e. Steve Austin, Freebirds, Midnight Express, Dingo Warrior(?), Percy Pringle. Those who spent a lot of time there led to tradegy i.e. Von Erich family, Gino Hernandez, Bruiser Brody.

[@michaelailer5623]

@HobertC83 I know Brody moved, My local territory was Crockett, he showed up there. WCCW was last place before going to Puerto Rico. I remember they talked about his death on WCCW after it happened. All the territories had tragedies, just seemed WCCW lost a disproportionate number of young future stars.

[@kennethfloyd8677]

Kevin always gets overshadowed by Kerry and David, lol. He was the high flyer with the boyish looks that the girls loved. If his interview skills had been as good as David's were, I could have seen him being a guy Vince would have loved in 1984-1987.

[@patale1640]

Kenneth Floyd He would have been over in New York for sure... Kevin vs Savage would have been epic... He looks and acts like a Movie Star to this day.

[@Charmayne7]

Kevin was always my favorite. I'm so happy that he has managed to a great life in spite of all he's been through.

[@Tmitch226]

Kevin was RVD of his time

[@ChuuchooChooseMe]

Jim and brian, keep up the great work!!!👍

[@KEICRUMBIE]

Any of them would have worked. For me, Kevin. Kevin's athleticism was second to none. Kevin was the best athlete. I loved the way David talked, the cowboy look. He could talk. The only person who could play the Undertaker gimmick was Mark Calloway.

[@scotth9983]

David was probably the best overall worker and would have seen a NWA title run if he had lived. Kerry was a wrestler that fans seem to gravitate toward and was a natural baby face. He had a chiseled body and was somewhat humble and low key compared to other big, muscled wrestlers of that time like Lex Luger or the Ultimate Warrior. After the motorcycle accident in 1986 that cost Kerry his right foot, it is amazing that he was able to continue working even hiding the fact that his foot was amputated from fans and even some wrestlers. Kerry did have drug and judgement issues, but most will agree that Kerry was a really nice person who cared about the fans and was well like by the other wrestlers. If he could have beaten his drug addiction and personal issue, I think Kerry would have had a run in WCW, WWE or in Japan where he was extremely popular.

[@JTuniversenet]

How come when they bring up the von Erich's and the curse they bring up David first,what about the true oldest Jack Adkisson, Jr.,he passed away when he was six still though.always though if there was one then it would have started then

[@davestuddaman8127]

It crushed Fritz. It forever influenced his handling of his boys

[@marksugimoto9708]

The Sportatorium had some of the greatest Von Erich matches when I was a teenager.

[@davejohnson7583]

I think David would have been the biggest star I watched his old stuff in Florida when he was a heel and his legendary matches in world class he would have been a great nwa champ and he was Over in Japan so I would go with david

[@Kane6676]

My friends in grade school were telling me how awesome this world class wrestling was. It was on at 11 am on Sundays. When I finally got around to tuning in it was when they announced David vin Erick death

[@naystercobear9576]

Kevin was the best von Erich .

[@towmater7081]

David and Kerry were the top two workers . I think they were all different type of wrestler . So yeah you are right there also .

[@FantadiRienzo]

Trying to win Smark-points... Kerry was the star

[@rcarl1473]

Kevin was my favorite

[@cbod14]

I’m partial to Kevin but David and Kerry had it over him when it came to charisma. Seeing as how the business was trending in terms of physique Kerry would’ve been the biggest star

[@Backwoods_Squatch]

I still think Kevin was the more entertaining in the ring. All the high spots and amazing stuff came from Kevin.

[@paulthomas7243]

All the Von Erich's we're good at what they did & how they performed in the ring as well. But to me my Favorites Were Kerry & Kevin

[@f.davidbush9093]

I know their aunt and she was with me when David died overseas. The family was shocked. Such a sad story

[@zerocool1ist]

Mark thought he was going to be the Gobbledy Gooker.

[@djray369]

Hair matches were great in Texas. Fritz shaved Gary Hart. Von Erichs shaved Gino Hernandez and Chris Adams. We should do more of that in WWE.

[@maturanita]

They didn’t use to call the Sportatorium “the house that David built” for nothing. Someone like Harley Race wouldn’t have anointed anyone as his successor if he didn’t deserve it. DVE was the most talented. He was a rawboned kind of guy like his dad and he had also the old man’s mind for the business. Kevin and Kerry were certainly better looking, and Kevin was a better athlete, but David was a better wrestler.

[@DarkLordofTheSith69]

David was the best for me too he had it all where as the rest had one area they were good like Kerry looked amazing had good work but was clumsy on the horn he couldn't cut good promos ..Kevin was the high flyer barefoot wrestler ...David had it all and he could talk

[@maturanita]

Judge Dredd indeed he was. Kevin for me was the one with the most potential, but it was clear from the get go that wrestling wasn’t his passion, football was. I’ve always felt that Kevin got into wrestling to keep David company, being as close as they were

[@DarkLordofTheSith69]

@@maturanita yeah it's a shame we never got to see them fulfil their potential ..for me almost every wrestling show today is modeled on the format of wccw ..it's like the genesis of modern wrestling shows

[@chrischar1969]

when the fuck did they call it that

[@maturanita]

@@chrischar1969 probably in one of the numerous times that you weren’t paying attention

[@TheSportsfan35]

The Old man Fritz was not only a standout football player at SMU, but when he came into the business was a top heel not just as a singles star but also as part of a tag with Waldo.

[@steveludwig4200]

And Johnny Valentine kicked his ass EVERY time they had a "square" match.

[@toddgaines9446]

I feel lucky to have been a kid growing up in East Texas in the 80's. I went to the Sportatorium many times.

[@adrianocollinzo5712]

I was a kid in the 90s from ireland and missed all this greatness.

[@toddgaines9446]

@@adrianocollinzo5712 There's no way to describe it. I couldn't even get into WWF after that.

[@rusalexander1757]

Always loved watching Kevin's matches He was my favorite. David bored me as a promo tbh, but Kerry was a fun watch, too. Granted, I was around 10 to 12 or 13 and Kayfabe was still in full effect. I grew up in Oklahoma and we got the Dallas channels that carried the WCCW. That, WCW out of Atlanta on TBS, and Mid South on local feeds was "our wrestling" lol.

[@8arrows]

Same. Boomer Sooners

[@Mister75199]

I'm grew up on World Class. Kevin was my favorite of the brothers

[@MxyzptlkOfZrfff]

Kerry probably could have gone down as one of the greatest of all time... sad what happened to that family.

[@DAKINS896]

I remember him being called primarily Texas Tornado but Kerry Von Erich was used sometimes as well

[@carlosvelarde7355]

Now kerry von eric the texas tornado wascmy favorite of them all the von erics

[@Trunks7500]

IRON CLAW

[@mindlessdroid3630]

The documentary where they show Kevin walking around the broken down Sportatorium is heartbreaking.

[@VolumedMusicMan]

David would’ve expanded WCCW’s success. He would’ve pushed his old man into touring around the country. I think it would even included Dallas on TBS. Turner didn’t want to do business with Watts. Crockett was not that strong on TV in comparison to WCCW syndication at the time in 84’. David had so much potential in and out of the ring. His death was a total loss. Dallas died a slow death after 1985 because of his absence...

[@RealDaveTalk]

I would see that, If David was still alive WCCW would have a much better chance of competing against the WWF. David also had a knowledge for the business and he would’ve been a part-time owner of WCCW I took the promotion nationwide maybe in the southern territories were WCCW was also popular. When Vince brought the Georgia territory in 1984 Ted Turner the WWF Show was the lowest rating. TBS would air Midsouth Sunday afternoons at 3 PM. On Sunday afternoons. If David Von Erich was still and WCCW was red hot then Turner would have given WCCW instead of Mid South at 3 pm Sunday spot. Ted Turner Wanted to get out of the deal with Vince. Originally Ted Turner want to give Bill Watts the 6:05 pm time spot. What if WCCW and David live and world class was the top rated show on TBS Ted would’ve given Friz that time spot. This would help WCCW go nationwide and David would have to tell have to force Friz to moved to the Atlanta studio and expand World Classes. Maybe into the Atlanta market which day would have been good at that.

[@VolumedMusicMan]

@@RealDaveTalk I like your thinking very good!!!

[@ericarcieri3836]

1 David 2 Kerry 3 Kevin if they count in this 4 fritz 5 Chris if he would of lived longer who knows how good he could of become 6 mike I would of listed lance but we know he don't really count

[@elijahspeller6796]

personally... I'd say Kerry because he had the look... not saying that was the best reason... but to promoters back then... the look was very very VERY important

[@sullyb23511]

Growing up in the Permian Basin and the Panhandle, the Von Erichs WERE professional wrestling, to me.

[@rickt1951]

Vince didn't own the " Kerry Von Erich" name, but he would have owned the Texas Tornado brand. Hence the name change.

[@arlopear7136]

Exactly. Vince hated the territories & would've loved nothing more than making "The Texas Tornado" a bigger star worldwide than "Kerry Von Erich" ever was in Texas.

[@MrBeavis84]

Man I miss the Von Erichs so many good memories.

[@tonyh1718]

Agree

[@jontyrosenow9396]

Honestly thought the artwork for this video was a play on the me and the boys meme, still could be though

[@whatever_it_takes6691]

There is a photo of the 3 brothers posing exactly like that though

[@jontyrosenow9396]

whatever_it_takes guess that blows up the theory, they were so close to greatness in more ways than one 😥

[@mattvermillion6062]

I've wondered if David, had he not died, would've become the greatest wrestler in the history of...the AWA. His look and style would have been a nice fit in that area. His matches against Nick Bockwinkel would have been legendary. I think, if things had gone right, David might have even broken Verne's famous 9-time reign in both time and number. But, that's all speculation.

[@ReflectionOfPerfection]

I didnt think of the AWA. What was Verne's relationship with Fritz? Did they even have one?

[@mattvermillion6062]

@@ReflectionOfPerfection Well, according to a list of former World Champions, I think Fritz actually beat Verne for the Title.

[@bigitaly4554]

I couldn’t imagine David Von Erich as the Undertaker, either. The role was cast perfectly with Mark Callaway. He had the size, the mind, and the look. Not very many 7 footers with the ability to work and live a gimmick like Mark has.

[@chrischar1969]

shit he aint 7 foot either

[@TheGeneral308]

I don't think anyone else could have pulled of The Undertaker other than Mark. Little alone made it last 30 years as a huge draw.

[@robbiehammock2492]

bs. any bigger taller guy could have pulled it off. no promo skills needed

[@cfx5000]

McMahon wanted to sign and embarrass Kerry and Sting out of spite because they were bigger stars than anyone he had on his roster besides Hogan. That is why Sting hesitated to sign with McMahon for so long. He knew that McMahon was out to embarrass him and his character from the beginning. He succeeded in that regard.

[@_2LiveQ]

It’s 2023 I live in Dallas and let me just say people still talk about the Von Erich’s so I can only imagine what it was like the 80s

[@TheMovieDawgs]

Thank you for binging this back to KZbin.

[@tonyh1718]

David, easily If hed have lived, some weight training to put 30 pounds of muscle to look better and hed be set The 80s were a what if if david, magnum and gino hernandez had lived

[@towmater7081]

Kerry Von Erich I held up there with the Mr Perfect or even Hit Man type but with a little better mic skills . Great worker . David was great also he would have been something special . I was a big Von Erich fan . So sad the demise .

[@towmater7081]

I was such a kerry Von Erich I knew when he was fucked up

[@MrRabiddogg]

It's a shame the Von Erich family collapsed the way it did. When Kerry was in the WWF it would have been cool to have a Von Erich vs Hart Survivor Series match.

[@allenwoodall5590]

It would have been David better work ethic. He could be a heel or babyface.

[@Jason_Maier]

Yup, I remember reading that David had a good heel run in Florida in '82. And I believe that the 1984 Texas Stadium show was going to be when he beat Flair for the NWA World Title

[@troyturner173]

@@Jason_Maier Yep-I mentioned that upthread

[@MsJimmysgirl]

David, Kerry and Kevin, all had huge potential to be huge wrestling stars, but David was set to challenge Rick Flair for the ACW championship, had he not died in Japan. Even though Kerry won the championship at David's memorial match, he was never meant to keep it because of how unreliable he was because of his drug addiction. My personal favorite was Kevin though, the man has a heart of gold.

[@gdarippa69]

Kerry definitely would’ve been the biggest star

[@gdarippa69]

Sammy The Shark - They all could work but Kerry looked the best so he would’ve been more profitable

[@gdarippa69]

Sammy The Shark - David was good in the 80s so he definitely would’ve jobbed to Hogan and Macho Man Kerry was in the 90s when Michaels and Hart were on top and Kerry looks way better than them but not crazy looking like Warlord so he would’ve been pushed Kerry’s promo weren’t bad at all and if they were all in with they could always give him a mouth piece if they wanted him to turn heel Kerry was money and he was more over than his brothers

[@gdarippa69]

Sammy The Shark - I understand your point bro but to me Kerry was so over and his promos were good enough to be a top guy Agree to disagree my friend

[@gdarippa69]

Sammy The Shark - I said good enough, he wasn’t Roddy Piper or Chris Jericho If he was booked correctly then you have a big star Goldberg and Ultimate Warrior were huge stars and Kerry sounds like Steve Austin compared to them

[@gdarippa69]

Sammy The Shark - Haha that’s true

[@kvinche8120]

I think Kerry was the best but Rick Flair swears by David

[@dwade6322]

David was the best all around athlete of the group.

[@larryhonaker7185]

Back in the 80s he held Kevin in high regard... Saying he was 2nd to Ricky Steamboat as his biggest challenge. Listened to flairs podcast sounds like him and Kevin have remained somewhat close

[@thomasswafford250]

David understood the business best. He was the best worker in that he could go in there and either be a heel or a face. Michael Hayes said that David understood the business the best of any of them.

[@carrorallison7656]

David always.

[@melaniel.4269]

Definitely Kerry. Especially at that time a great body and charisma got you a whole lot further than ring skills (which is still kinda true, altough nowadays a lot more marks are all about ring skills). The other may have been more athletic but that never mattered, after all, Warrior drew more than Bret Hart as well. Kerry even was over when he complete wreck in the WWF. If he hadn't the drug issues, he could've been a World Champion in the WWF.

[@centralpete6044]

Kerry looked like he was from another planet…even his face was strong. Hard to beat that wow factor.

[@nu-metalfan2654]

The answer should be Kerry.

[@sydneemiller6091]

Kerry had he not lost his foot, it slowed him down drastically

[@Rjensen2]

That's not at all true. Haven't you seen him wrestle after 1986? 😂

[@SharksRule86]

David as The Undertaker. lol.

[@laenav]

David and Taker do resemble each other.

[@michelvanbriemen3459]

With regards to the simplification of wrestling, isn't it so that Vince McMahon wanted to appeal to all the kids as much as possible so he could hook them for life? That would explain why he treated it in such a simple way. Most kids don't read Shakespeare, but they did watch cartoons.

[@johnnyskinwalker4095]

I don't think the Armstrongs were on the level of the Von Erichs. Road Dog is the one that got closer to the sun and he was entertaining but not a lot to him. I think when they got national they got exposed. The Von Erichs had the potential the three of them to become huge stars and main eventers easily each with their own uniqueness. They were preparing David to be top NWA star, maybe taking Flair's title. Kerry(without the injury) and Kevin in their prime could have been huge in the WWF.

[@joshk4187]

Vince already gave Kerry the ic title against Mr Perfect . So if he would of stuck around longer that may of translated into him going over in the world title scene.

[@joshk4187]

So was about half the roster In wrestling at the time lol, but what I'm saying is he usually overlooked that part if they was contributing to the show. Look at Savage and Hogan as an example.

[@patale1640]

t hunter he only had one foot!

[@Billythecatvseverything]

In what universe would Kerry be given the wwf heavyweight title in an Era when the world title was seen as the main draw like all the von junkies they couldn't draw flies if they were covered in horse shit outside of daddy's bubble

[@joshk4187]

He though did gain the IC title which is usually the step toward the main title .

[@kurtvanderbogarde8402]

Allegedly, luring Hulk Hogan back from the AWA was Plan C and picking up Kerry was plan B - Plan A having been the revenge of Superstar Graham in late 82 only for SG to turn up as a karate man with no muscles or colour any more.

[@azapro911]

Looking at it purely from a business and fan recognition standpoint, Kerry was the obvious standout, indeed the one that got over with Vince in a WWF boom period.

[@zerkzy842]

U sure Fritz was their dad? They all looked completely different.

[@Charmayne7]

David looked alot like Fritz, but Kevin, Kerry and Mike looked like their mother.

[@HorrorFreak68]

What are you looking at. They all looked they same in the face.

[@holliemitchell8585]

Chris and Kerry looked just alike, except Chris was small.

[@contour157]

@@holliemitchell8585 mike and chris resembled each other... dead with a gunshot hole in their bloated body..

[@holliemitchell8585]

@@contour157 man, it's really bad to talk bad about the dead that. Respect. And Kerry shot himself in the chest if you want to get technical.

[@brainspin7518]

David! the most diverse in what he could do all around (promo, worker, and charisma). I compare him to size (body frame) and ring work style to Barry windham. Would have loved to have seen that tag team!....only if.

[@Amarioism]

After watching the movie and watching old film I’ll say David would’ve be the bigger star because of the mic and in ring skills

[@jasonnaugle1600]

David as the Undertaker? What fucking drugs are you on?

[@sammymorales6838]

RIC FLAIR has said David was the best by far

[@doylemurphy152]

David Von Erich as The Undertaker? David was going to be NWA Champ.

[@Jukeboxster]

I think it's Kerry. He had everything Vince McMahon wanted. KVE was my favorite wrestler when he was in WWF. The bare-footed one (Kevin) was amazing in the ring though.

[@winterpatriot1429]

Yeah, I’d agree on Kevin being best overall. I started watching wrestling in ‘82, was 8 years old. Remember my parents talking about watching Fritz, in Dallas I believe. Miss those days. Ice Man, Chris Adams .. Freebirds. Don’t really watch anymore.

[@briansam2524]

David Von Erich would have been the biggest star, even both Harley Race and Ric Flair have mentioned that David would have been the next one to wear the belt!!!

[@Rjensen2]

Bull. Fritz stopped pushing hard for David and switched to Kerry, and to a lesser extent, Kevin. David wouldn't have had a chance to do anything as the 80s rolled on.

[@jarrettjordan]

David would have been the star in the WCW world, because he was the best worker and promo. Kerry would have been the star in the WWE world, because he had a great look. Yeah...Kerry had a short run in WWE, but he was strung-out and one-footed by then.

[@RobJaskula]

Bingo, JJ.

[@Ya_Saarallah]

As Roger Clemens would say, Jim is Misremembering. Wasn't he called The Texas Tornado, Kerry Von Erich?

[@frankiepalmisano4272]

I Have NO Telepathy yes

[@frankiepalmisano4272]

He still walked out with his robe that said Kerry on the back and his boots had kerry on them

[@trademarktraining]

@@frankiepalmisano4272 well for him those particular boots were probably kind of important if you pick up what I'm putting down

[@frankiepalmisano4272]

Tiger supporter0848 I understand what you are saying but his new boots had Kerry on them too. His black ones. The only time he wore those were in wwf

[@brucebruce6531]

When I look at Kota Ibushi, I think of Kevin Von Eric and I wonder 🤔