WWE: 10 Wrestlers Whose Lives Were Ruined By Substance Abuse

2. Kerry von Erich

Kerry von Erich was one of the tragic von Erich brothers who dominated the WCCW territory in Texas, which their ex wrestler father Fritz von Erich owned. The von Erichs were possibly the most wrestlers in wrestling history. The Dallas Sportatorium where they wrestled was packed to the rafters with screaming von Erich fans. David and Kevin were the first brothers to enter the ring. Fritz, in his youth, had excelled at discus and Kerry inherited this talent in record breaking proportions. He should have competed in the 1980 Moscow Olympics but when the USA withdrew from the competition, he threw his lot in with wrestling. Kerry was apparently Fritz's favourite son and he went on to be the most celebrated and accomplished von Erich but he fell prey to the temptation of drug abuse at an early age. He was arrested coming back over the Mexican border on his honeymoon because he was carrying serious amounts of pills, cocaine and cannabis. So Kerry was no angel but he had to endure the 1984 death of his brother David - a shady incident which could have been due to stomach problems or drugs depending who you ask. In 1986, Kerry had a motorcycle accident that nearly killed him. He dislocated his hip and did serious damage to his right foot. The doctors were able to save it, but according to Kevin von Erich, Kerry stood on the foot prematurely and it had to be amputated. Kerry wore a prothesis for the rest of his career and this was a closely guarded secret. He never even took his right boot off in the shower rooms. The terrible pain that his injuries left him in cemented Kerry's addiction to cocaine, valium and painkillers. This addiction led to legal problems in which Kerry was arrested for possession of cocaine and then arrested again for trying to forge a doctor's prescription for Valium. Facing extensive jail term and missing his brothers (Mike killed himself in 1987 and Chris in 1991), Kerry shot himself through the heart in February 1993. The WCCW territory was very popular in the 70s and 80s in lands as diverse as Japan and Israel. The von Erich brothers, were like Rock stars in the adulation they received. I grew up watching WCCW on Satellite television and I was entranced. The von Erich feud with the Fabulous Free Birds is probably the best rivalry I have watched in wrestling - it was just electric. But when the boys started dying, the sheen was taken away from WCCW and its successor USWA. Kerry eventually jumped ship to the WWE in 1990 where he was known as The Texas Tornado. He used his discus punch and the famous von Erich Iron Claw. Kerry won the Intercontinental title from Curt 'Mr Perfect' Hennig in Summerslam 1990. He defended it for three months before losing it back to Hennig. Unfortunately Kerry's career in the WWE did not go anywhere after that and he left shortly before his death. Drugs ruined his life and ultimately paved the way for his suicide. But the story of the von Erich's is a sobering one indeed. On a side note - Kerry's daughter Lacey von Erich is active in the wrestling business today.