Fritz Von Erich
Encyclopedia
Jack Barton Adkisson was an American professional wrestler
under the ring name
Fritz Von Erich, better known today as a wrestling promoter and the patriarch of the Von Erich family
. He was also the owner of the World Class Championship Wrestling
territory.
, where he threw discus and played football. He played one season for the now defunct Dallas Texans
of the NFL (not the AFL
team which became the Kansas City Chiefs
) and then tried the Canadian Football League
(CFL).
, he met legendary wrestler and trainer Stu Hart
, and Hart decided to train and book him in his Klondike Wrestling promotion, naming him Fritz Von Erich and teaming him with "brother" Waldo Von Erich
as a pair of pseudo-nazi brothers (nazis still being popular villains in 50s and 60s wrestling). Adkisson's oldest son Jack Barton Adkisson, Jr. was born September 21, 1952. He, however, died in 1959 after an accidental electrocution
, and Jack Sr. stopped traveling to the east coast, allowing former partner Waldo to use the Von Erich name in the World Wide Wrestling Federation
.
's NWA
territorial stronghold
in St. Louis, Missouri
. He wrestled there until 1967, when he voluntarily left the territory after losing a match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
against then-champion Gene Kiniski
. In the late 1960s, with Muchnick's backing, Adkisson became the promoter for the Dallas territory, effectively overseeing the Houston and San Antonio territories, as well.
after the stabbing death of Rikidōzan
. He became a star due to his feuds with Antonio Inoki
and Giant Baba
, and his "Iron Claw" hold, which became one of the most popular wrestling moves in Japan.
with his son David
, but then-champions Gene
and Ole Anderson
were very vocal in their dislike of "gimmick" wrestlers and the board of directors did not want the champion to have an obviously fictional ring name. Adkisson offered to wrestle under his real name when he was up again for a possible title reign in the 1970s but again, the board of directors voted it down. In 1975, Adkisson became president of the NWA, after Sam Muchnick gave up the position, even though he continued to wrestle in his own promotion, which other members of the board of directors found as a conflict of interest.
in the newly renamed World Class Championship Wrestling
promotion, based in Dallas. The promotion was known for its high production values, use of entrance music and the use of television syndication
. The promotion was one of the most successful territories in the United States, with major draws like his sons, The Fabulous Freebirds, Christopher Adams, Abdullah the Butcher
, Bruiser Brody, Gino Hernandez
and Rick Rude
. By the end of the 1980s, the promotion's talent pool was thin and it was eventually merged with Jerry Jarrett
's Memphis
promotion to create the United States Wrestling Association
.
(born May 15, 1957), David
(born July 22, 1958), Kerry
(born February 3, 1960), Mike
(born March 2, 1964) and Chris
(born September 30, 1969). Of Adkisson's six sons, only Kevin is still living. The couple later separated & Doris divorced her husband on July 21, 1992 after 42 years of marriage.
Adkisson died of brain and lung cancer on September 10, 1997. His funeral service was held at the 1st Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas
. His body was cremated with his ashes interred in the same plot as his fourth son, Kerry.
1This championship was later renamed the NWA American Heavyweight Championship in May 1968. It would later be renamed the WCWA World Heavyweight Championship after World Class' withdrawal from the NWA in February 1986.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
under the ring name
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
Fritz Von Erich, better known today as a wrestling promoter and the patriarch of the Von Erich family
Von Erich family
The Von Erich family is a professional wrestling family. Their actual birth names are "Adkisson", but every member of the family who went into the wrestling business used the ring name "Von Erich", after the family patriarch, Fritz ....
. He was also the owner of the World Class Championship Wrestling
World Class Championship Wrestling
World Class Championship Wrestling ' was a regional professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Originally owned by promoter Ed McLemore, by 1966 it was run by Southwest Sports, Inc., whose president, Jack Adkisson, was better known as wrestler Fritz Von Erich...
territory.
Football career
Adkisson attended Southern Methodist UniversitySouthern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
, where he threw discus and played football. He played one season for the now defunct Dallas Texans
Dallas Texans (NFL)
The Dallas Texans played in the National Football League for one season, 1952, with a record of 1–11.-History:After the 1951 NFL season, the financially troubled New York Yanks franchise were put on the market. Ted Collins had founded that franchise in 1944 as the Boston Yanks, moved it to New...
of the NFL (not the AFL
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
team which became the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
) and then tried the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
(CFL).
Early career and training
While in EdmontonEdmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, he met legendary wrestler and trainer Stu Hart
Stu Hart
Stewart Edward "Stu" Hart, CM was a Canadian amateur wrestler, professional wrestler, promoter and trainer. Hart founded Stampede Wrestling, a promotion based in Calgary, Alberta, and was the father of famous wrestlers Bret and Owen Hart...
, and Hart decided to train and book him in his Klondike Wrestling promotion, naming him Fritz Von Erich and teaming him with "brother" Waldo Von Erich
Waldo Von Erich
Walter Paul Sieber was a Canadian professional wrestler under the ring name Waldo Von Erich. He was billed as the brother of Fritz Von Erich, but was not actually related to Fritz or the rest of the Von Erich family....
as a pair of pseudo-nazi brothers (nazis still being popular villains in 50s and 60s wrestling). Adkisson's oldest son Jack Barton Adkisson, Jr. was born September 21, 1952. He, however, died in 1959 after an accidental electrocution
Electric shock
Electric Shock of a body with any source of electricity that causes a sufficient current through the skin, muscles or hair. Typically, the expression is used to denote an unwanted exposure to electricity, hence the effects are considered undesirable....
, and Jack Sr. stopped traveling to the east coast, allowing former partner Waldo to use the Von Erich name in the World Wide Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
.
1960s
Despite Jack Jr.'s death, Adkisson continued to travel and wrestle. His major circuit was Sam MuchnickSam Muchnick
Sam Muchnick was an American professional wrestling promoter from St. Louis, Missouri. He is often deemed as wrestling’s equivalent of Pete Rozelle , and he was instrumental in establishing the National Wrestling Alliance, which became the industry’s top governing body, in 1948...
's NWA
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
territorial stronghold
St. Louis Wrestling Club
The St. Louis Wrestling Club was a professional wrestling promotion based in St. Louis, Missouri. It was owned and operated by Sam Muchnick. The promotion was a flagship member of the National Wrestling Alliance, and promoted primarily in the St. Louis area. It was colloquially referred to within...
in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. He wrestled there until 1967, when he voluntarily left the territory after losing a match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
NWA World Heavyweight Championship
The National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and...
against then-champion Gene Kiniski
Gene Kiniski
Eugene Nicholas "Gene" Kiniski was a Canadian professional wrestler and the father of wrestlers Nick Kiniski and Kelly Kiniski. "Canada's Greatest Athlete" as he billed himself for promotional purposes was born outside of Edmonton, Alberta...
. In the late 1960s, with Muchnick's backing, Adkisson became the promoter for the Dallas territory, effectively overseeing the Houston and San Antonio territories, as well.
Japan
Adkisson was a part of rebuilding Japanese wrestlingProfessional wrestling in Japan
Puroresu is the popular term for the predominant style or genre of professional wrestling that has developed in Japan. The term comes from the Japanese pronunciation of "professional wrestling" , which is shortened to puroresu . The term became popular among English-speaking fans due to Hisaharu...
after the stabbing death of Rikidōzan
Rikidozan
, better known as Rikidōzan , was a Korean Japanese professional wrestler, known as the "Father of Puroresu" and one of the most influential men in wrestling history. Initially, he had moved from his native country Korea to Japan to become a sumo wrestler...
. He became a star due to his feuds with Antonio Inoki
Antonio Inoki
is a Japanese professional wrestling promoter and retired professional wrestler and mixed martial artist who now resides between New York City and Tokyo. He was also the founder and former owner of New Japan Pro Wrestling before selling his controlling share in the promotion to Yukes...
and Giant Baba
Shohei Baba
was a professional wrestler and co-founder of All Japan Pro Wrestling. He was also known as Giant Baba. Baba, along with Antonio Inoki, became one of the most famous Japanese wrestlers of his era, with a popularity in Japan comparable to Hulk Hogan's in the United States of America...
, and his "Iron Claw" hold, which became one of the most popular wrestling moves in Japan.
National Wrestling Alliance
He was considered a top contender to be voted NWA World Tag Team ChampionNWA World Tag Team Championship
The National Wrestling Alliance World Tag Team Championship is the professional wrestling world tag team championship within the NWA framework.-History:...
with his son David
David Von Erich
David Alan Adkisson was an American professional wrestler who competed as "The Yellow Rose of Texas" David Von Erich...
, but then-champions Gene
Gene Anderson
Gene Anderson was an American professional wrestler best known for his days of teaming with his brother Ole Anderson.-Career:...
and Ole Anderson
Ole Anderson
Alan Robert Rogowski , better known by his ring name of Ole Anderson, is a retired professional wrestler and a promoter. He held numerous NWA World Tag Team Championships with Gene Anderson, who was portrayed as his brother...
were very vocal in their dislike of "gimmick" wrestlers and the board of directors did not want the champion to have an obviously fictional ring name. Adkisson offered to wrestle under his real name when he was up again for a possible title reign in the 1970s but again, the board of directors voted it down. In 1975, Adkisson became president of the NWA, after Sam Muchnick gave up the position, even though he continued to wrestle in his own promotion, which other members of the board of directors found as a conflict of interest.
Retirement
In 1982, he held his first retirement match against King Kong BundyKing Kong Bundy
Christopher Alan "Chris" Pallies is an American professional wrestler, stand-up comedian and actor, better known by his ring name, King Kong Bundy.-Personal:...
in the newly renamed World Class Championship Wrestling
World Class Championship Wrestling
World Class Championship Wrestling ' was a regional professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Originally owned by promoter Ed McLemore, by 1966 it was run by Southwest Sports, Inc., whose president, Jack Adkisson, was better known as wrestler Fritz Von Erich...
promotion, based in Dallas. The promotion was known for its high production values, use of entrance music and the use of television syndication
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
. The promotion was one of the most successful territories in the United States, with major draws like his sons, The Fabulous Freebirds, Christopher Adams, Abdullah the Butcher
Abdullah the Butcher
Lawrence Robert "Larry" Shreve best known as Abdullah the Butcher, and also at times The Madman from the Sudan, is a semi-retired Canadian professional wrestler known as one of the most brutal or "hardcore" professional wrestlers of all-time...
, Bruiser Brody, Gino Hernandez
Gino Hernandez
Charles Eugene Wolfe, Jr. was a professional wrestler better known by his ring name Gino Hernandez. His in-ring nickname was "The Handsome Half-Breed" -Career:...
and Rick Rude
Richard Rood
Richard Erwin Rood , better known by his ring name "Ravishing" Rick Rude, was an American professional wrestler who performed for many promotions, including World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation , in the 1980s and 1990s.Among other accolades, Rude was a four-time world...
. By the end of the 1980s, the promotion's talent pool was thin and it was eventually merged with Jerry Jarrett
Jerry Jarrett
Jerry W. Jarrett is an American promoter and former professional wrestler, and the father of wrestler Jeff Jarrett. He is the co-founder and former part-owner of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
's Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
promotion to create the United States Wrestling Association
United States Wrestling Association
The United States Wrestling Association or USWA was a professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee. It was founded by former CWA owner Jerry Jarrett.-Foundation:...
.
Personal life
Adkisson married Doris J. Smith on June 23, 1950. Together, they had six sons: Jack Barton, Jr. (born September 21, 1952), KevinKevin Von Erich
Kevin Ross Adkisson is a retired professional wrestler under the ring name Kevin Von Erich of the Von Erich Family. He is the last surviving son of wrestler Fritz Von Erich and had four brothers that wrestled, David, Kerry, Mike and Chris, as well as an older brother, Jack, Jr., who died in...
(born May 15, 1957), David
David Von Erich
David Alan Adkisson was an American professional wrestler who competed as "The Yellow Rose of Texas" David Von Erich...
(born July 22, 1958), Kerry
Kerry Von Erich
Kerry Gene Adkisson was an American professional wrestler under the ring names Kerry Von Erich, The Modern Day Warrior, and The Texas Tornado and was part of the Von Erich family of professional wrestlers...
(born February 3, 1960), Mike
Mike Von Erich
Michael Brett Adkisson was an American professional wrestler under the ring name Mike Von Erich. His four brothers, David, Kerry, Kevin and Chris, also wrestled...
(born March 2, 1964) and Chris
Chris Von Erich
Chris Barton Adkisson was an American professional wrestler, best known under the ring name Chris Von Erich of the Von Erich family.-Career:...
(born September 30, 1969). Of Adkisson's six sons, only Kevin is still living. The couple later separated & Doris divorced her husband on July 21, 1992 after 42 years of marriage.
Adkisson died of brain and lung cancer on September 10, 1997. His funeral service was held at the 1st Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
. His body was cremated with his ashes interred in the same plot as his fourth son, Kerry.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Iron Claw
- NicknameNicknameA nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
s- "Tetsu no Tsume" ("The Iron Claw")
Championships and accomplishments
- All Japan Pro WrestlingAll Japan Pro Wrestlingis a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established in 1972. All Japan Pro Wrestling still remains one of the most popular puroresu promotions still in operation.-The Giant Baba Era :...
- NWA International Tag Team ChampionshipNWA International Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA International Tag Team Championship was a National Wrestling Alliance-sanctioned title contested for in All Japan Pro Wrestling . Prior to being used in AJPW, the title was defended in the Japan Wrestling Association . The title lasted from 1962 through 1988...
(1 time) - with Karl Krupp
- NWA International Tag Team Championship
- Maple Leaf WrestlingMaple Leaf WrestlingMaple Leaf Wrestling was the unofficial name in the 1970s and 1980s of the professional wrestling promotion run by Frank Tunney in Toronto.-Queensbury Athletic Club:...
- NWA Canadian Open Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Canadian Open Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Championship was the top tag team professional wrestling championship in the Canadian promotion Maple Leaf Wrestling from 1952 through 1961. The title was then replaced with the Toronto version of the NWA International Tag Team Championship.-Title history:...
(3 times) - with Karl Von Schober (2) and Gene KiniskiGene KiniskiEugene Nicholas "Gene" Kiniski was a Canadian professional wrestler and the father of wrestlers Nick Kiniski and Kelly Kiniski. "Canada's Greatest Athlete" as he billed himself for promotional purposes was born outside of Edmonton, Alberta...
(1)
- NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Championship
- Mid-Atlantic Championship WrestlingJim Crockett PromotionsJim Crockett Promotions was a professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett, Jr. until the late 1980s. It was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance and was the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling .-Early history:...
- NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (Mid-Atlantic version)NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (Mid-Atlantic version)The NWA Southern Tag Team Championship was the Mid-Atlantic territory version of the NWA Southern Tag Team Championship and was defended between 1953 until 1968 when it became the NWA Atlantic Coast Tag Team Championship...
(1 time) - with Waldo Von ErichWaldo Von ErichWalter Paul Sieber was a Canadian professional wrestler under the ring name Waldo Von Erich. He was billed as the brother of Fritz Von Erich, but was not actually related to Fritz or the rest of the Von Erich family....
- NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (Mid-Atlantic version)
- NWA DetroitNational Wrestling AllianceThe National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
- NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Detroit Version)NWA Detroit United States Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA Detroit United States Heavyweight Championship was a version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Title. It was known as the Chicago version from 1953 until 1959 and was later renamed the Detroit version from 1959 until 1980...
(3 times)
- NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Detroit Version)
- NWA Minneapolis Wrestling and Boxing ClubAmerican Wrestling AssociationThe American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
/ American Wrestling AssociationAmerican Wrestling AssociationThe American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
- AWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipAWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe American Wrestling Association World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship and the highest ranked championship in the defunct American Wrestling Association. All AWA trademarks, including the AWA World Heavyweight Championship, are now owned by WWE...
(1 time) - NWA World Tag Team Championship (Minneapolis version) (1 time) - with Hans Hermann
- AWA World Heavyweight Championship
- NWA Western States SportsNational Wrestling AllianceThe National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
- NWA International Tag Team Championship (Amarillo version) (1 time) - with Killer Karl Krupp
- NWA North American Heavyweight Championship (Amarillo version)NWA North American Heavyweight Championship (Amarillo version)The Amarillo version of the NWA North American Heavyweight Championship was a top singles title in the National Wrestling Alliance's Amarillo, Texas territory, NWA Western States Sports...
(4 times)
- Southwest Sports, IncWorld Class Championship WrestlingWorld Class Championship Wrestling ' was a regional professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Originally owned by promoter Ed McLemore, by 1966 it was run by Southwest Sports, Inc., whose president, Jack Adkisson, was better known as wrestler Fritz Von Erich...
/ NWA Big Time WrestlingWorld Class Championship WrestlingWorld Class Championship Wrestling ' was a regional professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Originally owned by promoter Ed McLemore, by 1966 it was run by Southwest Sports, Inc., whose president, Jack Adkisson, was better known as wrestler Fritz Von Erich...
/ World Class Championship WrestlingWorld Class Championship WrestlingWorld Class Championship Wrestling ' was a regional professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Originally owned by promoter Ed McLemore, by 1966 it was run by Southwest Sports, Inc., whose president, Jack Adkisson, was better known as wrestler Fritz Von Erich...
- NWA American Heavyweight Championship (13 times)
- NWA American Tag Team Championship (6 times) - with Waldo Von ErichWaldo Von ErichWalter Paul Sieber was a Canadian professional wrestler under the ring name Waldo Von Erich. He was billed as the brother of Fritz Von Erich, but was not actually related to Fritz or the rest of the Von Erich family....
(1), Billy Red LyonsBilly Red LyonsWilliam Snip was a Canadian professional wrestler, who used the stage name Billy Red Lyons. He was an active wrestler between 1956 and 1984, and won numerous championship throughout his career. He worked for promotions in both Canada and the United States, particularly in Ontario, California,...
(1), Grizzly SmithAurelian SmithAurelian Smith was an American professional wrestler better known as Grizzly Smith. He was the father of professional wrestlers Aurelian, Jr...
(1), Fred CurryFred Curry (wrestler)Fred Thomas Koury, Jr. better known by his ring name ”Flyin'” Fred Curry, was an American professional wrestler of Lebanese descent. The son of "Wild Bull" Curry, Fred Koury was one of the most popular stars in the Midwest United States during the 1960s.-Career:In the 1960s, Koury, Jr. took up...
(1), Dan Miller (1), and Dean Ho (1) - NWA Brass Knuckles Championship (Texas version) (2 times)
- NWA Texas Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA Texas Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling title that has existed since the 1930s. Though its exact date of creation isn't known, it is among the oldest championships used in professional wrestling today...
(3 times) - NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Texas version) (3 times)1
- NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (Texas version) (1 time) - with KevinKevin Von ErichKevin Ross Adkisson is a retired professional wrestler under the ring name Kevin Von Erich of the Von Erich Family. He is the last surviving son of wrestler Fritz Von Erich and had four brothers that wrestled, David, Kerry, Mike and Chris, as well as an older brother, Jack, Jr., who died in...
& Mike Von ErichMike Von ErichMichael Brett Adkisson was an American professional wrestler under the ring name Mike Von Erich. His four brothers, David, Kerry, Kevin and Chris, also wrestled... - NWA World Tag Team Championship (Texas Version) (2 times) - with Killer Karl Kox (1) and Duke KeomukaHisao TanakaHisao "Martin" Tanaka was a professional wrestler. He is the father of wrestler Pat Tanaka and referee Jimmy Tanaka.-Career:In the 1950s, Duke Keomuka formed a very successful tag team with Hiro Matsuda...
(1)
- St. Louis Wrestling Hall Of FameSt. Louis Wrestling Hall of FameThe St. Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame is a professional wrestling hall of fame. After several years of debating the idea of creating the Hall of Fame, former owner and promoter of the St. Louis Wrestling Club Larry Matysik opened it in 2007. He was joined in this effort by promoter Herb Simmons,...
- (Class of 2007)
- World Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
- WWE Hall of FameWWE Hall of FameThe WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for professional wrestlers maintained by WWE. It was officially created on the February 1, 1993 episode of the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw television program...
(Class of 2009)
- WWE Hall of Fame
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of FameWrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of FameThe Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is a professional wrestling hall of fame that recognizes people who make significant contributions to the sport. It was founded in 1996 by Dave Meltzer, editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is not...
(Class of 1996)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame
1This championship was later renamed the NWA American Heavyweight Championship in May 1968. It would later be renamed the WCWA World Heavyweight Championship after World Class' withdrawal from the NWA in February 1986.
See also
- Von Erich familyVon Erich familyThe Von Erich family is a professional wrestling family. Their actual birth names are "Adkisson", but every member of the family who went into the wrestling business used the ring name "Von Erich", after the family patriarch, Fritz ....
- List of notable brain tumor patients