10 Wrestlers Who Never Lived Up To Their Early Promise
4. Kerry Von Erich
Von Erich might strike some as a curious inclusion here, given that he was an enormously popular, surefire draw in World Class Championship Wrestling and former NWA World champion at a time when the belt was among the most prestigious on the planet.
That said, Von Erich could have been one of the most successful wrestlers of all time - not merely a tragic addendum to wrestling's darkest familial history.
Von Erich's genetically-enhanced physique and oblivious dumb charm propelled him into the hearts of Texans state-wide in the eighties. At his peak, his look and wattage rivalled that of the Ultimate Warrior - the difference being that he could flat out work - so much so that, even if it was a cynical cash grab at the expense of his departed brother David, he was entrusted to wrest wrestling's most venerated workhorse title from Ric Flair's waist.
Unfortunately, he was as unreliable as his face-painted doppelgänger. His NWA title reign was curtailed as a result of his substance abuse demons, and the harebrained decision to ride a motorcycle with no shoes on ultimately cost him his foot.
By the time he shored up in the WWF, he remained, remarkably, a good hand, despite a significantly skewed sense of balance. His mental state however, ravaged by drug issues and personal tragedy, was equally as unhinged.