Athletes - Kerry Von Erich

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	Athletes - Kerry Von Erich

Kerry Gene Adkisson (February 3, 1960 - February 18, 1993) was an American professional wrestler under the ring names Kerry Von Erich and The Texas Tornado (World Wrestling Federation) and part of the famous Von Erich wrestling family.

Career

Kerry was the son of legendary wrestler Fritz Von Erich. His brothers, David, Kevin, Mike, and Chris were also wrestlers. His oldest brother, Jack, Jr. died as a child after being electrocuted and drowned.

Kerry excelled as a discus thrower in high school, and even qualified for the 1980 Summer Olympics, but the U.S. boycott of the Games being held in Moscow resulted in him being unable to compete. He also played football at Lake Dallas High School.

Kerry always had an impressive strongman physique. Some of his moves were the "Discus Punch" and the famous Von Erich family "Iron Claw."

Most of his fame was made in Texas' World Class Championship Wrestling, where he was nicknamed "The Modern Day Warrior" (his entrance music was Rush's "Tom Sawyer"). Kerry's biggest career highlight was on May 6, 1984, when he beat "Nature Boy" Ric Flair in front of a capacity crowd at Texas Stadium to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Kerry's victory was a tribute to his brother David, who had passed away three months earlier, and whom the event (the David Von Erich Memorial Parade Of Champions) was named in honor of. Kerry remains the youngest wrestler to ever hold that championship (at age 24) and had the third-shortest NWA World title reign in history.

On June 4th, 1986, Kerry was in a horrendous motorcycle accident that nearly ended his life. With a dislocated hip and a badly injured right leg, Kerry was in bad shape. Doctors tried hard, but could not save his foot, eventually amputating it. According to brother Kevin, Kerry injured the foot following surgery by attempting to walk on it prematurely, thus forcing the doctors to amputate it. He was able to continue wrestling after the accident with a fused ankle and until his death keep the amputation secret to the majority of fans and even some fellow competitors.

He, along with his brothers, had a famous feud with another tag team called the Fabulous Freebirds (Michael P.S. Hayes, Terry "Bam-Bam" Gordy and Buddy "Jack" Roberts). Their six-man matches were some of the most exciting matches in WCCW history. Kerry was also engaged in lengthy feuds with Chris Adams between late-1984 and early-1986, Brian Adias in 1986 and 1987 and Iceman Parsons in 1988. Kerry also had a long-standing feud with Gino Hernandez on and off during the 1980s.

Near the end of his career he ended up in the World Wrestling Federation as the "Texas Tornado" Kerry Von Erich, where he briefly held the WWF Intercontinental Championship. Kerry left the WWF in 1992 and returned to Dallas to compete in the Global Wrestling Federation, where he began teaming with former arch-rival Chris Adams.

Drug Problems & Death

Kerry's history of drug problems covered most of the 1980's. He was arrested at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in 1983 after U.S. Customs agents, during a routine inspection, caught him with 18 unmarked tablets in his right front pocket. Inside the crotch of his pants was a plastic bag containing an assortment of nearly 300 other pills (including codeine, diazepam, Librium, and possibly Percodan), ten grams of marijuana, and 6.5 grams of "blue and white powder". Eighteen months later the charges were dropped by the Tarrant County district attorney.

Drugs were also a factor in his motorcycle crash in 1986 that cost him his right foot as it is believed he was under the influence at the time of the crash.

In February 1992, Kerry was arrested for forging a prescription. In October, he was sentenced to a $6000 fine and 10 years of probation.

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Athletes - Kerry Von Erich

Career

Drug Problems & Death

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