Chris Von Erich
Birth nameChristopher Barton Adkisson
Born(1969-09-30)September 30, 1969
Dallas, Texas, U.S.
DiedSeptember 12, 1991(1991-09-12) (aged 21)
Denton, Texas, U.S.
Cause of deathSuicide by gunshot
FamilyVon Erich
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Chris Von Erich
Billed height5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)[1]
Billed weight175 lb (79 kg)[1]
Billed fromDenton, Texas
Trained byFritz Von Erich
DebutJune 22, 1990[2]

Christopher Barton Adkisson (September 30, 1969 – September 12, 1991)[3] was an American professional wrestler, best known under the ring name Chris Von Erich of the Von Erich family.

Professional wrestling career

The smallest and youngest of the Von Erich family, Chris aspired to be a wrestler.[1] He was the youngest son of wrestler Fritz Von Erich.[4] His brothers, Mike, David, Kerry and Kevin all had success as wrestlers. He grew up working cameras and doing other odd jobs backstage for World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW). He won his first amateur wrestling match at the age of six. He had minor involvement in angles in the 1980s.[4] He performed run-ins to aid his brothers against The Fabulous Freebirds.[4] Chris also smashed Buddy Roberts across the back with a chair, and tackled Gino Hernandez at the Cotton Bowl in 1985 while escaping from having his hair shaved off following a tag-team loss at the hands of the Von Erichs.

Chris became a full-fledged wrestler in 1990.[4] He had a small feud with Percy Pringle in the United States Wrestling Association (USWA) that was seen nationally on ESPN. Chris tagged with both his brother Kevin and longtime ally Chris Adams in several tag team matches against Pringle and Steve Austin; however, he would face only Pringle whenever he was in the ring, and allow his more-experienced partner (Kevin or Adams) to battle Austin. Despite his lack of athleticism, Chris was supported by fans, who would often yell "GO, CHRIS, GO!" during his matches. In one of his early matches, Matt Borne and Pringle faced off against Kerry and Kevin Von Erich. Chris, who was at ringside, was attacked by Borne and Pringle, ramming his head into the ring apron, causing him to have a headache that lasted for five days.[5]

Personal life

Chris grew up with his brothers on 500 acres in Texas.[6] He was the smallest of the brothers at 5'5" and 175 pounds.[1][7]

Chris had several health problems that limited his success as a wrestler.[4] In addition to asthma,[6][8] his bones were so brittle from taking prednisone that he would often break them while performing simple wrestling maneuvers.[4][1] After the 1987 suicide of brother Mike,[9] Chris began to experience depression and drug issues.[4] He was also frustrated by his inability to make headway as a wrestler due to his physical build.[10][11][12]

Death

On September 12, 1991, at about 9 P.M., Chris was found by his brother Kevin and mother outside of their family farm in Edom, suffering from a self-inflicted 9mm gunshot wound to the head.[13] According to Kevin, Chris came to him in the middle of the night, wanting back a videocassette recorder (VCR) Kevin borrowed from him. After noticing Chris sitting alone on top of a hill, Kevin went out and talked with him, where he revealed his suicidal tendencies concerning his condition (he had broken his arm earlier that month). After Kevin pleaded with him not to harm himself, Chris reassured him he wouldn't, but after Kevin left, he shot himself in the head.[14] He was hospitalized at the East Texas Medical Center, shortly after 10 P.M., where he died 20 minutes after arriving, eighteen days before his 22nd birthday.[4][15][1] Toxicology reports also revealed cocaine and valium were in his system at the time of his death.[16] Kevin had talked to Chris earlier that day about 100–150 yards north of their home where an apparent suicide note had been left.[17] His internment was located at Grove Hill Memorial Park in Dallas.[18]

Awards and accomplishments

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wilonsky, Robert (November 20, 1997). "Wrestling With Tragedy". Dallas Observer. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  2. ^ "World Class Memories: Results 1990 and Beyond". John Dananay/Michael Moody/ISE Web Productions. July 28, 2013. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
  3. ^ "Chris Von Erich". Find a Grave. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h "Tragedy in Texas: The Sad Story of the Von Erich Family". Retroist. June 5, 2013. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  5. ^ Smith, Don G. Fritz Von Erich: Triumph and Tragedy. Midnight Marquee & BearManor Media.
  6. ^ a b Hollandsworth, Skip. "The Fall of the House of Von Erich". D Magazine. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  7. ^ Greenberg, Keith Elliot (2000-01-01). Pro Wrestling: From Carnivals to Cable TV. Lerner Publications. ISBN 978-0-8225-3332-0.
  8. ^ Ahlhelm, Nicholas (2019-12-19). "Wrestling, abuse and death: the twisted tale of the Von Erich family". Medium. Retrieved 2021-07-12.
  9. ^ "Six Brothers". Texas Monthly. 2005-10-01. Retrieved 2021-07-12.
  10. ^ Frater, Jamie (2010-11-01). Listverse.com's Ultimate Book of Bizarre Lists: Fascinating Facts and Shocking Trivia on Movies, Music, Crime, Celebrities, History, and More. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-56975-885-4.
  11. ^ Harvey, Bill (2010-01-01). Texas Cemeteries: The Resting Places of Famous, Infamous, and Just Plain Interesting Texans. University of Texas Press. ISBN 978-0-292-77934-1.
  12. ^ Molinaro, John F. (2002). Top 100 Pro Wrestlers of All Time. Winding Stair Press. ISBN 978-1-55366-305-8.
  13. ^ Muchnick, Irv (2010-11-16). Wrestling Babylon: Piledriving Tales of Drugs, Sex, Death, and Scandal. ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-55490-286-6.
  14. ^ Meltzer, Dave (2001). Tributes: Remembering Some of the World's Greatest Wrestlers. Winding Stair Press. ISBN 978-1-55366-085-9.
  15. ^ Cohen, Eric. "Who's who in the Von Erich Family?". Archived from the original on 2 March 2017. Retrieved 19 April 2009.
  16. ^ Frasier, David K. (2015-09-11). Suicide in the Entertainment Industry: An Encyclopedia of 840 Twentieth Century Cases. McFarland. ISBN 978-1-4766-0807-5.
  17. ^ "Autopsy Performed on Another Wrestling Von Erich". Greensboro News and Record. The Associated Press. Retrieved 2021-04-27.
  18. ^ Wilson, Scott (2016-08-19). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. McFarland. ISBN 978-1-4766-2599-7.
  19. ^ "Von Erichs". WWE. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  20. ^ Klein, Greg (2014-04-18). The King of New Orleans: How the Junkyard Dog Became Professional Wrestling's First Black Superhero. ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-77090-224-4.

External links

Von Erich family
WWE Hall of Fame inductees
World Class Championship Wrestling
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