Imagine being able to transport yourself back in time to Abruzzi, Italy. It is 1951, and you're standing in a small gym, watching half a dozen men work out with barbells and dumbbells. A man known only as "Batisti" moves from man to man, offering advice and encouragement.

Through the door walks a skinny, underdeveloped young teenager. He looks lost. Batisti walks over to him, and the young man says he wants to develop his physique. Batisti takes the youngster and develops a course of exercises that soon has the young man working out several hours each day.

A dozen years later, that young man - Bruno Sammartino - would ignite the wrestling world by capturing the WWF heavyweight title from Buddy Rogers.

Knowing how Bruno embodied the spirit of professional wrestling for so many years, how he did for wrestling what Muhammad Ali did for boxing, it truly would be fascinating to go back in time and see what "The Living Legend" looked like as a young teenager.

Unfortunately, that can't be done. But 30 years from now, when it is the year 2015, many of those wrestling fans in the 21st century may be looking at the year 1985 saying "If only we could have been able to see mighty Chris Von Erich when was 15. If only we could have known what it was like for him when he was just starting his professional training. And with those incredibly successful brothers of his, imagine if we could have spoken with Chris back then and found out what he thought about his brothers, and how he anticipated what would happen in his own career."

We're lucky. We may not be able to go back to Abruzzi, Italy, and the year 1951. But a quick visit to Denton, Texas, provides us with some unique insights into the thoughts of the youngest Von Erich brother, Chris Von Erich.

Long before his brother Mike Von Erich made his professional wrestling debut on Christmas night, 1983; long before Kerry Von Erich won the NWA World title from Ric Flair on May 6, 1984 in Texas Stadium; long before Kevin Von Erich spent much of 1984 involved in a brutal feud with Chris Adams...that's when Chris Von Erich began his training in amateur wrestling.

"When I was real young, when I was six years old, I first started my amateur wrestling," said 15-year-old Chris Von Erich. "It was at a YMCA in, I think, Lewisville, Texas. It's torn down now, I amateur wrestled for about nine years and my coach was (noted World Class area referee) David Manning,"

"My brother Mike also started when he was six," Chris continued, "and David Manning was his coach too. Mike was, I think, about 12 when I started. I kind of followed in his footsteps. I learned a half-nelson, a full-nelson, the chicken-wing, things like that. I learned how to make a bridge so the guy won't pin you.

"Late last year," Chris said, "I started my professional training,"

Who decided that it was time for Chris to end amateur wrestling and become involved in professional training?

"Well, Dad told me, and then Kevin," Chris said. "Actually we weren't sure I was ready yet until I got into the ring with Kev. Then I went into the ring with Kev and brothers and they started teaching me moves like the monkey flip and the arm drag."

Chris can also throw a dropkick, but he learned quickly that the professional wrestling world - even just training - can be dangerous: Chris dislocated his back the first time he started training.

"I was body slammed!" Chris said with a laugh. "Kev body slammed me, and I hit the mat and sure enough my back went out! I wasn't able to train again for about three weeks.

Standing 5 foot 3, and weighing 140 pounds, Chris is hardly ready to step into the ring against Rip "The Crippler" Oliver. But he is well aware of what it's going to take to work his body into a wrestling physique.

"I'm working on having the kind of build that Kerry has," Chris said. "I started working out about three years ago, working out on my chest. I do my chest exercise, my back, my biceps, and then every other week I do my legs."

Chris doesn't need the company of his brothers to fuel his enthusiasm for working out, but when he gets the chance, he will go to Kerry's gym, "Kerry Von Erich's National Health Studio" in Lewisville, Texas to work out. Indeed, it's Kerry who designed Chris' workout plan.

"We all go on the same routine pretty much," Chris said. "One day it's chest and triceps and one day it's back and biceps and the next day we'll do another routine. And then every other week we'll do our leg exercises."

Looking to the future, Chris estimates that it will be about 2½ years before he can make his professional wrestling debut. By the turn of the century he'll be 30 years old and into his wrestling prime. What are his professional aspirations?

"I wanna be world champion," he says confidently. "I'm pretty sure I will be, cause I'm gonna work hard. I'm just gonna keep training and training until I get big enough, and then I'm gonna be world champion if I can.

With the kind of brotherly guidance Chris is receiving now, and the enthusiasm for training that he's already exhibiting at the age of 15, we wouldn't be at all surprised to see Chris Von Erich realize his dream.


A look at style - brother to brother.

In his interview with Pro Wrestling Illustrated, Chris Von Erich discussed the respective styles of his three professionally active brothers. Here's what he had to say

On Kevin: Kevin is very quick and agile in the ring. He's not big and bulky like Kerry, but he's quick and he moves well. You can see him in the ring, the way he'll use the ropes, or how he'll use the strength in his arms during a match. He's real strong in the arms and the legs, real quick, and that's the reason he's so good.

On Mike: Mike's good. I'm real proud of Mike. Mike's got a little bit of everybody in him. He's quick like Kev, he's getting big like Kerry and he's got a lot of Dave in him. He knows that sleeper and he knows that claw, and they're Mike's two favorite moves. If I were to give Mike advice, I'd say just keep on the weights, really, cause he's got all the moves.

On Kerry: Kerry, he's the one. Kerry is really the model I'm trying to follow, because I want to be the world champion. Kerry is always in the gym, he's always working out, he's just got the strength. He's like a giant, he's like King Kong in the ring. A monster.

World Class champion Kevin Von Erich has suffered. At 29 years of age, Kevin is the second oldest of six Von Erich brothers; there were only two sons in 1959 when brother Jack accidentally electrocuted himself. Since then, Kevin has watched two brothers die - David, of an intestinal inflammation on February 10, 1984, and Mike, as a result of a suicide on April 12, 1987.

Now, Kevin, Kerry and Chris are the lone surviving brothers; Kevin, however, has been left alone in the ring. Chris is still too young to wrestle, and Kerry has been sidelined for much of the past year because of a near-fatal motorcycle accident. Life has not been kind to Kevin Von Erich, but he continues to survive.

The death of Mike was extremely tragic. The 23 year old had gone through some hard times over the past two years, all of which began with his summer 1985 bout with Toxic Shock Syndrome. Mike was fortunate to survive that battle, but he never got over the aftereffects. The disease ravaged his body and apparently affected his mind. As a result, Mike was never able to live up to his enormous potential. His frustration built up and he was involved in a series of brushes with the law. One night before his suicide, Mike was arrested for driving while intoxicated, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of two ounces of marijuana. Upon his release the following afternoon, Mike drove to his apartment, where he picked up some camping gear and wrote a note to his family. He then drove to Pilot Knoll Park in Lake Lewisville, Texas, and sometime that day took a lethal dose of the tranquilizer Placidyl. After an intensive search, his body as round four days later. As the oldest brother, Kevin was naturally the person the press came to for answers regarding Mike's death. But, like everybody else, Kevin was left only groping for clues. He took a week off from wrestling following the funeral and returned to wrestle against Nord the Barbarian in the annual David Von Erich Memorial Parade of Champions at Texas Stadium.

Just two weeks later, more problems befell Kevin. He banged his head against the turnbuckle during an eight-man tag team match in Ft. Worth, Texas, and was hospitalized with a concussion. Since his release, he has spent most of his time at home in Denton, Texas. As of press time, he had not returned to the ring. "I wanted to know how he and his family have dealt with the death of Mike," said Wrestling 87 Associate Editor Dave Rosenbaum, who interviewed Kevin. "Kevin is a rather articulate individual, and I was sure that he'd have some opinions on why his brother did what he did. Of course, this recent incident in Ft. Worth only gave us more to talk about.

Wrestling 87: Things really haven't been going well for you, have they Kevin? How did you suffer the concussion?

Von Erich: It was in an eight-man tag team match: me, Bruiser Brody, and the Fantastics against Brian Adias, Al Madril, Al Perez, and Black Bart. I was in the ring with Brian Adias and he slammed my head into the turnbuckle, but I hit it the wrong way. All of a sudden, I saw stars. I collapsed and had a seizure in the ring.

Wrestling 87: That must have been a scary moment for you.

Von Erich: Well, I wasn't quite sure what was happening. After I hit my head and the paramedics came into the ring. I felt dizzy and lightheaded, really strange. They took me to Harris Methodist Hospital, treated me, and released me the same evening.

Wrestling 87: But you went back in. Why was that?

Von Erich: Well, my family convinced me that I shouldn't take any chances. You know, I've had some problems with my knee and shoulders and they also wanted me to get a complete physical checkup. It turned out that I had suffered a concussion and I'm still not ready to return. I'll tell ya, I've been doing a lot of sleeping lately.

Wrestling 87: Well, it's been a very hectic two months for you. From what I've heard, some of the wrestlers in the dressing room that night in Ft. Worth were saying "Oh no, not again. What's happening to this family now?" I know that's the first thing that went through my mind.

Von Erich: I'm sure a lot of people were thinking that way, but I don't really think my family has been cursed. We've had a lot of blessings. We've had some things that other families could only hope for, and we have our faith in the Lord.

Wrestling 87: Still, your faith must have been tested by Mike's death. Why do you think he did it?

Von Erich: You know, there are a lot of people out there who have made their own little opinions about what made Mike kill himself, and there's one that I agree with. Mike after the toxic shock syndrome was a totally different person. The disease ravaged his body and made it impossible for him to come back. He had a picture of himself as a great star and he could no longer fulfill that. He worked so hard, lifting weights and all, but he was constantly in pain. He never really recovered. The disease really slowed him down. You know, he took it as a challenge, but there was so much built up against him. He would work out five or six hours a day and not see any progress.

Wrestling 87: How about the arrest the previous day? Do you think that had anything to do with his decision to commit suicide?

Von Erich: The DWI would made terrible press, no doubt about it. You know, he had already been through one trial, the one where he was found not guilty of hitting the emergency room doctor in Lewisville Hospital, and I think he felt that he had already embarrassed the family too much. You know, some of those TV stations were real cutthroats during this whole thing with Mike. There were 10 helicopters by the scene when they found his body. I wanted to tell these press people, "Have some compassion. My mother just lost her baby."

Wrestling 87: It must have been horrible for her. How is she taking it?

Von Erich: My mother is a strong woman and she's taking it fairly well. But you know, it's the third son that she's lost.

Wrestling 87: And how have you handled it?

Von Erich: Pretty well, I think, although after they found Mike, I took 10 days off before coming back at the Texas Stadium show. I just didn't have it in me to wrestle. I was real close to Mike.

Wrestling 87: So how will you remember your brother? What is it that stands out the most about him?

Von Erich: You know, it's kind of sad in a way, but we didn't find out how good a person he really was until after he died. He gave money to needy people that lived around him. Mike was a very secretive guy. There was a lady in Denton whose husband had left her and their two kids. We didn't know it, but Mike was paying her rent every month. Now we know how good he really was. I don't know if he really projected it that way, because he was too private, but Mike was a caring person. A lot of wrestlers, you know, will come to a town, ravage the town, and pick up every girl around. Mike was a caring guy. It's almost a blessing that he died, knowing the pain that he was going through, knowing the pressure he was under for every little thing he did.

Wrestling 87: Did he speak to anybody before he went to Lake Lewisville?

Von Erich: He called up my mother, and she didn't know about the arrest. He told her about it and she said something like, "Don't worry about it. It's no big deal." But he said, "You don't understand, it is a big deal." Mike figured that he let the family down. It wasn't a big deal to my mother and she would have understood, but it was a big thing to Mike. I'm convinced that he had already decided to end his life. He visited a friend of the family, a doctor, and asked for a prescription for Placidyl.

Wrestling 87: Who is this person?

Von Erich: I'd rather not say. Mike told the doctor that he was in pain and asked for a prescription of Placidyl. The doctor filled the prescription because he thought Mike was hurting. But I have no doubt that he got that Placidyl because wanted to kill himself. That evening, we found a note in Mike's apartment which said, "Please understand. I love you all, but I can't do anything right." We all had a pretty good idea of what he had in mind. We were just hoping to find him before he could do anything.

Wrestling 87: Did you have any idea where he might have gone?

Von Erich: Mike is real good at staying outdoors, so I figured that he might have gone camping somewhere. Unfortunately, we didn't know where he would go.

Wrestling 87: Had he ever gone to this park before?

Von Erich: I don't think so, because it's not really a park where you would go camping. It's more of a wildlife preserve.

Wrestling 87: So why do you think he went there?

Von Erich: I don't know.

Wrestling 87: But he knew where he was going?

Von Erich: Apparently, he knew where to go. He set up camp about a mile from the lake and they found him in his sleeping bag.

Wrestling 87: The Von Erich family has had more than its share of hard times. You've now lost three brothers, David lost his infant daughter, and Kerry is still struggling to return to the ring. Of course, you've had more than your share of injuries, too. Somehow, though, your family manages to keep the faith. How?

Von Erich: You know, Dave, a lot of people say to us, "Why don't you curse God?" and we say that you have to take the good with the bad. What are we supposed to do? You just can't say, "Well, we want the good things, but we won't accept the bad things." Some people might say that we've gotten a raw deal from God. I say we've been blessed.

Wrestling 87: In closing, do you have a message for your fans?

Von Erich: Well, my family and I would like everyone to know that even though we understand why Mike did what he did, we don't think that committing suicide is the right thing to do. A person should try to deal with his problems.

* * *

Kerry Von Erich: Interview by Chris Bernucca
Pro Wrestling Illustrated (exact date unknown, 1992)

The Texas Tornado is an appropriate nickname for Kerry Von Erich. The career of the 14-year veteran has been one of triumph, tragedy, and turmoil. There has been rehabilitation and redemption. There has been success and suffering. But through it all, there has been Kerry Von Erich, carrying on the wrestling rich tradition of his family name. It has been a rough 12 months for Von Erich. Last September, his brother Chris committed suicide, adding to the list of tragedies, that has befallen the family. In February, Kerry was arrested and charged with forging drug prescriptions. For the second time in his life, he entered a drug rehabilitation center. And recently, he parted company with the WWF, for whom he had competed the last two-plus years, reaching the top with an Intercontinental title victory over Curt Hennig in 1990. Von Erich cited personal differences with management as the reason for his departure, but expressed no bitterness torward his former employer.

Although his career has been an emotional roller coaster, Von Erich has always remained one of the most popular wrestlers in the sport. That may come from his willingness to spend time with the young fans who idolized him. PWI Copy Editor Chris Bernucca recently spoke via telephone with Von Erich, who has spent most of his recent time relaxing at home in Dallas. He is eager to return to the ring - perhaps even to the WWF - but on his own terms. Von Erich spoke about a number of topics, many of them not confined to the action within the squared circle. His candid demeanor may surprise even his most loyal fans.

Chris Bernucca: Kerry, you're no longer in the WWF. Were you happy there?

Kerry Von Erich: Yes I was, Chris and Vince McMahon was a man of his word and he never went back on it. I don't have a bad thing to say about him. Now as far as the way they present their wrestling, the issues...well, some of them are kind of way out, you know?

Bernucca: Are you more a fan of, let's call it, the Bill Watts type of wrestling, the on-the-mat style of competition?

Von Erich: Yeah, of course I am . Anytime I can get out there and wrestle and not do a bunch of things that sometimes don't make a lot of sense.......Bill Watts, he's from the old school, "We're out there to push wrestling." Vince is more into making the show look good. Watts is trying to get away from sports entertainment and put wrestling back in. Bill Watts may be saving our sport.

Bernucca: How long have you been in Texas during this recent inactive stretch you've had?

Von Erich: About four weeks. I've been feeling real good. I've renewed old friendships that I almost lost in the three years while I was in the WWF. It's been nice seeing my brother Kevin again. And it's been nice seeing my mom and dad and taking time out witth my two little girls Holly and Lacey. It's been real nice.

Bernucca: Does that level of comfortability extend to possibly a Texas-based federation such as Big D and Global?

Von Erich: No, I'm not looking for the work. I'm gonna do whatever it takes to keep my sport alive for the next generation. My father kept it alive for my generation, and I have to keep it alive for the next one behind me. Watts is one of those guys that is trying to keep our business alive.

Bernucca: Let's talk about some stuff you've already done to keep the sport alive. I don't think people understand the extent of your injuries that are lingering from your motorcyle accident in 1986. How tough is it to be on the road constantly?

Von Erich: Well, our sport has never been an easy one. You've got guys that have got guts - and you've got guys that've got guts under guts-and what I'm doing sometimes calls for pulling the guts from underneath the guts. I've taken it as a real challenge. It's made me a better wrestler. It's made me sharper on my moves, it's made me better with my timing and delivery. You've got to be there with your strength and your quickness. And your mind...my mind's gotta be more into it now than ever.

Bernucca: Have there ever been nights where you've said "Boy, I really wish I don't have to go out there tonight" because the pain was so great or because of being so tired?

Von Erich: Not because of pain, being too tired, yes. There's nights when all of us say, "Man, I'm just too tired to go do this again." But as soon as that spotlight hits you, man, you come alive.

Bernucca: When you were in the WWF, were you just living out of a suitcase?

Von Erich: It's like hotel to hotel, man. We're on the road over 325 days a year. We're just travelng city to city. It's no kind of life for someone who has a couple of little girls, or a family. or whatever. Right now, I'm going to cut my schedule to about 150 matches a year. If titles come along, great. I'll just keep pushing as hard as I can push. I will not rust in this sport. I'll fade away but I won't rust. And when I feel like I'm about to rust I'll quit.

Bernucca: Earlier this year, you were arrested for forging prescriptions. Would you like to talk about that?

Von Erich: Yeah, but see, it was mostly a problem with the doctor. He got loose on writing prescriptions and stuff, and whenever one went across the counter, it raised a red flag in their computers. I got into prescription drugs. I got heavy into them where I was taking too many of them. I was taking this to wake up, and this to go to sleep, and this for pain, and I really have to tell you, I just kind of went insane doing that, you know. You may be doing this for today, but then you're gonna be hurt even more tomorrow. I went through like three years of it. And then on top of what we call "medicating a feeling". I was missing my brothers Dave, Mike, and Chris. It was a way to escape that feeling of hurting, and missing those guys, and I got lost. And now I can say I thank God I'm out of it. Although I never had a problem with drinking booze or anything, but it's all kind of the same. You drink booze to get away from a feeling, you do the same thing with pills and stuff.

Bernucca: It's an everyday battle, isn't it?

Von Erich: Yeah, you take it one day at time. Today I won't need no pills. I don't know about tomorrow.

Bernucca: You went into the Betty Ford rehabilitation center earlier this year?

Von Erich: Yes I did.

Bernucca: Is that something you wanted to do on your own, or is it something suggested by a judge,or McMahon or your father?

Von Erich: No, it was something I had to do on my own. In 1987 I went through drug treatment, but I went through it for my famiy, I didn't do it for me. When I went through Betty Ford, I did it for me, because I was kind of sick and tired of being sick and tred. I'm sure a lot of people that read this will know what that means.

Bernucca: How was McMahon's attitude when you came back? Was he receptive to taking you back?

Von Erich: Oh, yeah, he stood behind me all the way. See, Chris, there's a lot of drugs in our business. There's a lot of that. There's a lot of hiding feelings and a lot of hiding pain. And there are drugs more so than probably anyone could even come close to imagining.

Bernucca: What I've heard is it's basically a big rock concert with guys with muscles. That type of stuff goes on in rock, and they're on the road an awful lot, too.

Von Erich: That's a very true statement. Us and rock 'n' roll are the very same thing. Those guys are on the road every day, so are we. We're entertaining people, so are they. it's just we're entertaining people by using our bodies and getting the crap beat out of us. Vince McMahon has totally cracked down on steroids. I can tell you there is no one in the WWF doing steroids right now. And I can tell you that with a complete, clear conscience. That's one thing that Vince has done he has made his company drug free. He made his programs work.

Bernucca: Who are some of the wrestlers you really respect?

Von Erich: Well, I respect The Ultimate Warrior, with his staying power in this sport. Big Boss Man is incredible. Curt Hennig has been an incredible athlete. And then someone that might surprise you is Roddy Piper. Piper has been someone who has had the most incredible staying power in this sport.

Bernucca: Can the sport survive without Hulk Hogan?

Von Erich: Hulk Hogan's another man I respect a lot. Hogan has been through some tough stuff, and the press has sensationalized it. They tried to make Hogan look like a bad guy, and Hogan isn't a bad guy. That son-of-a-gun, I've seen him go down with the children and hold those kids and love those kids like nobody. He's an incredible individual that way. He's got a heart the size of Texas. The guys I mentioned, I don't respect them only for their wrestling ability or what they've done, I respect them for the kindness they've shown people that are not as fortunate as they are. The WWF has a lot of people that care a whole lot about kids and helping the young people in our society.

Bernucca: But I'll ask again, can the WWF survive without Hogan? Does the sport need that one shining light?

Von Erich: I think that "one shining light" is detrimental to our sport because when that one guy that's out front shining gets hurt or decides to take a break, the whole sport takes a break. And I don't think you should ever - in anything in life - put your eggs in one basket. You've got to put the focus on the whole show and not just one match. The guy in the main event does not like the pressure of knowing that if there's people there, it's because of him - and if there's people not there it's because of him. Hogan's done a great job with it. Warrior's done a great job with it. Piper's done a great job with it. There's been a lot of great ones that have held on that way. Sting has done great in WCW.

Bernucca: What is up next for you as far as the rest of 1992 and looking into 1993?

Von Erich: I'm gonna slow down and try to enjoy life more which in turn I will make a better wrestler. I speak to a lot of kids all over the country about Jesus Christ, drugs, leadership and goals. My new lighter schedule wil give me more time to do that, to reach kids.

Bernucca: You said you were going to scale back your schedule almost 50 percent?

Von Erich: Yeah, I sure am. And it's not going to hurt the popularity of the Von Erichs because the Von Erichs will never lose their spot in the wrestling world. I'm going on my 15th year. My brother Kevin is going on his 16th year. But the Von Erich name has gone in it's 35th year, so we've been in almost four decades. Whenever our name is on the card, it will be a big drawing one.

Bernucca: What do you consider the greatest moment in your career?

Von Erich: It's one that didn't involve wrestling, because of wrestling it happened. It was when Mike was in the hospital with toxic shock syndrome. It was how many of the fans stood behind my brothers and me. It always surprises us how many people stand behind us, they say, "come on, man, you can do it". My reception by the public, it's hard to describe it, it's been so warm. A great moment in wrestling was when I took the NWA title from Ric Flair in Texas Stadium in 1984. That was a big high. Also, when my dad and Kevin and David and I had an eight-man tag team. I mean for three boys to be in the ring with their father up against The Freebirds and Jimmy Garvin, it was just an incredible high when that happened.

Bernucca: If you could change one thing about the sport, what would it be?

Von Erich: Right now, you've got two gigantic entities in the business. I would like to see our sport get back to the territories. The whole nation could still be the WWF but the WWF could say, send its champions into Dallas to wrestle against the champions there.

Bernucca: One last question, Kerry you've been in the sport 14 years any regrets?

Von Erich: Oh yeah, I've got regrets. I'm sorry that when I had some injuries, I got used to taking pills for it. Whenever I needed to sleep on airplanes, I'd take a Valium for it, you know. I regret ever starting into that and I'm sure 99 percent of wrestlers you talk to about this would say the same thing, that's a big regret. All the injuries weren't there. Yeah, there's regrets in what the sport has done to the individual.

Kevin Von Erich: Interview by Dave Rosenbaum
Pro Wrestling Illustrated (October 1994)

Dave Rosenbaum: I understand you're writing a screenplay. What is it about?

Kevin Von Erich: It's going to be the story of the Von Erich brothers, being the oldest brother and how it all went down. There's a whole lot of guesswork and a lot of people are making up the whole story. I'd like to get the facts out. My brothers were really good people.

Rosenbaum: Why have you stopped wrestling?

Von Erich: I'm still in shape, but wrestling is just not fun for me. I didn't leave the business. The business left me.

Rosenbaum: How do you rationalize what has happened to your family?

Von Erich: I look at it this way: My brothers and I lived real dangerously. We were a really reckless group always showing off for each other, like walking on bridges in Japan and taking every chance we could. We were just young kids. We felt like we could do anything and nothing would hurt us. It was reckless. I'm really surprised that I survived.

Rosenbaum: So what's your opinion about what happened?

Von Erich: I'm hearing all this guesswork about what made the Von Erichs do it. Nothing made us do it. We enjoyed ourselves to death. We were always showing off for each other. We used to have this thing called the chance of the day, where we'd take a chance on our lives every day. Dave was always too smart of that, so he'd just watch. We'd jump on wild bulls' backs, jump on trains going fast. We'd get on a roof of a car at highway speed. You start thinking nothing can get you and you're indestructible. That's part of being in sports. We were blessed with good bodies and good balance. We showed off for each other.

Rosenbaum: Why did you survive?

Von Erich: That's a tough question. I think only the good Lord can answer that. Kerry really didn't have anything to live for. He had his two beautiful daughters and a wife he loved, but then he'd come home and all his stuff would be moved out. She'd move all his stuff out. Kerry was no saint, either. They both treated each other kind of rough. He had pretty much come to an understanding the day he killed himself. He just left having lunch with Kathy, his wife. Kerry was going to jail and he was afraid of never seeing his girls again.

Rosenbaum: Did you have any idea he was going to kill himself?

Von Erich: I had an inkling. I talked to him about 30 minutes before he did it. He said "Kevin, I'm about to kill myself," We had talked for about an hour. We told some good dirty jokes, we laughed and he told me "I'm going to kill myself." I thought I had him talked out of it. He said, "I didn't want to be like Mike and not say goodbye." That's when I begged him. I said, "Don't do this. Don't leave me alone. You're my only brother. Don't leave me." I thought I had him talked out of it. Thirty minutes later they found his body. He must have gone right out and done it.

Rosenbaum: I don't think anyone can imagine how painful that must have been for you.

Von Erich: Any kid reading this article, if you only knew what kind of pain you'd inflict on people who love you and how it stays and stays and never goes away, you'd never do it. You may feel like dying at the moment, but if you knew what kind of pain it would put on people who love you, you'd never do it.

Rosenbaum: Watching five sons die must have been a terrible burden for your parents.

Von Erich: My parents had been married for 43 years when Chris (commited suicide). Three months later they divorced. I don't know if one blames the other. I don't think it was either one's fault at all. I saw my dad the other day at my mom's in Dallas. My parents got together after Kerry died because they needed each other. They didn't want to start any more of the gossip rags. But my parents never got together. Maybe they will get together one day. That's my dream. They need each other.

Rosenbaum: I know you have a wife and children, but do you ever feel lonely without your brothers?

Von Erich: It is pretty lonely, but what are you going to do? Life goes on. I have my kids and I put all my love into them. You'll never know how close my brothers were to me. It is very lonely. I'm the only one alive and some people are taking bets on me. But there's now way that's going to happen to me because I have reason to live and it's a good one. I'm happy with my life.

Rosenbaum: You sound unusually optimistic for someone who's been through such hard times.

Von Erich: You just have to be tough, just like in wrestling. It's not always easy, but the rewards are there. Just like in life. I think things are going to have a happy ending. I have two sons coming up and we just might see them become the masters of the iron claw (laughs).

Rosenbaum: Do you blame your brothers' deaths on wrestling?

Von Erich: Not at all. If anything's to blame, it's our recklessness. Me and my brothers.

Rosenbaum: And you're through with wrestling?

Von Erich: I've really had enough.

Rosenbaum: Is there anything you want to say to the readers?

Von Erich: I'd like to say to everybody that we love you all and this is the truth. This is the way it went. My father was not a real brutal man like they try to play him out to be in some of those gossip rags. We were just a lot of fun-loving little boys.

Rosenbaum: You mentioned your father in a defensive way. I'm sure you've heard most of the rumors concerning your family.

Von Erich: Sure, I've heard a lot of them.

Rosenbaum: Well, how about commenting on a few of them?

Von Erich: Go ahead. That's what I'm here for.

Rosenbaum: It has been suggested that drug use was prevalent in your family and your parents didn't discourage it. In fact, some people say your mother encouraged it.

Von Erich: I'll say this: as far as illegal drugs, that's not true. I'm talking about drugs prescribed by doctors. Painkillers. Dave and Mike had surgeries. All the brothers had painkillers prescribed by doctors. Kerry was the only one who got into illegal drugs, not prescribed by doctors. The best way to handle pain is to grit your teeth and put ice on it. If you take one pill, next time it'll be two of them and the next it's going to be three. It's just a crack in the door. It's just the crack in the door that gets wider and wider. In a way, drugs had to do a lot with quite a few of my brother's deaths. Mike was into painkillers. It's a nasty thing to talk about. I don't want to get into it too much, but drugs are deadly. I can tell you from experience, some of my brothers died from legal drugs.

Rosenbaum: Many people accuse your parents, especially your father, of being abusive.

Von Erich: I was there. I remember back when my dad was a bad guy in wrestling. My brothers and I would go to school and the bigger kids would watch wrestling on Saturday night and get even on Monday. We fought together and the family who fights together not only gets good at fighting, it gets really close. I don't remember my parents being really super strict or abusive in anyway at all. I remember a real happy childhood full of running in the Texas sun, just us and nature. We didn't even wear clothes until we went to school. We were so far out in the country. We didn't even have any school chums. (Pauses.) I do feel lonely.

Rosenbaum: Some people say that you and your brothers were pushed into wrestling.

Von Erich: I've heard that rumor a million times. People love to talk about that one. My dad didn't push my brothers into wrestling.

Rosenbaum: Do your parents blame themselves for what happened?

Von Erich: My mother says she doesn't blame my father, but I don't know. She doesn't blame herself. My father doesn't blame my mother and he doesn't blame himself. They know how wild we were.

Rosenbaum: But you're pretty convinced you're going to make it, aren't you?

Von Erich: I have beautiful children and a beautiful wife. A nice home. I don't live in opulent surroundings but I have everything I want. I live in the country. I have room to move around, shoot my guns, and be by myself. My little brother (Kerry) figured he didn't have anything, he was rootless. He had no home. Seeing me with my family made his pain greater. It reminded him of what he was missing. It was such a sad, tragic thing.

All original content © John Dananay and I.S.E. Web Productions. Not affiliated with Adkisson Enterprises or World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.