21. VON ERICHS VS. DYNAMIC DUO IN HAIR VS. HAIR MATCH (1985)

Prior to their bouts, the Dynamic Duo had recently made a habit of cutting the hair of various World Class babyfaces such as Scott Casey, Brian Adias and Iceman King Parsons, while taunting Kevin and Kerry Von Erich on camera.

When the duo defeated the Von Erichs in a wild match at Fourth of July Star Wars in Fort Worth, it allowed Gino and Adams to select the special stipulations for their bout with Kevin and Kerry at the second Cotton Bowl spectacular.

Consummate showmen and professionals, the Dynamic Duo sold the humiliation of having their heads shaved exceptionally, with Chris angrily yelling, “I’ll kill ya!” at the babyfaces throughout his haircut. Gino, attempting to escape the ringside area, was thwarted when the youngest Von Erich, Chris, tackled Hernandez at ringside. When Chris got the chance to shave Gino’s hair, Hernandez, who could actually be seen seemingly holding back laughter, yelled, "No!!! I'll kill that little punk!").

The feud between the two teams would continue through the end of 1985, with the Von Erichs attempting to unmask The Dynamic Duo to reveal their bald heads.

On June 4, 1986, the life of Kerry Gene Adkisson would dramatically and tragically change. While driving his motorcycle on U.S. Highway 373 in Argyle, Texas, Kerry reportedly attempted to pass a van on the two-lane highway and skidded into the rear of a police car that had stopped. 

Kerry was thrown some fifty feet, landing on the highway’s unforgiving concrete, and suffered a dislocated hip and severely damaged his right knee, ankle and foot.  Just that quickly, the professional wrestling career of the "Modern Day Warrior” was in severe jeopardy.

Frantic announcements were made on World Class television that Kerry had indeed been involved in a serious motorcycle wreck but was expected to return to the ring shortly, as Kerry and brother Kevin were WCCW's two top draws, and the promotion undoubtedly feared that fans would lose interest in its  programming if it became known just how bad Kerry’s injuries were. 

Kerry, who reportedly felt the World Class promotion (which had recently severed its long-standing ties with the National Wrestling Alliance) could not survive his being out of action for a long period of time, rushed his comeback, wrestling a short match with the Von Erichs' childhood friend turned arch-rival Brian Adias in February 1987.  He wound up suffering irreversible damage to his right foot and ankle area, and doctors -- who had strongly advised him against performing that evening -- had no other choice but to amputate the majority of Kerry’s right foot, fitting him with a prosthesis.

In late November of 1987, Kerry resumed his wrestling career, the true extent of his injuries hidden from his peers and wrestling fans. The proud warrior would even go so far as to shower with his boots on, in order to hide his disability from other wrestlers and promoters.  But in November of 1988, rumors began to circulate within the industry after Colonel DeBeers accidentally pulled off Kerry’s prosthetic wrestling boot during a match in Las Vegas, much to the horror of ringside fans.

Remarkably, Kerry was nearly as mobile in the ring as he was prior to his accident. However, this illusion did take a heavy toll on Von Erich, as he developed an addiction to pain medication, which ultimately led to the events that culminated in his suicide.
 

Fritz’s reply shocked the world of professional wrestling, which at that time still strictly adhered to kayfabe. Fritz stated that Lance, who had been billed for the last year and a half as the son of Fritz’s fictitious brother Waldo, was a "coward" who skipped town. He revealed that "Lance" was in fact Pacific Northwest wrestler Ricky Vaughn, and was not a real member of the family. Reportedly, Lance's departure stemmed from a disagreement about jobbing to Nord the Barbarian (John Nord), which infuriated the no-nonsense Fritz.

After Lance’s stint in World Class abruptly came to an end, he went to Ken Mantell’s short lived Texas promotion Wild West Wrestling where he worked as The Fabulous Lance, as Fritz had supposedly threatened legal action if Vaughn continued to use the trademarked Von Erich name.

Unfortunately for Vaughn, his career never recovered in the U.S. after Fritz’s public revelation. He eventually married a woman he had met while on a wrestling tour of South Africa, and still resides there with her today, having retired from the sport.

“Gentleman” Chris Adams and the “Handsome Half-Breed” Gino Hernandez had become one of the industry’s top tag teams during the 1980’s. Collectively, they were known as The Dynamic Duo, and ultimately the tandem was only stopped by internal factors, attributable directly to Hernandez.  

On Christmas night 1985 at Reunion Arena, during their tag team title match, Hernandez allowed Adams to take a prolonged pounding from Kevin and Kerry Von Erich, refusing to take a tag and enter the ring to aid his compromised partner. Adams seemingly had no other alternative but to toss Kevin over the top rope for a disqualification, thus ending the bout. The disqualification allowed the Dynamic Duo to retain their title, but that didn’t stop “The Gentleman” from angrily decking Gino.  

Not long afterwards, Hernandez appeared on WCCW television in Fort Worth with Marc Lowrance and dismissed the incident. Gino declared that he and Chris were still the champs and still friends, but that he had to knock out Chris with one punch in the locker room to teach Chris a lesson.  

Upon hearing this, it did not take a furious Adams long to enter the ring and call Hernandez upon his acquisitions. An amused Marc Lowrance recapped for Adams what the back-peddling Hernandez had just stated, which infuriated Adams even more. With the crowd again behind him, Adams viciously attacked Gino, resulting in the Dynamic Duo's split. 

A new feud was born, and a grudge match was signed for the January 27, 1986 Star Wars card at Tarrant County Convention Center in Fort Worth, Texas.  Tragically, though, this match turned out to be Gino's last; he would be dead by the time it aired on KTVT a few days later.
 

Parsons, who had recently become a member of the Freebirds, had joined Terry Gordy, Buddy Roberts and the Angel of Death in attacking Kerry’s father Fritz on Christmas night 1987, causing Fritz to "collapse" at ringside prior to Kerry’s match with then-champion Al Perez.

During this version of the ongoing Von Erich/Freebird feud, the Von Erichs received an unexpected ally against their long standing rivals: their former arch-enemy, Freebird Michael Hayes.

As the Kerry-Parsons title match progressed, Parsons’ fellow Freebird members made their presence known at ringside, which prompted Hayes to emerge from the dressing room to aid the now-outnumbered Kerry. However, the arena suddenly went dark as Gordy motioned for the lights to be cut. When they were finally turned back on, no Freebirds were in sight, and Kerry was unconscious in the middle of the ring, a bloody mess. Parsons, capitalizing on this situation, covered Von Erich and captured the WCCW World title.

Outraged, World Class television announcer Marc Lowrance immediately pointed the finger of accusation at Michael Hayes as the culprit...until it was discovered that Hayes, too, was unconscious in a pool of his own blood at ringside.

After the "lights out" attack, WCCW viewers who were in attendance that night were asked on television to send in their flash photos to show what had really happened at the title match's conclusion. However, the results of this inquiry were deemed "inconclusive".

The controversy stemming from this incident led to two key matchups at the 1988 Parade of Champions. The main event of the card would feature WCCW World Champion Parsons taking on Kerry in a rematch for the title (which Kerry won), and Hayes & Gordy facing off in the three-tiered cage hyped as the "Triple Dome of Terror".

The “Triple Dome” match ended with Hayes lying in the ring unconscious, and fellow ‘Birds Buddy Roberts and the Angel of Death goading Gordy to cut Michael's hair. Gordy refused, and was jumped by his teammates for his decision.

The legendary Von Erichs-Freebirds feud took a bizarre twist on Christmas night in 1983 -- exactly one year after it began -- when Michael Hayes (who had lost a loser-leaves-town match to Kerry Von Erich on Thanksgiving night), disguised as Santa Claus, attacked the youngest Von Erich wrestling brother, Mike, much to the horror and disgust to all that attended and viewed the event on television. 

This occurred when Mike and Kevin Von Erich took on the remaining Freebirds, Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts, with the stipulation that whichever Freebird was pinned would also have to leave World Class. (If one of the Von Erichs was pinned, it was agreed that Kevin would leave as Mike had only just begun his career.) 

During the bout, someone dressed as Santa Claus was seen at ringside (and was also mentioned on television) passing out candy canes and greeting ringside fans. After Kevin pinned Gordy, thus forcing him to leave World Class, the individual dressed as Santa made his way to the ring to congratulate the Von Erichs on their victory.  But, after “Santa” raised the hand of Mike Von Erich, he shocked the fans in attendance by attacking young Mike, as World Class television announcer Bill Mercer yelled into his microphone, “Santa Claus just decked Mike Von Erich!” 

It was quickly revealed that “Santa” was the departed Michael Hayes, who had returned to Texas in an unsuccessful bid to help his fellow ‘Birds eliminate the beloved Von Erichs. 
 

On October 31, 1983 at the Will Rogers Memorial Auditorium in Fort Worth, World Class Television champion Gorgeous Jimmy Garvin was his title against the capable Johnny Mantell, when the “Gorgeous One” would turn his back on his extremely loyal valet, Sunshine. 

The story went that Sunshine was being awarded with her own valet by Garvin due to her great job performance. Originally referred to simply as Sunshine II, the new valet would soon be known as Precious (Garvin's real-life wife Patty).  

Precious, from the beginning, tried to upstage Sunshine in the eyes of Garvin, which understandably did not sit well with Sunshine. Like Sunshine, Precious began to interfere in Garvin’s matches, except that her interference often cost Garvin victories -- for which Garvin blamed Sunshine. 

Precious’ last attempt to interfere backfired once again, costing Garvin the television title. Garvin again blamed Sunshine for the loss and immediately dumped Sunshine, departing with his now sole valet Precious...leaving Sunshine seeking revenge.
 

The professional wrestling industry was shocked when Mike Von Erich nearly died in early September of 1985 of Toxic Shock Syndrome. TSS is an illness that is caused by bacteria, commonly found in women who use tampons. These bacteria release toxins into the bloodstream of the afflicted, and these toxins, if left  untreated, can kill them.

In Mike Von Erich’s case, the disease stemmed from an infection resulting from shoulder surgery. Shoulder problems had plagued Mike from the start of his career, and he had recently suffered another injury while wrestling Gino Hernandez on the last day of a tour of Israel. As is often the case with TSS victims, Mike did not realize he was ill until the symptoms had become quite severe.

Soon Mike was admitted to Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas and placed in the intensive care unit. His weight and blood pressure and dropped dramatically while a fever rose to 107 degrees at one point. Doctors told the Adkisson family that Mike would probably die; however, he miraculously pulled through and began to make a slow, but steady recovery.

Although his recovery was at first considered an amazing comeback story, Mike’s tragedy, sadly, did not end here. Mike ultimately committed suicide in April 1987, apparently despondent over the lingering effects caused by his illness.
 

With his quest seemingly complete, Kerry went right into a hectic schedule of title defenses. In just 18 days as champion, Kerry would successfully defend the belt against the likes of Terry Gordy, Ric Flair, The Missing Link, and Jimmy Garvin just in the state of Texas. Kerry then traveled with the belt to Florida to face such opponents as Superstar Billy Graham, Ron Bass, and Black Bart. A trip to Japan saw Kerry retain the title against Jumbo Tsuruta, a very formidable challenger (and a former AWA World Champion). 

There have been many wrestling insiders who have claimed that Kerry was not reliable enough to be champion, citing personal troubles which ultimately had grave results.  However, during his brief title reign, no one could argue that Kerry Von Erich was anything but a credit to the prestigious title.  Unfortunately, he never got the chance to bring the belt home from his Japanese tour:  on May 24, 1984 in Yokosuka, Japan, Ric Flair defeated Kerry to regain the championship. 

It was disdainfully explained on World Class television that Kerry had been cheated out of the title, with announcers Marc Lowrance and Bill Mercer pointing out that Flair had used the ropes and claiming that the referee (the highly respected Japanese official Joe Higuchi) was a Sumo ref who did not understand the rules of pro wrestling.
 

During an eight-man tag team bout on May 11, 1987, many fans attending a television taping at the Will Rogers Coliseum in Fort Worth thought they were witnessing yet another Von Erich family tragedy when Kevin Von Erich legitimately passed out in the ring. 

This near-disaster occurred not quite a month after the passing of younger brother Mike, which ultimately left Kevin to take on the heavy burden of becoming the only active wrestling Von Erich brother (David had died in February 1984, and Kerry was out indefinitely due to a June 1986 motorcycle accident) left in the industry. 

The bout pitted Kevin, Bruiser Brody, and The Fantastics against Al Perez, Brian Adias, Al Madril and Black Bart. As the match progressed, Von Erich suddenly collapsed in the ring, much to the horror and shock of  fans in attendance, and to the other wrestlers participating in the match. 

KTVT's television cameras were immediately turned off, and Bobby Fulton of the Fantastics quickly  administered CPR to Kevin, who began convulsing and turning blue. 

Kevin was taken to Baylor Medical Center for further observation and was eventually released. According to family members, Kevin was suffering at the time from chronic seizures directly related to numerous head injuries, as well as a hectic schedule and general stress. 

In an attempt to save face when World Class returned to Will Rogers the following week, it was explained that the Von Erichs' then-arch rival Brian Adias had caused Kevin's condition with a move he had recently mastered, the dreaded Oriental Spike (a thumb thrust to the neck).