Jack Barton Adkisson Sr. (August 16, 1929 – September 10, 1997), better known by his

ring name A ring name is a type of stage name used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons, or project ...

Fritz Von Erich, was an American

professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...

, wrestling promoter, and the patriarch of the Von Erich family. He was a 3-time

world champion A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...

and a record 20-time NWA United States Champion. He was also the owner of the

World Class Championship Wrestling World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), later known as the World Class Wrestling Association (WCWA) (1986–1991) was an American professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Originally owned by promoter Ed ...

territory.

Football career

Adkisson attended

Southern Methodist University , mottoeng = " The truth will make you free" , established = , type = Private research university , accreditation = SACS , academic_affiliations = , religious_affiliation = United Methodist Church , president = R. Gerald Turner , p ...

, where he threw discus and played football. He has been reported to have played with the now defunct Dallas Texans of the NFL (not the

AFL AFL may refer to: Sports * American Football League (AFL), a name shared by several separate and unrelated professional American football leagues: ** American Football League (1926) (a.k.a. "AFL I"), first rival of the National Football Leagu ...

team which became the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The t ...

), but this is not true. He was signed as a guard but was cut. He then tried the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a c ...

(CFL).

Professional wrestling career

Early career and training

While in

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city an ...

, 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 "evil German" brothers. Adkisson's oldest son Jack Barton Adkisson Jr. was born September 21, 1952. He died in 1959 after an accidental

electrocution Electrocution is death or severe injury caused by electric shock from electric current passing through the body. The word is derived from "electro" and "execution", but it is also used for accidental death. The term "electrocution" was coin ...

and

drowning Drowning is a type of suffocation induced by the submersion of the mouth and nose in a liquid. Most instances of fatal drowning occur alone or in situations where others present are either unaware of the victim's situation or unable to offer as ...

, 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.

1960s

Despite Jack Jr.'s death, Adkisson continued to travel and wrestle. Adkisson won both versions of the AWA World title in 1963. His major circuit was

Sam Muchnick Samuel Muchnick (born Jeshua Muchnick, August 22, 1905 – December 30, 1998) was an American professional wrestling promoter from St. Louis, Missouri. He is often regarded as wrestling's equivalent of Pete Rozelle (the forward-thinking commission ...

'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 The NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship is a world heavyweight professional wrestling championship owned and promoted by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), an American professional wrestling promotion. The current champion is Tyrus (wrestler), ...

against then-champion Gene Kiniski.Dave Meltzer,

Wrestling Observer Newsletter The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four W ...

, January 9, 2008 In the late 1960s, with Muchnick's backing, Adkisson became the promoter for the

Dallas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...

territory, effectively overseeing the

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 ...

and

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_ ...

territories, as well.

Japan

Adkisson was a part of rebuilding Japanese wrestling after the stabbing death of

Rikidōzan (born Kim Sin-rak; ; November 14, 1924 – December 15, 1963), better known as Rikidōzan (), was a Korean-born Japanese wrestler who competed in sumo and professional wrestling. He was known as The Father of Puroresu, and one of the most i ...

. He became a star due to his feuds with

Antonio Inoki Muhammad Hussain Inoki (born ; February 20, 1943 – October 1, 2022) was a Japanese professional wrestler, martial artist, politician, and promoter of professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. He was best known by the ring name , a homage ...

and

Giant Baba , best known by his ring name , was a Japanese professional wrestler, promoter, and professional baseball player. He is best known as a co-founder of All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), a promotion he founded in 1972 along with Mitsuo Momota ...

, and his "Iron Claw" hold, which became one of the most popular wrestling moves in Japan.

Retirement

In 1982, he held his first retirement match against King Kong Bundy in the newly renamed

promotion, based in Dallas. The promotion was known for its high production values, use of entrance music and the use of

television syndication Broadcast syndication is the practice of leasing the right to broadcasting television shows and radio programs to multiple television stations and radio stations, without going through a broadcast network. It is common in the United States wher ...

. The promotion was one of the most successful territories in the United States, with major draws like his sons, The Fabulous Freebirds, Chris Adams,

Abdullah the Butcher Lawrence Robert Shreve (born January 11, 1941), better known by the ring name Abdullah the Butcher, is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. He has a reputation for being involved in some of the most violent and bloody hardcore wrestling m ...

, Bruiser Brody, Gino Hernandez and Rick Rude. He wrestled his last match on November 27, 1986 defeating Abdullah the Butcher by disqualification in Dallas. By the end of the 1980s, the promotion's talent pool was thin and it was eventually merged with Jerry Jarrett's

Continental Wrestling Association Continental Wrestling Association (later the Championship Wrestling Association) was a wrestling promotion managed by Jerry Jarrett. The CWA was the name of the "governing body" for the Championship Wrestling, Inc. promotion which was usually re ...

to create the

United States Wrestling Association The United States Wrestling Association (USWA) was a professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee. The company was founded when the Memphis-based Continental Wrestling Association merged with the Dallas-based World Class Wrest ...

in 1989.

Personal life and death

Adkisson married Doris J. Smith on June 23, 1950. Together, they had six sons: Jack Barton Jr. (September 21, 1952 – March 7, 1959), Kevin (born May 15, 1957),

David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

(July 22, 1958 – February 10, 1984), Kerry (February 3, 1960 – February 18, 1993),

Mike Mike may refer to: Animals * Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum * Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off * Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and document ...

(March 2, 1964 – April 12, 1987) and Chris (September 30, 1969 – September 12, 1991). Of Adkisson's six sons, Kevin was the only one still living by the time Adkisson died. The couple later separated and 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 A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect ...

service was held at the First Baptist Church in

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...

. His body was cremated with his ashes interred in the same plot as his fourth son, Kerry.

Championships and accomplishments

All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW/AJP) or simply All Japan is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established on October 21, 1972 when Giant Baba split away from the Japanese Wrestling Association and created his own promotion. Many wrestlers had left with Baba ...

** NWA International Tag Team Championship ( 1 time) - with

Karl Krupp George Momberg (May 13, 1934 – August 24, 1995), better known by the ring name Killer Karl Krupp, was a Dutch-born professional wrestler famous during the 1970s and early 1980s. Early life George Momberg was born in the Netherlands and was ...

* Big Time Wrestling ** NWA United States Heavyweight Championship ''(Detroit Version)'' ( 3 times) * Maple Leaf Wrestling ** NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Championship ( 3 times) - with Karl Von Schober (2) and Gene Kiniski (1) * Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling **

NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (Mid-Atlantic version) The NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (Mid-Atlantic version) 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 Erich * NWA Minneapolis Wrestling and Boxing Club /

American Wrestling Association The American Wrestling Association (AWA) was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 until 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo. The territory was originally part ...

AWA World Heavyweight Championship The AWA World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship and the highest ranked championship in the defunct American Wrestling Association (AWA). All AWA trademarks, including the AWA World Heavyweight C ...

( 1 time) ** NWA World Tag Team Championship ''(Minneapolis version)'' ( 1 time) - with Hans Hermann ** World Heavyweight Championship (Omaha) (

2 times "2 Times" is a song co-written and recorded by British Italian-based singer Ann Lee. It was released in 1999 as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999). The single entered and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. Outside ...

) *

NWA Western States Sports Western States Sports (also known as the Amarillo Territory) was a professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Amarillo, Texas in the United States. Founded by Dory Detton in 1946, the promotion enjoyed its greatest success in the 1960s and ...

**NWA International Tag Team Championship ''(Amarillo version)'' (1 time) - with Killer Karl Krupp ** NWA North American Heavyweight Championship ''(Amarillo version)'' ( 4 times) ** NWA World Tag Team Championship ''(Amarillo version)'' ( 1 time) - with Gene Kiniski *''

Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publi ...

'' **Ranked No. 207 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the " PWI Years" in 2003 * Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame ** Class of 2012 *

Southwest Sports, Inc The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sep ...

/ NWA Big Time Wrestling /

** NWA American Heavyweight Championship ( 13 times) ** NWA American Tag Team Championship ( 7 times) - with Waldo Von Erich (2), Billy Red Lyons (1),

Grizzly Smith Aurelian "Grizzly" Smith (August 1, 1931 – June 12, 2010) was an American professional wrestler. He was the father of professional wrestlers Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Rockin' Robin, and Sam Houston. Smith began wrestling in 1958. After retiri ...

(1), Fred Curry (1), Dan Miller (1), and Dean Ho (1) ** NWA Brass Knuckles Championship ''(Texas version)'' ( 5 times) ** NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship ( 4 times)* ** NWA United States Heavyweight Championship ''(Texas version)'' ( 3 times) ** NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship ''(Texas version)'' ( 1 time) - with Kevin & Mike Von Erich ** NWA World Tag Team Championship ''(Texas Version)'' (

) - with Killer Karl Kox (1) and Duke Keomuka (1) *

Stampede Wrestling Stampede Wrestling was a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta. For nearly 50 years, it was one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies. Originally established by Stu Hart in 1948, the pro ...

Alberta Tag Team Championship In professional wrestling, the Alberta Tag Team Championship was a tag team championship promoted by the Calgary, Alberta, Canada-based professional wrestling promotion Stampede Wrestling in the mid-1950s. History The Alberta Tag Team Champions ...

(

) - with Lou Sjoberg * St. Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame **Class of 2007 * WWE **

WWE Hall of Fame The WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame which honors professional wrestlers and professional wrestling personalities maintained by WWE. Originally known as the "WWF Hall of Fame", it was created in 1993 when André the Giant was posthumously i ...

(Class of 2009) *''

'' ** Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic (1985) Usage of Mike Von Erich near death to sell tickets **Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic (1986) Exploitation of the death of Gino Hernandez in a video package about Chris Adams blindness angle **Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic (1987) Exploitation of the death of Mike Von Erich **Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic (1988) Fake heart attack angle ** Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame ( Class of 1996)

Notes

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Von Erich, Fritz 1929 births 1997 deaths 20th-century American male actors American football offensive linemen American male professional wrestlers American United Methodists AWA World Heavyweight Champions Dallas Texans (NFL) players Deaths from brain cancer in the United States Deaths from cancer in Texas Deaths from lung cancer Faux German professional wrestlers Fictional Nazis People from Denton, Texas People from Jewett, Texas Professional wrestlers from Texas Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum Professional wrestling promoters Professional wrestling trainers SMU Mustangs football players Southern Methodists Von Erich family WWE Hall of Fame inductees Stampede Wrestling alumni 20th-century Methodists 20th-century professional wrestlers WCWA Brass Knuckles Champions NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Champions NWA Canadian Tag Team Champions (Calgary version) NWA International Tag Team Champions