10 Biggest Wrestling Scandals Of The 1980s

5. The Von Erich Tragedies

The Von Erichs should be remembered as one of the greatest families in wrestling history. Instead, they’re remembered as one of the saddest. 

Fritz Von Erich, a former top heel in the NWA, and his wife Doris had six sons. Five of them went on to become wrestlers and four of them passed away before their 35th birthday. 

Only two of the deaths happened in the 80s, so we’ll just talk about them for now. If you want to learn more, check out Sean Durkin’s 2023 film The Iron Claw, which covers most of the story. David Von Erich was the golden child, the one who was supposed to achieve his father’s dream of becoming a world champion. He never got the chance. He died of a ruptured intestine while on tour in Japan in February 1984. 

Mike Von Erich never wanted to be a wrestler, but was drawn into the family business. He developed toxic shock syndrome following surgery, leaving him with brain damage. He took his own life in April 1987, after years of struggling with his condition.

The 80s were an awful decade for the Von Erichs and, sadly, things would only get worse.