The Von Erichs Trivia Quiz

Answer: Dallas Texans

After outstanding athletic accomplishments in high school, Fritz enrolled at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and later transferred to the University of Texas at Corpus Christi. In 1952, Fritz went to the Texans tryout camp in Kerrville, Texas, and played with the team in a couple of exhibition games.

The next season, the team moved to Baltimore and became the Colts. While making an attempt to continue his football career with the Canadian Football League, Fritz met legendary wrestler Stu Hart in Edmonton, the first step in his long life in wrestling.

Answer: Waldo Von Erich

He didn't attain the legendary status of Fritz, but Waldo Von Erich did hold several titles over the years, including the Texas Heavyweight Championship and the North American Heavyweight Championship. Waldo was also half of the American Tag Team Champions with Fritz, and half of the World Wide Wrestling Federation United States Tag Team Championship with Gene Kiniski.

After retiring from the ring, Waldo invented the Inversion Chair, a device used to relieve stress on the back.

Answer: Gary Hart

For more than a decade after beginning his wrestling career, Fritz Von Erich had been known as a goose-stepping Nazi sympathizer, hated and feared by fans. In 1967, "Playboy" Gary Hart, a barely reformed hood from Chicago, came to Texas and was instantly hated by Dallas crowds.

After some ill feelings between the two were made obvious, Hart came to the ring during a television taping and began to berate Von Erich, calling him a liar and a phony. Hart announced to the crowd, "He's not even German! His name is Jack Adkisson, he went to SMU, and his daddy was a thief!" This set the stage for Hart to become even more hated than he already was, and for Von Erich and his family to become the hometown heroes.

Answer: Buddy Rose

"Playboy" Buddy Rose began his career shortly before Kevin Von Erich made his debut. (To satisfy the nit picky, Rose began his career under his real name, Paul Perschmann.) Kevin displayed the high flying style that would be part of the explosion of wrestling's popularity less than a decade later, and defeated Rose in his first match.

Answer: Texas Tag Team Championship

Kevin and David would win many tag team titles over the years, but the Texas Tag Team Championship came first. Kevin had already won the American Heavyweight Championship, and David also won the Texas Heavyweight Championship in his rookie year, just the beginning of a series of titles the two would earn together and as singles wrestlers.

Answer: He was hated by Florida fans

Striking out on his own, David went to Florida in late 1981 and struck up a friendship with veteran wrestler Dory Funk, Jr., instantly drawing boos from fans as Funk was not well liked at the time. During his time in Florida, David feuded with the beloved Dusty Rhodes, raising the ire of Florida fans even more. David would win the North American Tag Team Championship with Funk, as well as making short runs as the Southern Heavyweight Champion and Florida Television Champion. By August 1982, David publicly split with Funk and returned to Texas full time.

Answer: The discus

Gifted at throwing the discus, Kerry set the junior-world record while attending the University of Houston, breaking his own father's collegiate record. University of Houston coach Clyde Duncan had also taken on the challenge of being the track and field coach for the 1980 U.S. Olympic team. With one of the best in his own backyard, Duncan chose Kerry as an alternate for the 1980 team. Kerry's Olympic dreams were quickly dashed when President Jimmy Carter announced that the United States would boycott the 1980 Summer Olympics, which were being held in Moscow, Russia, as a protest of the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan.

Answer: Kerry

At World Class Championship Wrestling's "Christmas Star Wars '82" card, Kerry challenged Ric Flair for the National Wrestling Alliance's World Heavyweight Championship. The match was in a steel cage, and in a vote among fans, Fabulous Freebird Michael Hayes was chosen as the special referee for the match. Terry Gordy, another Freebird, stood outside the ring.

At one point, Michael Hayes interfered in the match, giving Von Erich a chance to win. Kerry refused, not wanting to win the match that way, leading to an argument with Hayes. Frustrated, Hayes asked Gordy to open the cage door to leave the ring. Kerry had been knocked to his knees near the cage door.

After Hayes was outside, Gordy slammed the cage door on Kerry's head. This started one of the longest and bloodiest feuds in modern wrestling, lasting about four years.

Answer: Skandar Akbar

General Skandar Akbar, a former wrestler and the manager of "Devastation Incorporated", jumped at the opportunity to be Mike Von Erich's first opponent. A long time rival of the Von Erich family, the hated Akbar told fans he didn't want Mike's first match to be an easy one.

In a hard fought battle, the vicious Akbar was pinned by the rookie, giving Mike Von Erich the first victory of his career.

Answer: About three weeks

After defeating Flair at the first annual "Parade of Champions" card at Texas Stadium, Kerry made a handful of title defenses over the next 18 days, including his first defense against Terry Gordy. On May 24, 1984, Kerry lost the World Championship back to Ric Flair in Yokosuka, Japan. Video of the match clearly shows Flair grabbing Kerry's wrestling trunks for leverage as he pinned him.

Answer: Pizza Inn

The commercial begins with a smiling Mike Von Erich sitting at a table holding a slice of pizza. As he talks about going out for pizza with his brothers, Kevin and Kerry walk up to the table and sit down. The Von Erichs would do a few local commercials for everything from insurance companies to radio stations, but this would be the only commercial they would do for a national chain.

Answer: Gino Hernandez

At an October card held at the Cotton Bowl, Kevin and Kerry Von Erich defeated Gino Hernandez and Chris Adams in a Hair Match, in which the losers would have their heads shaved. Not wanting to lose his hair, Gino Hernandez ran from the ring and tried to get away while the Von Erich's were busy with Adams. Chris Von Erich, only 16 years old at the time, tackled Hernandez and held him down until his brothers reached them and dragged the wrestler back to the ring.

Answer: 4

All of the Von Erich sons grew up in the Dallas area, but only 3 of them were born in Texas as their father was. Fritz was born August 16, 1929 in the small town of Jewett, Texas, but his wrestling career would take him all across the country, leading to some of his sons being born elsewhere.

While Fritz wrestled in the Chicago area, Kevin was born on May 15, 1957 in Belleville, Illinois. Coming home to Texas, Fritz and his wife Doris welcomed David into the world on July 22, 1958 in Dallas. While Fritz was based in the Northeast, Kerry was born on February 3, 1960 in Niagara Falls, New York.

In the early 60s, Fritz and the family came home to Texas for good, and on March 2, 1964 Mike was born in Dallas. The youngest Von Erich, Chris, joined the family on September 30, 1969 in Dallas.

Answer: Doris

While attending Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Fritz married his high school sweetheart, Doris Smith. Over the next half century, Doris would be there for the glory and the tragedy of the Von Erich family, but would mostly stay out of the spotlight. Doris' most notable public appearances are most likely at the 1984 "Parade of Champions" when Kerry won the National Wrestling Alliance World Championship from Ric Flair, and at Fritz Von Erich's retirement match in 1982.

Answer: Ross

Kevin was also blessed with a son named Marshall, and two older daughters named Kristen and Jill. In 2004, Kevin Von Erich became a grandfather for the first time. As rumors circulated that Ross was in negotiations with World Wrestling Entertainment to begin his wrestling career, Kevin and Ross Von Erich made their first appearance at a wrestling venue in Longview as guests of a special "Piper's Pit" with Roddy Piper. (The card was not associated with WWE.) During the segment, General Skandar Akbar, an old Von Erich nemesis, interrupted the interview. During the confrontation, Akbar shoved Ross, prompting Kevin to apply the famous "Iron Claw" to Akbar's head.