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- [00:00]
Theo Von
With longer daylight hours, maybe you're spending more time away from the house and giving burglars opportunity to strike. But you can protect your home with Simplisafe's proactive security that helps stop threats before they happen. I've used Simplisafe for a while. I even have it set up on my mother's home. And I feel more comfortable out on tour knowing that my house is protected. Simplisafe has active guard outdoor protection that can help prevent break ins before they happen. And it's AI powered cameras backed by live professional monitoring agents monitor your property and detect suspicious activity. There's no long term contracts or cancellation fees. And monitoring plans start affordably at around a dollar a day. Plus they offer a 60 day satisfaction guarantee. Visit simplisafe.com t h e o to claim 50% off a new system with a professional monitoring plan and get your first month free. That's s I m p l I safe simplisafe.com t h e o there's no safe like simply safe. Today's guest is a WWE hall of Famer. He's a member of one of the greatest wrestling families of all time, the Von Erichs. You may have seen their family story told recently in the Iron Claw. He's an inspiration, He's a motivation. He's pretty funny. And I just feel honored to be able to spend time with him today. Today's guest is Kevin Von Erich.
- [01:58]
Kevin Von Erich
I'm feeling good. I feel like I could doze off.
- [02:00]
Theo Von
Okay.
- [02:03]
Kevin Von Erich
If that's a good thing.
- [02:06]
Theo Von
Yeah. So you. Yeah, because you were always the barefoot guy. You were a barefoot guy, huh?
- [02:10]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, I sure was. I always, you know, I've got these really big toes, you know, and once you stub your toe on the mat a few times, it gets bigger and so. So at first I just took my boots off because it felt comfortable in the ring, you know, just to move around better. I felt like I could fly. But with the boots, you know, they fill with sweat. You know, your socks absorb the sweat and all, they get heavy. I had some knee surgeries too, you know, but. But I'll tell you, I go barefoot all I can.
- [02:40]
Theo Von
Yeah.
- [02:41]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah. This is good for you. It really is, you know.
- [02:43]
Theo Von
Yeah. Well, I'm sure. I know you moved out to Kauai, was it? Or Hawaii.
- [02:47]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, Kauai. It's the.
- [02:49]
Theo Von
It's a barefoot capital of America.
- [02:51]
Kevin Von Erich
I'll bet it is. I'll bet it is. It's. We all go barefoot out there. I say I'm always Kind of crazy about that, but I just. I. I just hate for my toes to touch each other, you know, I was always like that. I hated shoes when I was a little kid, and I guess I got old enough to say no, and I just didn't wear them anymore.
- [03:09]
Theo Von
Did you ever wear those toe separator things? You know what I'm talking about?
- [03:13]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, those are great. You know, I wear them in the. In the river at home, you know, to walk in the river. But you can walk by a vine and they'll catch your toe. You know, it can trip you. You know, it's a little hazard for those things.
- [03:25]
Theo Von
Did you feel like a caveman kind of?
- [03:29]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, yeah. The good kind of caveman, you know, I felt like, I mean, gonna drag around, pound by the hair, but.
- [03:36]
Theo Von
Yeah. No domestic disputes or anything.
- [03:37]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah. You know, because, like, you feel the ground, you feel the earth. It's just something about it. I didn't know there was anything to it, but Ross tells me, my son Ross tells me that it's. There's a. An energy in the earth that your feet can pick that up, you know? And I'm thinking. I think I've been digging that for a long time without even knowing it was a. It was a thing, you know? But now my cave, caveman, and all the time out. Kauai, that's the way to live.
- [04:01]
Theo Von
Yeah, I bet it's. Well, it's called. Yeah, right here, it says it's grounding. Grounding, also known as earthing, is a wellness practice that involves direct contact with the earth's surface, like walking barefoot on grass or sand, to potentially connect with the earth's natural electric charge. I think it makes sense because even if you look at a tree or a plant, you don't see them wearing a. Shoes or nothing like that would be crazy. If you saw a plant, like, wearing shoes, you'd be like, oh, that guy's. That plant's out of his mind. Like plants, you know, I'm saying they're connected to the earth, so I think that makes good sense. Oh.
- [04:27]
Kevin Von Erich
Oh, I see. Yeah.
- [04:28]
Theo Von
Probably kept you pretty locked in your family lives. You live on your family's ranch, right? Or you live on a ranch here?
- [04:36]
Kevin Von Erich
We bought a ranch. We. We sold. We had. I lived on my family ranch in Texas. We sold it about 20 years ago and moved out to Kauai and built a big place, you know, but we. But I wanted to give my wife that kind of house, you know, so everything was in. That was. In the house was something that I really liked about room service or some hotel overseas, you know, I had a bathtub. You could do a cannonball in it, you know, splash it all over the wall. And it had a drain. It was just. Every room had something like that, but it was. It's real expensive in Kauai. And I have a lot of kids, you know, and so they all go off to their house, and no one wanted to live in the big house, and. And so we happened to trade that to a guy that just happened to have 27 acres of waterfall on the land, a big nice spring, and five houses, you know, for my. For my sons. And so we traded that house for that 27 acres, and that's where we are.
- [05:33]
Theo Von
No way. Just an even trade.
- [05:34]
Kevin Von Erich
Even trade. Yeah.
- [05:35]
Theo Von
Dang. You don't see a lot of that anymore.
- [05:37]
Kevin Von Erich
No, no. I'm glad. The guy. I couldn't believe he did it. Really?
- [05:41]
Theo Von
Did you have one of those open back verandas or something? It's called maybe in Hawaii. What's that? Back patio. You know what I'm talking about. Those porches just so perfect. Yeah.
- [05:49]
Kevin Von Erich
They call it lanai.
- [05:50]
Theo Von
Oh, God.
- [05:51]
Kevin Von Erich
Oh, man. At my daughter's house there, when we stay with her, she's got a bed set up for me on out there, and so I sleep in the wind, you know?
- [06:01]
Theo Von
It's great. Yeah, dude, you're like that Legend of Zelda character. What's that little guy's name? Yeah, you're like Link from Zelda. That guy's always in the wind, man. That guy's a real nature dog.
- [06:11]
Kevin Von Erich
Zelda.
- [06:12]
Theo Von
It's a care like a game. It's a character from a video game. So you. So the ranch you have now, all your family can all live there.
- [06:20]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah.
- [06:21]
Theo Von
Oh, that's awesome.
- [06:21]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, that is, man. I'm telling you, Theo, that's like. It's so important to me, you know, I had a lot of brothers, and, man, I loved them so much. We're really close. Super close.
- [06:32]
Theo Von
For sure. Well, I mean, I only knew so much, but, you know, I just saw you guys in the ring and stuff like that. And, you know, there's been a lot of documentaries and smaller documentaries. There's been the claw movie, so there's been a lot of, you know, references to you guys. For sure.
- [06:44]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah.
- [06:45]
Theo Von
Your father was from Texas, and he. He was a wrestler, so I'm assuming that's where you guys all kind of got into it.
- [06:52]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah. Yeah.
- [06:53]
Theo Von
Just even knew about it.
- [06:54]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah. This is, you know, it's kind of ugly turn. I Don't want to bum me out, but my dad was living up in New York and we were all living up there, and I was a baby, but my brother Jackie was like 6 years old, and he would touched a house trailer with. Had a short in it, and it killed him. It electrocuted him, knocked him out, and he hit a puddle of frozen water. Was frozen. He drowned under the ice, you know, and broke my dad's heart. My mother, you know, just killed him, you know, I can't imagine. I have sons, you know that. I tell you, Theo, I lost my brothers, and that was hard, but I could not lose a son. Wow. I couldn't get up. I couldn't stand on my hind legs, you know.
- [07:33]
Theo Von
Did they have to go to therapy and stuff like that when that first happened to your. Because I guess that was your oldest brother.
- [07:39]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah.
- [07:40]
Theo Von
Did they have therapy back then and stuff like that or what? Did you.
- [07:43]
Kevin Von Erich
No, no, there was no. They did. My dad was like a rock, though. You know, he's. I couldn't believe he was. He just. He didn't want my mother to suffer, so we wouldn't suffer around her, but I'm sure my mother suffered. And also when she got married, her little brother David died of a brain hemorrhage. Thing. You know what he called it? A tumor. A brain tumor. And so just like a year later, her son dies. It was just bang, bang, you know.
- [08:15]
Theo Von
I mean, and at those times, too, things. I think there was more probably tragedy at those times. You know, things were. You know, you'd have. A lot of people, had a lot of children, and a lot of them work in farming, and people would get injured a lot. There was just. I think it was a different time probably when, you know, and they'd have loose wires. I mean, just. Things were just less regulated, you know?
- [08:37]
Kevin Von Erich
That's right. It was, you know, the kind of stuff we did as kids, like, shoot, I can tell you, a lot of times it looked to be alive, you know.
- [08:44]
Theo Von
Oh, God, I've been lit up a couple of times. Damn. I was walking by a damn crab restaurant and stepped on an outlet.
- [08:51]
Kevin Von Erich
You did.
- [08:52]
Theo Von
Just took me down, brother.
- [08:53]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, you stepped on. On an outlet with something.
- [08:56]
Theo Von
I don't know. Next thing you know, I just thought I was. Thought the earth was just.
- [09:01]
Kevin Von Erich
How long were you out?
- [09:03]
Theo Von
I don't know. Probably 40 seconds maybe.
- [09:06]
Kevin Von Erich
Wow.
- [09:07]
Theo Von
Not long enough to give up, I guess.
- [09:09]
Kevin Von Erich
You didn't have like a experience beyond the door?
- [09:13]
Theo Von
I didn't get anything. I'm like, God's not giving Me any previews or nothing.
- [09:17]
Kevin Von Erich
You know, that might be a bad sign, brother.
- [09:19]
Theo Von
Yeah, that's true, actually. If you start seeing the light, I'm like, so. Yeah. So your family had that. Yeah. So your parents had to deal with that so early, man. Yeah. I guess people suffered in silence more back then, huh?
- [09:32]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, people were tough.
- [09:33]
Theo Von
You know, they were.
- [09:34]
Kevin Von Erich
Well, I was just gonna say, you know, you brought up the movie, and the movie was like. I heard a lot of people talk about it was like the Iron Club. Yeah. Yeah. That my dad was really hard on us when the fact was, you know, that we were hard on each other. You know, we answered each other. It was like a brother thing, really. And the. You know, to tell the truth, the suicides and all that was not because Fritz made us wrestle or Fritz was a. A big monster or anything like that. That was shame. My brothers were ashamed with Carrie was. You know, when you're in the public eye, you really feel a lot of pressure. You really do, you know, don't want those kids down. And when something happens, you know, you do feel like you really let them down. And you. You know, I don't know. Everybody's not like this sometimes. You just can't forgive yourself. And the. Carrie just couldn't let it go.
- [10:25]
Theo Von
And. Yeah, Carrie is. Carrie is one of your brothers. I know you had David, Carrie, Jack, Chris and Mike. And Mike. God, that's all the boy names they had at the time.
- [10:39]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah.
- [10:40]
Theo Von
Y'all couldn't had another brother because what were you gonna do?
- [10:43]
Kevin Von Erich
I loved me a girl.
- [10:45]
Theo Von
Yeah. What had been a girl by default, man.
- [10:48]
Kevin Von Erich
Oh, we wanted a girl so bad.
- [10:50]
Theo Von
Did y'all. Did your parents?
- [10:51]
Kevin Von Erich
My whole life, I never knew anything about girls, you know.
- [10:53]
Theo Von
Oh, yeah. I mean, y'all had enough beautiful hair in that family. At least you got an idea that one.
- [10:59]
Kevin Von Erich
Golly, I. What's with that? I never took care of myself. I never expected to live past 50, you know, I was having fun my whole life, you know.
- [11:08]
Theo Von
Oh, I bet. But y'all had so much dang hair. Y'all were very, very true. Y'all would have been considered trans. Beautiful, tall trans women these days. Y'all would have been, because you guys were ahead of your time. Even like all the rock bands and back then had. Remember Poison, all those bands, they had the big hair.
- [11:25]
Kevin Von Erich
That's the truth. Did you guys have hairdos?
- [11:28]
Theo Von
Y'all had some hairdos. Did. Was that something like a pride? Was that almost like a lion's mane type of thing amongst the guys in your household, or what was that like for you guys? Because you guys had some great hair.
- [11:37]
Kevin Von Erich
No, you know what? It was just laziness, to tell the truth. I mean, you know, I. I cut it where. Keep it out of my eyes, you know, but then I. I cut my own hair, you know, because I can.
- [11:47]
Theo Von
Tell, dude, I cut my own.
- [11:49]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, well, I can't see the back, you know, I don't have a mullet for. On purpose, you know, but. But I can cut this up here, you know.
- [12:00]
Theo Von
So. So your dad. I do want to know a little bit more about him. So you said that the. The film kind of portrayed him as being more of a. A stickler, but what was he like? Was he a businessman? Was he quiet? I mean, I guess he wasn't quiet because I could see, like, his wrestling Persona, but was his home Persona, like. Well, I guess. What was he like as a father? And what was he like as a businessman?
- [12:20]
Kevin Von Erich
Bro, let me tell you, my dad was like a mountain of a man. He was. He was. He was. He was really a considerate, full of love. God. But, I mean, he was serious. And when he would. He wouldn't say anything. And, like, you know, before you go to sleep at night, you think, oh, man, I wish I said that. Wish I'd have thought of that. Well, he thought of it right then, and he would say it right then.
- [12:42]
Theo Von
And at night, you mean?
- [12:43]
Kevin Von Erich
No, I mean, like, whenever he thought of it came up. Yeah, whenever he thought of it, it was just right there, man. Perfect answer, you know? But, I mean, he was the president. Okay. You know that movie the Iron Claw, where Fritz says the NWA always wanted to screw me, you know, kind of like. But the truth is, he was the nwa. He was the president, you know, and. And he was the. The other wrestlers. I mean, world champions. I mean, when my dad came in the room, I mean, they were, like, rolling on their backs like dogs respected him. Well, I mean, they.
- [13:16]
Theo Von
Yeah, like, because his business acumen, or.
- [13:19]
Kevin Von Erich
Just think was his business acumen. I really do. And. And the way he stated himself, he didn't ever pop off. He didn't ever brag. He always had the accurate thing to say that. Not too much emotion at all, just business. And. And people respected that. I think in the wrestling business, we have a lot of personalities, you know, big egos, and sometimes these guys don't want to do something, you know, and. But my dad had the respect, and it made a great business. It's just. I think you have to have that in you. Myself, man. You can Talk me out of anything, you know. Oh, is that all the money you have? Well, I'll take less. You know, I'm. I don't know why. I'm like. That was not like my dad at all. He was. He was great.
- [14:04]
Theo Von
He was a business guy.
- [14:05]
Kevin Von Erich
He was, yeah.
- [14:07]
Theo Von
And what was he like with your mom? Like, do you have a nice memory of them being together? Like some. Like a moment that you remember that was. That meant something to you?
- [14:15]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, I guess so. One time I was in the den, and my mom and dad were kind of whispering, and they disappeared. And my brothers were really young, and so they went into the little study there, I guess, to talk, and. And I thought, they've been in there a long time. And so I took the little coat hanger and straightened it out, you know, and pushed it in the door and opened it up, you know, they were at it, and I'm like, oh, man, the weight loss is. So. As a little boy, I thought, why are they so mad?
- [14:47]
Theo Von
Yeah.
- [14:48]
Kevin Von Erich
You know, what are they so mad about? You know, they were. It sounds like they were having fun.
- [14:53]
Theo Von
It sounded like two out of three falls, huh?
- [14:55]
Kevin Von Erich
Well, I just felt like I needed to go in there, you know, break this up, whatever it is, you know, and it was. That was kind of one of those moments, I guess.
- [15:05]
Theo Von
Break this up, you bring a whistle in there.
- [15:07]
Kevin Von Erich
That's hilarious, right? She needs.
- [15:10]
Theo Von
There. That's really something you remember, though.
- [15:12]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, I remember that. Trying to think of that beautiful moment. That's what came up.
- [15:18]
Theo Von
So everybody was wrestling, huh? Wow. Did you feel like you had to be a wrestler in your family? Like, was it.
- [15:30]
Kevin Von Erich
Well, you know, the truth of it is, my dad didn't want to wrestle, you know. In fact, you know, he was so. His finger was stuck, you know, and his hands didn't move right. And.
- [15:41]
Theo Von
Oh, yeah, he probably walked around like a damn crossing guard.
- [15:43]
Kevin Von Erich
Oh, God, he was in his lower back and knees. And so, you know, I actually said to my sons, you don't want to do this. I promise. You know, here we are in Hawaii, and I can't even run on the beach. And I was a high hurdler, you know, I used to high jump over my head, you know, and I love to move. But a day comes, you know, where you traded that. Traded that away, you know, So I told my boys, you don't want this. You know, you really don't, but you can't tell them that, you know, they. They were just like. I was. I wanted to do what my dad did. I thought he Was great. And so did my brothers. You know, we thought. Everything he did was great. We thought. And that's why I wanted to do like that. I'm sure my sons are thinking the same stuff, you know.
- [16:29]
Theo Von
Well, I think there's nothing more. There's something inside of a son. You just want to make your dad proud, you know, you want him to look at you and. And, yeah. Just feel a sense of pride that goes deep. Yeah. I mean, I think that's probably the deepest thing that there is.
- [16:42]
Kevin Von Erich
Me too.
- [16:43]
Theo Von
I really. I don't think there's anything less than you. You ask anybody. Do you feel like your dad's proud of you? It's like that, you know, it really takes them to a place when they're thinking about that or answering that, you know?
- [16:54]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah.
- [16:56]
Theo Von
Were there was people using steroids and stuff back then? I used to use steroids in high school. Was it a thing when you guys were growing up or. No.
- [17:02]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, it was. Sure. Was they. You know, it was. I didn't really ever want to really get into that, you know, and. Because we had naturally good bodies, but my brother Kerry was a bodybuilder. You know, he'd peel the skin off the chicken and eat the rice with no soy sauce on it and. Yeah, I'd never do that, man. I mean, I. Twinkies, chocolate milk. Five or six glasses a day. Really? I love talking about sugar. My favorite food is sugary.
- [17:33]
Theo Von
Oh, I'll eat them. Two grams of sugar, dude.
- [17:35]
Kevin Von Erich
Me too, man. I mean, if it tastes good, then my body must want it.
- [17:39]
Theo Von
Yeah. Because when I was growing up.
- [17:40]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah.
- [17:40]
Theo Von
He's so fit, huh? Yeah, he was probably the most romantically fit of you guys, huh?
- [17:45]
Kevin Von Erich
He was, man. You saw him as a little kid. He was. The girls all loved him. The teachers loved him.
- [17:52]
Theo Von
Damn straight, man. Loved him.
- [17:54]
Kevin Von Erich
It was.
- [17:55]
Theo Von
I mean, you got. Look, if you can go further past women where you get straight men to love you, you could have straight. I mean, this is. You know, in rural areas, you could have men that are. We're like, no gays, but they'll go and watch and just adorn this gentleman. Yeah, I mean, you know, those are the times, kind of. But yeah, Barry, he was. He was super fit. Did.
- [18:20]
Kevin Von Erich
That picture. I remember he was a little boy. He was so cute. But he said, we went to the barn one day. There's a big old waspness up there, red wasp. You know how they stuck to the ceiling up there? And so, you know, they're in the barn, we're all alone and so, so we, you know those things that you should gift wraps the long tubes, they come in the Christmas present.
- [18:44]
Theo Von
Yeah.
- [18:44]
Kevin Von Erich
So we lit one up security hold it under those, those, those red ants. But remember to hold your breath because they can't sting you if you're holding your breath, you know. And so, but so don't breathe. And so we light it up. We're watching him go in there, you know, and he drop all on him and he runs out crying. We said, stupid, we told you not to let to breathe. And he said, it's hard to hold your breath when you're crying.
- [19:11]
Theo Von
That is a great. It is hard to hold your breath where you're crying.
- [19:14]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah. Yeah. He was right.
- [19:16]
Theo Von
My favorite when we were kids, we used to pick on each other at dinner so bad. And the best part was to get somebody to cry when they had a mouthful of food, right. Because they couldn't swallow because they were crying so hard. So the food just got it like it just got stuck in the mouth, you know, just. That was so fun.
- [19:33]
Kevin Von Erich
Dude.
- [19:34]
Theo Von
Having siblings was so much fun. Huh? Did you guys do like Halloween and stuff together any like, did y'all do that?
- [19:40]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, yeah. You mean go out and throw eggs at people and stuff and. Yeah, and we did all that and.
- [19:48]
Theo Von
And what was like birthday parties and stuff, like at your house? Because with so many kids, would you guys combine some of them or you.
- [19:53]
Kevin Von Erich
Everybody got of boys, you know, a lot of us in our house and I remember like ladies say, oh, it smells like boy in here. And you know, because we smell. They smell like boys, I guess. But. But I do remember that it was really hard for mama to get babysitters because like we would. We were really hard on them, you know, just playing on with them and stuff. You know, we'd kind of make a joke out of it and they'd be crying and never going to watch these kids again. I was climbing the wall walls and stuff like that.
- [20:24]
Theo Von
Oh, you need Abdullah the Butcher to be your babysitter.
- [20:26]
Kevin Von Erich
I feel like I'm probably.
- [20:28]
Theo Von
So you need somebody big. At that time in wrestling were steroids like a popular thing? Like I remember when I was in high school, we would people use like test 200. But even growing up, like in Texas, was it. Did people even know that steroids were bad for you or was it just like a. A medicine that was like kind of common in wrestling? Do you feel like, well, doctors would.
- [20:49]
Kevin Von Erich
Give it to you? I mean, I didn't. I had trouble gaining weight when I was like, well, my whole Life. I've had trouble gaining weight, but. And so I took Diana Ball when I was in high school, but I took one a day for like two weeks and then lay off for two weeks and then take it again for two weeks and lay off for two weeks. And that's. That was what kind of that was. Think of a little boy pill. That's what that was for little boys that weren't getting puberty. And then back then, like you say, there weren't all these rules. Rules and all. Steroids weren't necessarily a dirty word, but it. Doctors did give them to people, like, after surgery and things like that to improve their appetite and things.
- [21:31]
Theo Von
Yeah.
- [21:32]
Kevin Von Erich
And it makes a difference. But if you don't lift weights, if you really have a strict regimen, then it's just gonna give you pimples on your back and make your hair fall out, your breath stink and all that stuff, you know?
- [21:44]
Theo Von
Yeah, it's. Yeah. If you're not. Yeah. If you're just shooting steroids and then just watching, you know, I Dream of Genie or like that. Yeah. Your life's gonna fall.
- [21:54]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah. Yeah. Look, those guys that get the injections to make their muscles look big. Can you believe. Have you seen some of these guys with these. They don't even work out. They go and they get silicone injections for muscles, you know, I gotta tell you, Theo, muscles are nothing. You know, it's all you want to know. You're in wrestling. I would lift weights because I wanted to be a better wrestler. I want my kick out. I would push my man off. I want a. Be able to bench, you know, a lot, because that's. It's important. But I mean, it's to look pretty in the mirror. I mean, that's just a few shades short of.
- [22:33]
Theo Von
Yeah.
- [22:33]
Kevin Von Erich
Fruity, if you ask me, you know.
- [22:35]
Theo Von
Oh, yeah. I mean, look at this.
- [22:37]
Kevin Von Erich
That's the stuff. That's what I'm talking about.
- [22:39]
Theo Von
The hell is that?
- [22:40]
Kevin Von Erich
No, I mean, the guy looks like.
- [22:42]
Theo Von
He'S stealing from Target.
- [22:46]
Kevin Von Erich
Really?
- [22:47]
Theo Von
What is that guy? What is that guy doing? Yeah, yeah, that guy looks like in a little. And I'm. Take that joke out. That was. That's offensive. I just wanted to make you guys laugh. Which. Yeah, we used to use them. I'm trying to think. We. And we used to. Me, I just, like. We got in and we were weightlifting pretty heavy, and it was fun using them because it definitely made things easier, you know, that was fun. And you. I felt. You felt way more invigorated, you know, for sure.
- [23:24]
Kevin Von Erich
What kind, what kind of did you do?
- [23:25]
Theo Von
We were doing like test 200 and then people would. Some people would do DNA ball. I never got that. We just would go on spring break and get test 200 or some people worked on farms and we get test 200 from them. You know, testosterone or something.
- [23:38]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, well, some of that stuff, I mean I have to say that some of that stuff, the guys, guys you could see veterinary use only on the box, you know, I mean equine this and all.
- [23:49]
Theo Von
And oh, some of it you'd open up and it'd be like, yeah, even when you took the top off, you're like, that ain't for us.
- [23:55]
Kevin Von Erich
That's what it was. It really. Yeah, I was never into that because you really can kill yourself with it, you know, it's like messes your whole body up, you know.
- [24:04]
Theo Von
And was it popular in the sport when you got into that? I'm just trying to wonder what the times were like and how men felt like they had to figure out, man. Well, and did. And you guys were. Because your family was in. Your family was in good shape overall. But some of the shapes in wrestling weren't. It wasn't as much about the shape. You know, there was a lot of guys out there that were just. Oh yeah, big tough guys.
- [24:28]
Kevin Von Erich
Well, we wanted to put the best show on television we could do. And if that meant take steroids too, we didn't care. I mean priority one was our body.
- [24:39]
Theo Von
Yeah.
- [24:39]
Kevin Von Erich
I mean was our. Was delivering that punishment. You know, we move quick and explode. If you ever. You've seen our wrestling was.
- [24:47]
Theo Von
Oh man, Harry was so, so it's unbelievable watching him.
- [24:50]
Kevin Von Erich
Well, we just. That's the thing we wanted to. And that was the attitude back then. If. If the guys were wrestling are going to do steroids, well then it only fair that we do them too. Now we didn't. Don't get me wrong, it's like. It's not like we're really into it. Carrie went down to University Houston and was throwing the discus for Coach Tellez down there. View of H. And the stuff he learned down there was all this like expert stuff about weightlifting and weight events and all. You know, they would take a cigarette and puff a cigarette right before they throw. And yeah, it's something in the nicotine would kick the muscles in, you know, kick your body just a little. It would give them just a little edge, just a little more. Or they drink or they drink ice cold water before you have a go Max on your bench. It helps just a little bit.
- [25:40]
Theo Von
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- [28:40]
Kevin Von Erich
80. It was the 80. No, wait. Yeah, 1980. That's what it was.
- [28:44]
Theo Von
The president canceled the Olympics.
- [28:45]
Kevin Von Erich
Right.
- [28:45]
Theo Von
Or they. We didn't go.
- [28:46]
Kevin Von Erich
No, it was that thing. I believe that was a. There was a airliner flying over Korea and a Russian shot it down. It was over a sensitive area. And they. And I believe it was Jimmy Carter.
- [28:59]
Theo Von
Oh, Jimmy Carter.
- [29:00]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah. Yeah.
- [29:01]
Theo Von
And we didn't do the Olympics that year. Yeah, but he would have competed. Carrie would have competed.
- [29:05]
Kevin Von Erich
Well, you know, I think he would have, but I'm not really sure what. Because they would have had to have the. I think he went to champagne for those National Games. Yeah. Nationals. But I don't think he went to the other. They even took it that far. I'm not sure. I'm not sure how it went up.
- [29:24]
Theo Von
Which one of you guys was kind of the leader of you guys's brothers? Well, and I know sometimes it goes by age, right? Because there's always a. I was the.
- [29:31]
Kevin Von Erich
Big brother, you know, and no doubt about that. But my brother Dave had a real responsibility streak. He would just. My dad would come to himself, I want this fence to be. I want it to go down there 200 yards, and I want a good post or I want a double fence. And I want. And I want everything just right. And he tell Dave. And so Dave would tell me and Carrie what to do.
- [29:52]
Theo Von
He's the foreman.
- [29:53]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, he's a foreman. And so it kind of worked that way in wrestling, too. And he. He was good on the microphone, too.
- [30:01]
Theo Von
Oh, yeah.
- [30:02]
Kevin Von Erich
Important. You got to be good on. Mike.
- [30:03]
Theo Von
Was there a time where all. All of you guys were wrestling at the same time?
- [30:08]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, just briefly. It was. Man, that was so much fun, too, because we never got to go to Japan together. Dave and I went to Japan together, and Carrie and I went to Japan. Never together, though. But when we could all three. To be together just for the. When we first started out, you know, for that first year, we could. All three of us could go to towns. We had so much fun, man, we always would stop. We'd scuba dive all the way there. You know, if we. If there's clear water, if it's just. Just a river or something, we'd dive in and swim. It was Just, oh, along the way, just. Yeah, we had fun all day. And we would even go to the dressing room, we get dressed out in the, in the woods where the swimming hole was, and we could get our rest and stuff on, go right to the show, get in the rain, come back out into our stuff, you know, we had it down, we had fun.
- [30:54]
Theo Von
And you got a leech in your tights, brother, you know. Yeah, hey, don't call it that. You know, were you all. Do you all train together at home at a certain place? Like what was that kind of.
- [31:05]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, we had a gym outside the house and on an adjacent property and, and I'm probably the cause of all the pressure because I, I would put up Vincent Bardi posters all the time for myself, you know, I wanted to be the best I could be. And that was what it was like to live in my home back then. It was like we lifted weights three times a week. But we ran, we swam, everything was about getting better because I wanted to play in the NFL and Kerry, well, Kerry just wanted to wrestle and Dave wanted to wrestle, but I was a football player. And so that's what it was all about. It's just do your best. Quitters never quit. Winners never quit. Quitters never win, that kind of stuff. I had posters everywhere on the gym and we'd spot each other and push each other and call each other sissies if we couldn't do it, you know. And I mean we would spit on each other. You know, we, we were savages and we wanted to get good as we could be. And when we, we wrestled, it was hard, you know, we, we, we were rough because we. Anything worth doing is worth doing right. Yeah, we wanted to be like successful my dad was. But it would meant just go all out, you know, completely commit. And that means every day on Wednesdays we're run 500 a 400 meter five one lap around the tracks. 400 meter. We'd run five four hundreds on Wednesdays we time them and Carrie and I were both high jumpers, carry high jump too. And we, we could bench. Carrie and I figured as long as we could bench twice our weight and high jump over our heads, then we would. Will always be in shape and well, yeah, knee surgeries and I can't do that again. But that was the theory we wanted to go with. And Dave was the same. Dave didn't work out in the gym as hard as we did, you know, but Carrie and I did ever. We, everything we did was to exhaustion. And I'm where you're kind of nauseated when you think you're about to throw up now you've done enough.
- [33:10]
Theo Von
Dang.
- [33:10]
Kevin Von Erich
We really did, man. It was all the way.
- [33:13]
Theo Von
I quit way before that.
- [33:14]
Kevin Von Erich
I realized, yeah, well, everybody does, man. That's the. If you want to look different, you have to do what everybody else doesn't do, you know? And I mean, fight through that.
- [33:23]
Theo Von
And did. Were all your brothers kind of subscribed to that same mentality, or did some of them come along just because that. With that mentality just because they were your brothers?
- [33:33]
Kevin Von Erich
No.
- [33:34]
Theo Von
Does that make any sense?
- [33:35]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah. Yeah, I guess. Yeah. Nobody was just along for the ride. Yeah, I think they were all pretty much just wanted to be like me. Dave and Kerry wanted to be like dad. But, you know, things got kind of different when we were in. When we were kids. When I was in junior in high school, sophomore in high school, my mom and dad were going to get a divorce, you know, and my dad was going to move out. That was my freshman year, is what it was. And I came into the kitchen one day, my mom and dad are talking, and dad said, kevin, I'm going to move to Dallas and just get an apartment, and y'all are going to stay here, and it's going to be just great. Y'all go to school and come see me on the weekends. And I said, we all talking about a divorce? He said, yeah, son, we are.
- [34:22]
Theo Von
He's trying to describe it to you without saying.
- [34:24]
Kevin Von Erich
I said, well, I want to go with you, dad. And Dave heard me, and Carrie came and said, we do, too, dad. We want to go with you. And so my mom's going to be there alone, it looks like, you know, And I guess they. But I was the mediator with that, you know, and they kind of worked it out, but with the deaths, you know, then my mother was kind of damaged inside. It made her like she was suffering so much. She, you know, with Dave, she was tough. I mean, like her little. Own little brother and Jackie. But then with Dave, she toughed it out, you know. But then baby Mike, he was the baby of our family, you know, Chris was even younger, but Mike was the. We'd been traveling around, and we weren't home that much. So when Mike was the baby, you.
- [35:08]
Theo Von
Know, traveling with wrestling, you guys had been traveling with wrestling.
- [35:11]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, See, Dave. And the movie doesn't have the super. Dave and Carrie both married, you know, and Carrie had. Dave had a daughter, died a crib death. But Carrie had two daughters and Holly and Lacey and beautiful, sweet dogs. They Spend every Christmas with us. And we told you we. I got the big house for all to have. All to have our Christmases. And because family is just like we were saying. There's nothing more important than family to me after any thinking man. And then again, there's the being wrestlers and our brothers. I mean, my dad's a bad guy. You know, when they're booing him, it kind of makes you feel like it's us against the world. You know, these people are booing my dad. If they hate him, then. And we hit them too, right?
- [35:59]
Theo Von
What was that about? So they. Because at what point did they. Did the what, the audience turned on your father or just part of the.
- [36:07]
Kevin Von Erich
No, he was like the perfect bad guy. He was a Nazi. And after my brother Jackie died and they're up in New York, he was like. His wrestling changed. He was different. He was a. He was wild inside. And I think it was like he wanted to just take it out on people. And it showed in the ring. Theo. When people would. When the wrestlers would come to. Out of the dressroom getting their cars, the fans would stand around and boo, you know, from a distance. But when my dad came out to get in his car, silence. They were like fear. It was like fear he might run over here, you know.
- [36:47]
Theo Von
Oh, it was such an exciting time back then when wrestlers would come into the ring. I mean, there was just. Just. God, I remember being a kid and we would lose our minds and just beat the out of our sister. The second the wrestling program came on, we would beat the out of our sister.
- [37:04]
Kevin Von Erich
Oh, man.
- [37:04]
Theo Von
For no reason, except she was.
- [37:07]
Kevin Von Erich
She just couldn't get. Get used to the schedule. No problem to stay away at that time of day or something.
- [37:14]
Theo Von
If it was more than an hour broadcast, she knew she was in for it, I'll tell you. Yeah. You hear a lot of stories about how wrestling was like, you know, we had to wrestle one night, and then the next night you had to wrestle again. And did you go on road trips like that where it was like a few days at a time? Was it weeks and months? I mean, what was it really like back then?
- [37:32]
Kevin Von Erich
Theo? In 1984, I wrestled 386 times. God. And that's there a lot. A lot of those were triple shots, double shots on. On. On Sundays, you know, we'd wrestle TV shows or we'd riff. We do two or three times. But after the started to be the deaths, you know, then I would have to. My. My dad had it work. Dave could sell out a building, Carrie could Sell out of Bill. I could sell out and. But Mike was not quite there, you know, and so when Dave died, either Carrie or me had to fill his slot. You know, work another town, and that was hard. But then Carrie with the foot. Now I've got two slots to fill, you know, and so I was wrestling three times a day, almost a couple times a week, but I was wrestling every day.
- [38:22]
Theo Von
Was it an option to take. Take those. Some of the slots off the schedule, or did you guys feel like, as a family, we have to fill this? Did you feel like your dad was like, we have to fill this? Or it was just. That's what you did?
- [38:35]
Kevin Von Erich
Well, I gotta tell you, we. You know, after the deaths, we were. You were down, you know, and we sure didn't feel like getting back in that ring. But, you know, you have to, because after death, there's all the publicity, and Dad's saying, you know, it's been a week, it's been two weeks or whatever. But, I mean, there were times when we said, I can't do it yet. Can't do it, you know, but he did want us to get in that ring. It was. But it was a family business. I don't hold it against him. I understand. But it was brutal to make yourself do that. I mean, what's on your mind is love and brotherhood and seeing them again in heaven. But you want to project, I'm gonna kick that guy's ass. You know, it's kind of your torn, you know.
- [39:21]
Theo Von
A lot of life's like that, huh?
- [39:22]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah.
- [39:23]
Theo Von
It's like having two feelings at the same time. It's like. Especially with death, because it's like, somebody's gone, but they're the one that's gone. But you're the one that hurts. And. And you don't even know what they're feeling like. And you almost don't want to, like, mourn too much because then it's like, are you just using the morning for yourself? Just like all that kind of stuff has always hit me.
- [39:46]
Kevin Von Erich
I know. You wake up in the morning and there's nothing. You can't think about anything else. Man, I'm old enough. I can tell you a little something. I never wanted to endorse marijuana or put it over because, you know, I had a position, you know? But when I would wake up in the morning, I could not think of anything else. That's all I thought about. And if I smoked a joint, I could daydream, I could think of something else, you know, And I. I had to I was grateful for that stuff. I mean, it helped me.
- [40:19]
Theo Von
Well, I'm sure. Especially out in Kauai, it was probably.
- [40:22]
Kevin Von Erich
Oh, shoot.
- [40:23]
Theo Von
Yeah, I was helping everybody.
- [40:25]
Kevin Von Erich
Well, so I had my knee replaced, you know, and it didn't go very well. It's kind of rehabbed it too quick. See, in college when you have a knee surgery, you. You fight like hell to get it back, you know, and. Well, I got out there and I got a nice replacement, but I'm a senior citizen, and so instead, I shouldn't have rehabbed it like that. You know, I, like, I. I was doing flips off the cliff with the boys, and it knocked something. I smell glue on my breath. I thought, oh, that can't be good because they use glue in there.
- [40:55]
Theo Von
Really?
- [40:56]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah.
- [40:56]
Theo Von
And you think some of it came out your bloodstream? You could taste it a little bit.
- [40:58]
Kevin Von Erich
I tasted it. Yeah. I taste. It's bad anyway, so.
- [41:03]
Theo Von
Damn. They're using damn glue.
- [41:04]
Kevin Von Erich
Well, yeah, they do. They use glue.
- [41:07]
Theo Von
Well, we could use glue.
- [41:09]
Kevin Von Erich
I mean. I mean, they had the power tools really. I mean, working on you. They got a drill, the whole deal, you know. They hide it from you.
- [41:17]
Theo Von
Yeah. With that anesthesia, dude, they just bring in a couple of Cub Scouts in there, and they're doing damn woodwork on you in there. With. With wrestling, did you have to be as tough at the wrestling part as you did at the partying part? Like, there seemed to be this thing when I. When I look back on, like, wrestling and a lot of the stories, especially coming up out of, like, the 70s, 80s, 90s, where not only did you have to prove yourself in the ring that you were the toughest guy, that you were able to do the matches, but then you had to prove yourself again, like, at the drinking table. Was that part of the culture as much?
- [41:57]
Kevin Von Erich
Oh, man, it was. That was the easy part for us because neither. None of us really like Taste of Foods, you know, we. I mean, I. I'll have a drink or even two, but I'm done. I can't drink six of anything, you know, And, I mean, a lot of people can, but I think that was a big thing for us. We never did get that big stomach. I guess a lot of my friends, you know, love that beer. All my teammates, you know, my wrestling, my colleagues love beer. But I. I never did get into it, and I'm glad I didn't because it. It's taken its toll on a lot of good men.
- [42:29]
Theo Von
Yeah.
- [42:30]
Kevin Von Erich
But I'll tell you this. After those knee surgeries, I had to Take three oxycontin a day? Yeah, Shoot. One in the morning, one in noon and. Or one at one o'clock and then one at sundown. Because they have time. They had time release in them, you know, and it worked great. It didn't make you goofy or anything, but I could ride a bike, you know, and stuff. And I could. I could. It kind of hurt worse later, but with the pain pills, like another dang pill.
- [42:58]
Theo Von
Oh, yeah. I feel like a damn Care Bear if I take one of them.
- [43:02]
Kevin Von Erich
Well, then Covid came and I went to get my medicine because we never left our ranch except for go to the doctor, you know, I mean, we had everything there.
- [43:09]
Theo Von
In Kauai.
- [43:10]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, in Kauai, I grow four different types of avocado, and we trade them with our neighbors. We have turkey, we raise sheep. We have tilapia. A fish full of thousands of fish and. And every kind of fruit you could think of. You know, we had a reason to go. The boys are spearing fish and throwing the net and catching crabs. And so it was a great way to live, you know, we just didn't really leave. But Covid came and so I go to get my medicine, and it's like twice as much. I was already paying 900 bucks a month for it. 1800. And I said, well, I'm quitting this stuff. And so I quit. But, man, I got these flu symptoms. Like, you know, I felt like I was weird and. But I fought through it, you know. But Ross got me the stuff called Kratom. It's a leaf on my tree. And we could grow. We grow the tree out there. You can crumble it up or it comes out. You put it in a powder, put it in a pillow. And I was able to kick that oxycontin. 10 days. I wouldn't even want another one.
- [44:15]
Theo Von
By using Kratom, you were able to.
- [44:17]
Kevin Von Erich
Kratom did that? Yeah.
- [44:18]
Theo Von
And then were you able to get off the Kratom?
- [44:20]
Kevin Von Erich
That was easy to quit. Kratom. I never liked that stuff. Smells like hey anyway, you know, but it was easy to get off of it. But so, you know, I decided. I told you when it came on, I wanted my life to kind of be. Help someone. All that suffering. You want to know? Get something good.
- [44:38]
Theo Von
Yeah.
- [44:38]
Kevin Von Erich
You know, and. And if anyone is suffering from any kind of addiction, like the opioids and all, bear that in mind. They're creating places all around. I'm not saying I'm not getting any money for it. I'm just saying it sure helped Me. And if you're an addict and it was bothering you, I mean, I. I could. I couldn't believe I was addicted to this stuff. I mean, I wanted to quit and I got sick. I thought, never gonna let something happen like this to me again.
- [45:03]
Theo Von
How bad did the octave? Did, did it. Did Octi like feel like you had to take oxycontin, get.
- [45:09]
Kevin Von Erich
Well, I never kind of let it get to that point. You're supposed to take it at 1:00. Supposed to take it in the morning, at night, before you go to bed. That's what it always did.
- [45:16]
Theo Von
Yeah.
- [45:17]
Kevin Von Erich
And you don't walk around high, you just don't hurt, you know, because it's got the pain relief, like the time release in it, you know. But.
- [45:24]
Theo Von
But that Kraton was helpful, huh?
- [45:25]
Kevin Von Erich
Oh, yeah.
- [45:26]
Theo Von
Wow.
- [45:26]
Kevin Von Erich
Sure was.
- [45:27]
Theo Von
Yeah. I have a friend who got addicted to Kratom, so I think there's probably. There can be a slope there, but I certainly could. Could see how it could be used to help people get off of oxycontin.
- [45:37]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, it's illegal in some countries.
- [45:39]
Theo Von
Kratom is.
- [45:39]
Kevin Von Erich
Kratom is. It must be addictive.
- [45:43]
Theo Von
Was. Was addiction ever part of the. Any of your brother's issues or. No. Did addiction run in you guys family? It runs in my family.
- [45:50]
Kevin Von Erich
Well, you know, I don't think it does. My brother Carrie, you know, was. He went to the Betty Ford Clinic and all these places, but he was never addicted to anything. He just liked all of it. I mean, he do cocaine one day, he do pain pills the next day, mushrooms. It was, it was something different all the time with our Carrie. Water, you know, and I'm not saying I'm so good.
- [46:16]
Theo Von
No, but it sounds like it was a. It sounds like he was addicted.
- [46:19]
Kevin Von Erich
He was addicted to the feeling.
- [46:22]
Theo Von
Ah, to the feeling. I see what you're saying.
- [46:25]
Kevin Von Erich
Just getting out of his skin, you know.
- [46:26]
Theo Von
Oh yeah. God, that's a steel cage match. I don't want to be in my own skin.
- [46:31]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, I know, man, but you know, that's life. You gotta fight through that crap, man. You gotta just fight through it.
- [46:38]
Theo Von
Well, yeah, because to me it sounds like he might have had, he could have had addiction problems like if they had looked at. But at it by today's standards, you know, I think things were definitely looked at differently then.
- [46:47]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah. Yeah, might as well. Because if you can't stop, then what do you call it, you know? Yeah, because he. I know he wanted to stop because it wasn't because he had those beautiful daughters he loved Them so much, you know, Holly and.
- [46:58]
Theo Von
What was the other one?
- [46:58]
Kevin Von Erich
Holly and Lacey.
- [46:59]
Theo Von
Lacey.
- [47:00]
Kevin Von Erich
Lacey lives out in la and Holly is out there in East Texas now and hopefully they'll be with me soon because you know, I've been going back to Hawaii every few months, every month, you know, and. But I haven't been back in a couple of months now and man, it is hurting me because Benji, my little treasures out there. Jill's. Jill has four. She has two, a boy and three daughters.
- [47:23]
Theo Von
And who's Benji?
- [47:24]
Kevin Von Erich
Benji is the six year old and we're like this. We go everything together.
- [47:28]
Theo Von
Oh, that's a grandchild.
- [47:29]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, yeah. Oh God, I've got a lot of grandchildren.
- [47:32]
Theo Von
Oh, you do?
- [47:32]
Kevin Von Erich
So Marshall has given me two.
- [47:34]
Theo Von
Okay, well, he can get more out of them.
- [47:36]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, yeah, I sure can fire him up. And then Kristen is giving me plenty and. And. But that boy and I being five, you know, four, three, that age, you're just with me all the time.
- [47:50]
Theo Von
Oh, it's fun.
- [47:51]
Kevin Von Erich
And now Marshall has got given me a grandson and he's just about to turn five and we're like that. I mean it's either monster trucks or we're turning over rocks. We're just throwing rocks and catching snakes and bugs and lizards and all. And it's just. It's just fun all the time, you know. But it's like.
- [48:08]
Theo Von
Yeah, I could see that for sure. You remind me also. I mean if you were my grandfather or something, I would. That would be awesome. And you remind me of Tommy Lee actually. About probably like. Does anybody ever tell you that?
- [48:22]
Kevin Von Erich
Who's Tommy Lee?
- [48:23]
Theo Von
Tommy Lee from Motley Crue.
- [48:26]
Kevin Von Erich
Oh, that band came to Sportatorium. A bunch of nice guys. I know those guys.
- [48:31]
Theo Von
Of course you do.
- [48:32]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah.
- [48:32]
Theo Von
That's you, dude. That's why you know him. But Tommy's a great guy. Tommy's great. You guys just remind the way you guys talk and stuff. Does that make any sense to you, Nick? Yeah. Tommy's the greatest dude, man. He's nice. Just the way you guys sound and stuff like that. He's a super guy. Yeah, they're good, man. Did you ever fight somebody high? Could people fight high in the ring? Did people ever fight high in the ring?
- [48:56]
Kevin Von Erich
I don't think so. I mean not. Not on purpose.
- [48:59]
Theo Von
Right.
- [49:00]
Kevin Von Erich
You know, but I, I couldn't remember though. Oh, golly. Yeah. Oh, we did before. There was this stuff called GHB and it's this super drug, but they sold it in like athletic stores, you know, and sporting good source because it Was like a fat burner. And so we're going to this town and Carry and Carry's going there. He told us, he told us not take too much of it. But by the time we say, you'll probably go to sleep in the car, by the time we get there, you know your body's gonna be burning your fat off, you know. So we took that crap and golly shoot, I don't know how we got through that night. It was terrible.
- [49:43]
Theo Von
Artists, zombies.
- [49:44]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, we were, it was like, like we're just sitting there dozing off right in the match time and, and it'd be just one of the brothers trying to wake you up, you know. Shut up. You know. And it was terrible, terrible. That stuff was something.
- [49:58]
Theo Von
Yeah, I could just imagine what that's like at that time. You're almost like anything to kind of get an edge. Everybody' testing out the cool stuff or I know where the new thing is. I guess that's all. That's always been a part of that bodybuilding world too, I think. You know, when you're big into bodybuilding, a lot of those things kind of come along. Like, you know, there's different creatines, there's different uppers, there's like these testosterone revigorators or whatever. Like it comes up sometimes, it comes in like a huge set of balls, the thing, the powder or whatever. Like what the hell is this? But yeah, there's all types of that, that bodybuilding's always been on the edge of the, of like so competitive using and finding a, an advantage.
- [50:40]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, you know, that's when two guys are going to look at, looking at the mirror with each other and you. I got better things to do at.
- [50:51]
Theo Von
A certain point, I think. So it's interesting that you refer to other wrestlers as like a team. Are you referred as your team or something? Is that how you guys thought of Yalls Wrestling organization as a team?
- [51:04]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, it was a family business and it was like a team. It was like if, you know, we, we were never were jealous of each other, you know. As to. The real truth to it is, you know, when my dad and I flip, when Carrie and me flipped the coin for the world title, well, the truth to it was that I had a family and I'm married and I have children, you know, and Kerry wanted to be the world champion, but to be the world champion is a special kind of wrestler. To do that and not a carry, you need somebody that makes the other guy look good. That's really what it's all about, you know, And. And Dave could have done that, but. And I think Kerry may. I couldn't have done it, though. I'd been a baby face my whole life. You know, I. I kiss the babies and I, you know, do all that stuff. But the real difficult work in wrestling, the hard stuff, is to be heel. That's the creative stuff, you know.
- [52:01]
Theo Von
And for our listeners that don't know what a heel is, well, he was.
- [52:04]
Kevin Von Erich
The heavy, the bad guy, you know, the Bruiser Brodies and the Kamalas and the King Kong Bundies, you know.
- [52:11]
Theo Von
Why is that the tougher spot to be?
- [52:16]
Kevin Von Erich
Well, because you're limited for a good guy, what you can do, you know. But a bad guy could do anything. And he better do it, too, because it's all about, you know, it's like you're slaying a dragon. You know, there's the. The God, the knight and shining armor, and there's a big, ugly dragon. You know, When I first went out to Atlanta on WTBS out there, I was 19 years old and, you know, handsome kid, you know, and the hero. And here comes the big monster to wrestle me. It's just Terry Gordy.
- [52:50]
Theo Von
Yeah.
- [52:53]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah. And I found out talking to him, he was 16.
- [52:57]
Theo Von
Oh, my.
- [52:58]
Kevin Von Erich
He was a teenager. All that time.
- [53:01]
Theo Von
Y'all are being damn sex trafficked, you know?
- [53:05]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah.
- [53:07]
Theo Von
That's hilarious. You're both scared of each other. You both have any. Infinite. His schoolwork.
- [53:12]
Kevin Von Erich
Well, that's it, you know. You want each.
- [53:15]
Theo Von
Bring that picture him up. I'm sorry to interrupt you. Kevin, bring that picture of him up. Look at that fella. Dude.
- [53:20]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah. That's wild, huh? He was something else. You would have loved him.
- [53:26]
Theo Von
Yeah.
- [53:26]
Kevin Von Erich
I'm telling you, Michael Hayes is. He's a character. Buddy Culvert. But that guy was 100 gold inside. Oh, he would fight to the death, but he had a heart for little kids and for girls, and he was just nice. He was such a good guy, man. But he was a battleship, too.
- [53:46]
Theo Von
What, did he pass away?
- [53:48]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah. Yeah.
- [53:49]
Theo Von
What happened to him?
- [53:50]
Kevin Von Erich
Oh, shoot. He was. He overdid it on the plane. He OD'd on a plane and they had to restart him. Shoot. And then something. I believe that his blood was. Stayed away from his brain too long, and it starved his brain. And he had some damage when he. When he came out of that. Then I talked to him and he just. Kev, I hurt myself, brother. I said, no, Terry, you're fine. He goes, no, I'm not fine, Kev. So he had. He could Talk to me. But he was real slow. He didn't have any of this hand eye kind of coordination.
- [54:31]
Theo Von
So it cost him something, huh? Dang.
- [54:34]
Kevin Von Erich
But then I'd always heard that he fell off the Jetway getting on a plane one time, too. I think he did. He fell off the Jetway drunk, landed on his head, and got back up and got on the plane, made the show. Yeah, but. So I thought that was why he was like that. But he said, no, something else, you know? Yeah.
- [54:55]
Theo Von
So many guys went through so much, man. Terry Funk, he's. He's still alive, I believe, isn't he?
- [55:01]
Kevin Von Erich
Man, I hope so. But I hadn't heard the bad news if. If he had.
- [55:06]
Theo Von
Oh, no. He says he passed away in August.
- [55:08]
Kevin Von Erich
I love that guy. And Dory, too.
- [55:10]
Theo Von
So I. I hope that I. Terry Funk was he. Man, he was incredible to watch, wasn't he?
- [55:16]
Kevin Von Erich
He sure was. He taught me so much, too. Me, my brother Dave and I, we're 19, 18 years old, and we're the bad guys. And Amarillo wrestling. Dorian Terry, who the great, good guys, you know, they loved them.
- [55:30]
Theo Von
And Dory Funk as well.
- [55:32]
Kevin Von Erich
And Dory. They're their brothers, and their dad was Dory Funk senior.
- [55:36]
Theo Von
Okay.
- [55:36]
Kevin Von Erich
A super badass. Well, these two were in the ring, and Dave and I, we're just learning, you know, we're just learning about this Dave, pretty good heel, but I didn't know what to do, really. And so we're in the ring, and. And Dory's telling us everything. He goes, spit on me, kid. I said, sir? He said, spit on me. So I spit on. And so Dave unloads on Terry, too. And the crowd went wild. They hated our guts, so they beat us, you know, And I get on the mic and I say, you're in trouble now. I'm gonna get my daddy. And so then. Oh, they proved me good, you know, and so. So I love being a heel, but I just wasn't gonna, like, you know, like Dave was, you know, Irving Curry.
- [56:22]
Theo Von
So that was the real. So that said, that was something that was tough to be a heel.
- [56:25]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah. It's a lot harder. You have to have some creativity about it, you know?
- [56:30]
Theo Von
Yeah.
- [56:30]
Kevin Von Erich
And then you've got to have a personality where. I mean, that. That. That. That you're projecting. It's got to come from in here, you know?
- [56:38]
Theo Von
Right. And you can't get upset if people don't like you because you're almost the guy that people don't like.
- [56:43]
Kevin Von Erich
Well, Dave and I come back from the ring in Florida one time in this cow. And Dave's a bad guy, and so I'm a heel, too. And so this guy steps up. You know, people would dip skull and they spit in those cups. So we slosh that stuff on us, you know? And I thought, well, you know, we've been make. We've been begging them to hate our guts. Finally we're there. Then I look and Dave's running up in the bleachers after the guy kicked us off. But so I said, they worked our butts off to make him hate us. He goes, dave was just, you know, you couldn't talk to him. He was so mad. This episode is brought to you by Lifelock. It's tax season, and we're all a bit tired of numbers, but here's one you need to hear. $16.5 billion. That's how much the IRS flagged for possible identity fraud last year. Now, here's a good number.
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Theo Von
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- [60:28]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah. Carrie was a really good athlete. He was, he was just everything. He. He says it just came easy to him. In fact, when I watched him play his senior year in high school, it looked like a play football. It looked like Terry Gordy playing against a bunch of peewee guys. You know, he was that big. And I sound like I'm exaggerating, but he carried the ball five times and he scored five touchdowns. And the coach took him off offense, just said he wanted to save him for defense. But he was great on offense. He was a good linebacker too, but. But he was really a good running back. I've never seen anybody just run through people like that.
- [61:05]
Theo Von
Dang.
- [61:06]
Kevin Von Erich
But he didn't like football. The Texas University of Texas offered him a scholarship. He didn't want to go. He didn't want to play football. He wanted to do track. Yeah, no, he wanted to track and Dave the same way. Basketball. Dave loved basketball. I love football, you know, but we go to North Texas and, and Dave has a scholarship. We're both there, you know, and. And so I look up on that hill one day and it's a real hot day and I hear pop. And I. So I hits the ground. So I look up there and I can see through the dust Dave's big old frame getting up off of that ground. He's playing wide receiver. And we had some defensive backs were killers, you know, and. And so Dave gets up and I see the coaches parked over there watching practice. And he walks out to Dave and he tells Dave. We're practicing in that air conditioned gym out there and when we get thirsty, we get a drink of water. It's not like this out here. And so Dave quit and went to play basketball at North Texas. And I flee from football. But that we all each are sports Dave was a basketball player. I ran. I played football in the carry. It was discus, you know.
- [62:15]
Theo Von
And your other brothers, Mike and Chris, were you guys a little bit disconnected from them because of age?
- [62:19]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, that was it. Because by then we're wrestling and we weren't home very much and Mike was the big brother to Chris.
- [62:25]
Theo Von
Got it.
- [62:26]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah.
- [62:26]
Theo Von
So that was almost like a second. It was almost like a second installment.
- [62:31]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah.
- [62:31]
Theo Von
Of children, in a way.
- [62:32]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, it was.
- [62:34]
Theo Von
Yeah. I saw that match with Carrie and Ric Flair, or there's one match I remember it was during the daytime. Right. And I think it was an 84 maybe.
- [62:43]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah.
- [62:44]
Theo Von
Is this it?
- [62:45]
Kevin Von Erich
Daytime? It was 84.
- [62:46]
Theo Von
This was after David had passed away.
- [62:48]
Kevin Von Erich
Right.
- [62:49]
Theo Von
Were you at this match?
- [62:51]
Kevin Von Erich
Oh, yeah. I wrestled on this car, too.
- [62:54]
Theo Von
And because he looks so much more athletic and no judgment to Ric Flair, I mean, their age difference is maybe huge here, but. But did he ever have to slow down with other wrestlers to make it look more real? Does that make any sense?
- [63:08]
Kevin Von Erich
Well, I suppose, but yeah, you know, it's all about. It's. He had such charisma, you know that his charisma was really his thing. I mean, he had a great body and a beautiful build. And I'm going to tell you, Tony Atlas and I were bench pressing and I had a good bench press. I could be £445, but my brother and Tony were benching 520, both of them. And I mean repping it, you know. And I've never seen anybody as strong as Curry was. I mean, Curry, for his size, had the most power I've ever any seen Buddy be able to bring up. And he was agile, too. I mean, I told you. High jumper, really good high jumper.
- [63:51]
Theo Von
What was it like when Flair came to town? That must have been a ride, huh? He's quite a character.
- [63:56]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, he was. He's something else.
- [63:58]
Theo Von
He's something else, man.
- [64:00]
Kevin Von Erich
You just. You got a show with him, right?
- [64:01]
Theo Von
And the best time. Time, because he's just. He's got stories and he like, you know, he likes to, you know, it's fun.
- [64:08]
Kevin Von Erich
He's all fun all the time and.
- [64:11]
Theo Von
It'S no other side to it, really. No, there kind of isn't.
- [64:14]
Kevin Von Erich
He is a real gentleman. He's got a great voice. You know, when you hear his voice, you think, that should be a radio man.
- [64:21]
Theo Von
Yeah.
- [64:21]
Kevin Von Erich
You know, he really does sound good, but. But when he comes to your town, he's going to give an interview that's going to Riley. I don't care who you are. He's going to make you furious and you're going to come down the scene, get his butt kicked. And so he's. That's. You got to have that, you know, that's. That. That's Rick now Harley. Harley Race and. And the other champions, the drawing a blank. But I mean the, the Briscoes and they were great, but these had something else they brought to the table. Harley was, you know, he had his rep, all of his different holes and moves and. But Rick, what an interview he gives. And he's got the experience too. You know, he's something else and he's got a good head for. For when to do what he does. But you see what I mean, that was. A guy like me really wouldn't fit the bill like Rick would. Right. And he's going to bump all night. He doesn't ever get tired. You know, he's. He's going to have. He's going to be dragging out to an hour or try to.
- [65:19]
Theo Von
Yeah, just magnetic, man. That was a magnetic time.
- [65:22]
Kevin Von Erich
He is.
- [65:23]
Theo Von
What was one of the most traumatic things that happened to one of your brothers in their life while they were al live? Was there anything that kind of started change their life a little bit that we didn't really see as much?
- [65:38]
Kevin Von Erich
Well, probably so, yeah. My little brother Mike, you know, with the toxic shock syndrome, he had a. We were wrestling in Tel Aviv and we're going to do some shows in Lebanon too. And so Mike saw wrestling the guy that his shoulder had been dislocated and he popped it back into the dressroom, got back out there in the ring and it popped out again. And it had really popped out bad this time. So we flew him back to Texas to get surgery and with the incision, it got toxic shock syndrome. It's a tampon thing ladies get. But they had such a huge incision where the arm was or the shoulder was that they had shaft gauze in there.
- [66:26]
Theo Von
Oh, and somebody got left in.
- [66:27]
Kevin Von Erich
I think that might. It didn't get left in, but it got septic or something maybe. But whatever it was, his fever went up to so high. 100, 600. I even heard 107. But that it didn't kill him though. In fact, the doctor came down. I say team, you wouldn't believe it. The. The hospital was filled with fans. You know, they wanted to offer their kidneys or their liver to Mike, you know, to such love, you know, but the docs told us that he's just. His fever is too high. He's not. He's not going to come back and he's. He's not going to make it through the night. And so rather than go up there and say goodnight like you told him to, like you told us to, then we had. My parents were down in this waiting room at the hospital up here at Baylor, and we had. Gary Holder was. We had a chaplain that would go with our shows, you know, big shows. And he gave us a prayer where he talked about. He said, God, you say anything we ask in Jesus name, then you will do it. So we're asking you to stand on your word. And he slammed that Bible down on the desk. Man, I wanted to hide my head. I thought he went too far, you know, but it was just a few seconds later the door opened up and he said, the fever's broken. There's hope. And we ran up to see Mike just like that. It was. And David Manning was right there. My dad was there. My mom Carrie saw was a miracle man. It was really a miracle. Beautiful. But I don't want to get an argument with people in it, but. But I would love, like I told you, I'd like to my life to have an experience that people could benefit from. You know, if you're somebody that's like, maybe I was at a time like life is overwhelming and you know what? It's. It's like when you overcome something. You're so much a better man than you were before. It's like when you're pushed to your limit and you have to adjust or die. Die. You get stronger. You get stronger and go. And I would just say to anybody that's out there lost, if you want to feel like you'll never be afraid of man or beast again, you will not be afraid of dying if you know where you're going to go when you die. And I mean, I know where I'm going to go and I. I have no fear. I mean, it's a. It's a great life.
- [68:55]
Theo Von
Did you would. Did you have religion instilled in you when you were growing up? Did you have like.
- [69:00]
Kevin Von Erich
No, that's the thing. We went to eat church on Easter, you know, I remember, but this is pretty odd story, but I spent the night with this. My dad's real estate partner was a doctor and I spent the night with him one night and the next day was Sunday and they took me to church with them and so I went to church. And so the only reason I went, because if you spent the night, you could sleep with the dog. And I love their dog, you know.
- [69:26]
Theo Von
Oh, yeah, dude, I. I've stayed over places just to be by the animals.
- [69:30]
Kevin Von Erich
Well, we go to church and he. These men surround me and ask me if I want to accept Jesus. And so I knew that song Jesus loves me, you know, And I've been to wrestling before, and I'd seen people poke the finger and stuff. And I knew that was bad, you know, when I thought, I don't want to be bad, I want to be good, you know, so. So I want to be on that side, you know, because I've kind of seen a little of both words, you.
- [69:56]
Theo Von
Know, you weren't a good healer. Heel.
- [69:57]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah.
- [69:58]
Theo Von
No, this was the. This was. This was choosing not to be a heel.
- [70:03]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah.
- [70:04]
Theo Von
For eternity. I mean.
- [70:05]
Kevin Von Erich
Well, that's. Well, you know, now that I understand what was going on, because I was just a little boy, you know, So I. I said the prayer, you know, and they asked me if I believe Jesus died, you know, I did. And I felt something move in my. Something weird in my chest. And I thought somebody. There were men standing behind me. I thought they did something to me, like. But I actually felt something move inside me. And I think it was that little bit of evidence gave me a lot of courage. And I knew God was with me. I know he was. And that night I was. Got on my bed and I went and I looked on my porch. I was just looking at this outside the stars. And I'm a little boy. I could have imagined it, but I could have sworn I saw an angel fly across the field with a horn. And it smelled mouth like it was blowing a horn. I didn't hear any sound. It looked just like a Christmas ornament to a Christmas tree. But. But in my mind, this. This was my best day of my life. And I belong to God now. And I have never been afraid of anything since then.
- [71:04]
Theo Von
Amen. Yeah, it's. It's interesting. I think people get. Have. Sometimes people get scared to share, like their testimonies or moments that they've had where they've just felt like something stronger than them, took care of them.
- [71:15]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah.
- [71:16]
Theo Von
You know? Yeah. I remember a feeling one time where I was just broken down, man. I was really banged up about a relationship and just not sure what I wanted to with my life. I'd moved back in with my step parents and, man, I remember one time I was just. Just on my knees bawling and I felt something come around my heart, man. I can't even explain it. Just like this warm thing just. I mean, I'd never felt where my Heart was. I mean, I'd put my hand on it, hoping for the best when I was pledging allegiance.
- [71:47]
Kevin Von Erich
He's knocking on the door, you know.
- [71:48]
Theo Von
But, I mean, a little boy.
- [71:50]
Kevin Von Erich
You're beautiful. You're all alone, suffering like that. God. That was God, Theo.
- [71:56]
Theo Von
Yeah.
- [71:56]
Kevin Von Erich
He came to you. You know, we got one lifetime to learn it, you know that there is such a thing. I mean, let me tell you, there is a double. And people want to say there's no such thing, but there is. Boy, I could tell you a really weird story, but it's. That's 100 true.
- [72:13]
Theo Von
Yeah, I mean, your life's full of craziest stories ever.
- [72:16]
Kevin Von Erich
Listen to this one. Okay, so I'm gonna wrestle Big Daddy King Kong Bundy and the sport. And the Will Rogers Coliseum in Fort Worth. So I'm on the way to the ring. Carrie said, kev, come here. I said, what care? He said, I was dad on the phone. Mike's just been a terrible car wreck. He's. He's dying now. Dad said, don't try to get there fast because. Because he'll be dead before we get there anyway. And I said, what? I ran to the ring. I said, ring the bell. They ring the bell. I grabbed Bundy's leg. School board in 1, 2, 3. Ran to the back carrying a whole dash to the hospital. Still in my wrestling stuff. And so we get there, and there's cops everywhere. And they're standing by the doors, and I run right into my bust open. And I. And there's this black lady out there, and she said, my baby, baby, my baby. And when I crash those doors open, there's a little black kid laying there, dead. Blood and stuff. So I go out the other door, open the door, and there's Mike. Hey, Kev. He was fine, just fine. And so I'm like. I'm numb, you know? And so I knew my parents were on their way down here. And so I go outside and I see them walking down the ramp. And I said, he's okay. And my dad just fell down. My mom fell down on. Well, so I'm going to get my car to come home. And Abilene is west, but Denton is north. Well, for some reason, I went west. And I went almost to Abilene, Eastland. Just. I was so out of it, just driving. By the time I got home, I was sleep. So sleepy. The sun had already come up. Him been waiting for me. And so I was going to take my bulldog down to the lake and wash him. I'd cast Steel soap, you know, okay. For the environment. No. So I'm watching my dog and. Oh, sorry. I'm sorry. Maybe it's concussions. But before that, I said, God, thank you for giving me my brother back. Let me fight the devil. I said, satan, I want to. I'll fight you. I'll fight you. And. And so let me fight him. God. It was stupid. A stupid boy. And so I go to the lake. I'm washing my dog, and Theo, I swear this happened. So my dog. Everything's real still. And. And I'm feeling weird a little bit. And I look and I see there's a bush here and some more bushes here in a hill here. And I see these little black things taking position against me and advancing on me. I felt like I could smell blood. I could smoke death. And I said, get in the car, Pam. And I put my butt back to the car and I was like this. And. And I would see him going from trees. They're getting these positions. And I was. I was ready. And next thing I know, I'm out, I'm having a seizure in my car. And. And. Yeah, and so Pam screaming and crying, and these fishermen have run up to help, and I must have hit one or kicked one or something, but a girl ran up and said, I know his parents. I'll get them. And an ambulance came and all that, but I know it's because I'm a man and I challenge the devil. And we have Jesus in us that fights the devil. We don't have anything to do with the devil. And so that was. That was my lesson that I learned. But I know that happened. And it's just in me, like, written on my heart and with a nail.
- [75:41]
Theo Von
Look. It's a testimony, man.
- [75:43]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah.
- [75:44]
Theo Von
Thank you for sharing that. Yeah. I think sometimes we don't think that the devil is real. And that's a. That is the devil's way to trick us. I believe that, you know, if you don't think that evil's real, then it's how quick you don't know how close it is to you either. You know, you don't know how intertwined it could be in your own veins if you don't even believe it's real. That's a pretty masterful trip.
- [76:02]
Kevin Von Erich
And we think with a man's mind and they. Devil is an angel's mind, you know, I mean, it's way smarter than we are.
- [76:09]
Theo Von
Devil's. The devil is a thug. You know, that is the truth, man. Thank you for sharing that. I've had Friends share some really. Some strong testimonials. Some moments where they just felt that, you know, I mean, there has been moments in my life where. Yeah, I just felt. You just get that feeling sometimes. Do you ever get overcome with that feeling? You're just so thankful that God has been with you? Yeah, man, because you thought you did it yourself and you realize you didn't. That God was there with you, man, when that. When I've had that feeling come over me. God. I mean, it just. It'll. You just. You almost feel like you thaw out some. You know, like you thaw out and.
- [76:44]
Kevin Von Erich
Then we get to a position where we. Where something bad comes along. Well, oh, God, don't let this happen, you know, and. And he saves us again. And like, oh, well, I forgot the other times too, you know, and, and.
- [76:55]
Theo Von
You know, I'll forget. I'll forget you're the little southern boy I know.
- [77:00]
Kevin Von Erich
What kind of. You caught copperheads and water moccasins and stuff like that, I'm sure.
- [77:04]
Theo Von
Oh, I definitely. I got electrocuted a bunch. I was definitely beaten a lot. Got. Yeah, we got bit by things. Attack. I got attacked by a bunch of stray animals. I grew up in the stray animal belt.
- [77:13]
Kevin Von Erich
Really.
- [77:14]
Theo Von
So they had just.
- [77:14]
Kevin Von Erich
What kind of stray animals?
- [77:16]
Theo Von
Oh, anything, brother. Snakes, raccoons, birds, dogs. I don't even know. Just. They had dogs wearing jewelry. All kind of was out there looking for us.
- [77:30]
Kevin Von Erich
You got a good memory.
- [77:32]
Theo Von
It was dangerous out there.
- [77:33]
Kevin Von Erich
Well, you know, I used to get. I got chased by a goose when.
- [77:37]
Theo Von
I was a little kid by ghost.
- [77:38]
Kevin Von Erich
A goose.
- [77:39]
Theo Von
Oh, a goose. Yeah. I'd rather a damn ghost. Gooses are dangerous, dude.
- [77:44]
Kevin Von Erich
Well, they can bite, you know, but for a little kid, scary.
- [77:48]
Theo Von
They don't care and they're violent and dude, a goose will come at you to just be one of them. Some animals will have five or six of them. Raccoons are like that, you know, ants are like that, you know, they won't come at you just once, but a goose, that thing will roll up on you solo. That's pretty savage when you think of it. Is that you.
- [78:08]
Kevin Von Erich
That's a ghost is thinking Rambo.
- [78:11]
Theo Von
That's crazy. Oh, what were the. Your parents lives like? What was like. Are your parents, either of your parents still alive?
- [78:19]
Kevin Von Erich
No.
- [78:19]
Theo Von
Okay. Are they buried in the same place?
- [78:23]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, they are. Yeah, we. We had my mother, you know, we. When we moved out, I couldn't move to Kauai without taking my mom with me.
- [78:31]
Theo Von
Oh, she took your mom with you?
- [78:32]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah. Oh, dude, and she lived in the house with us too.
- [78:34]
Theo Von
Did she love it there?
- [78:36]
Kevin Von Erich
You know, my dad used to wrestle in Japan a lot, and so we would meet him in Hawaii and I didn't realize, but Hawaiian reminded her of her sons and she didn't want to go anywhere. She wanted to stay in her room and she wanted to grow her flowers and that was it. She just. She did love it. She loves her flowers, you know, but it was like it reminded her too much of that. But she. And she passed away up in our. Our guest room upstairs and. But all my granddaughters and my. My son's wives standing around her singing hymns while she passed away. And Phil before she died. She was a super good woman. She was. Was so sweet and thoughtful to everyone when she'd come to school. I'll be so proud of her, you know, because all the kids are like her. But when she was laying in that bed and she breathed her last breath, even as she. Like that, her hand went up like that, and I could just pitching. Touching Jesus's hands and going to heaven.
- [79:38]
Theo Von
You know, she was probably ready to go see her son.
- [79:41]
Kevin Von Erich
Oh, I know she was. You know, my dad tell you all this personal stuff, buddy, but.
- [79:48]
Theo Von
Oh, I could match you if you need, but we've heard my stories a lot. No, I just can't imagine. I bet she was ready to go see her sons, you know, I bet she'd been gone away from them long enough.
- [79:58]
Kevin Von Erich
And you know, my dad too, because really, when you think about it, my dad lost more than my mom. My dad lost his sons. But he didn't. He didn't ever show it. I mean, but he hurt. He was hurting, but he was lost. Like, it was just that he. At his ladder in the final days, he was so torn up inside. I think when he saw me, it would remind him of all the songs he'd lost. And he pulled that. 44 out one day and. And he pointed his head like, I'm just going to shoot myself. No, don't do it. Don't do it, dad. And he pointed the gun at me and I said. He said, you're afraid to die, aren't you? He said, you'd have the guts. You do it too, if you had the guts. And I said, dad, it doesn't take guts to live. I mean, it take guts to kill yourself, dad. It take guts to stay alive on this earth. And he was hurting so much, he would just go, oh, God. He'd rub his face to go, oh, God. And when he's. I'd hear the. That I actually wanted him to die. I want him to pass away. He was. He was just miserable. And I know that when he died, he was right there with Dave Carey. Mike. It was beautiful. But my dad had gotten away. He said, look, son, if you kick an old dog enough times, he's going to bite you. And that's how I'm with God right now. He's kicked me too many times. Times. And so I. I said, dad, it's gonna be. You're gonna be so surprised. But I couldn't convince him of it, you know? But we.
- [81:39]
Theo Von
Yeah, I can't imagine. I. I can't imagine what it's like to be kind of the soul. The surviving son. Did you feel chosen or did you feel deserted? Does that question make any sense?
- [81:51]
Kevin Von Erich
Sure. It's funny to say that. Yeah. Because I felt chosen in the way that my dad gave me a tape recorder back when I was in fifth grade. It was a bell and howl, you know, and you could talk into it. And I couldn't believe I could hear my voice, you know? And so. And so I thought, I love my dad so much. I filled the tape. It was, okay. One day, Dad's gonna die and I'm gonna talk. And here I am, alive while he's still alive. And so I'm gonna say something to make me feel. But I said, man, I'm sorry, Kev. Sorry, buddy. I just fill the same up with that.
- [82:26]
Theo Von
Oh, as if you were impersonating your dad.
- [82:27]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, yeah. Like I can comfort myself later when I work.
- [82:31]
Theo Von
No, dude, that's really interesting, though. That's so interesting.
- [82:34]
Kevin Von Erich
But I remember saying, dave and Carrie, we loved each other so much. I thought, I can't bear to lose them. I could not bear it. And I thought, but they love me that way. And so I said this, even in a prayer. I said, God, if. If one of us has to stand back, if one of us has to be the only one, let it be me.
- [82:55]
Theo Von
Wow.
- [82:55]
Kevin Von Erich
Because I'm hard and I'm strong inside. Lord God made me that way. But I didn't know it would ever happen. But I did say it, you know?
- [83:06]
Theo Von
You know, I used to have. I mean, this is, like, silly, but, like. So when I was growing up, I didn't have any. Like, whenever my dad died, I didn't have anything of his, right? I didn't have, like, a shirt or, like, a button or just anything to remember him by, you know? And so I used to write postcards to my kids, right. Whenever I was on the Road, just traveling over the years, doing comedy. I would write postcards to my kids. I don't have any kids yet, but I would send them postcards just so in the future they would be able to see that I was thinking of them. Right.
- [83:34]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah.
- [83:34]
Theo Von
Like, I just wanted that. I wanted to prove I was, like, so smart, bro.
- [83:38]
Kevin Von Erich
But.
- [83:38]
Theo Von
Right. But I just think it's the same type of thing. It's like you're just trying to, like, I don't know, you're always thinking of, like, how do I make sure that every. That somebody knew I cared or that somebody knew somebody else.
- [83:51]
Kevin Von Erich
I'm gonna die someday. Yeah, I'm gonna die someday.
- [83:54]
Theo Von
It just. Stuff like that is interesting. I think a lot of people do little things like that, but that's interesting because you could have felt like you were deserted, but to end up feeling that you were chosen, that's pretty powerful.
- [84:06]
Kevin Von Erich
Well, I don't think I'd say that we're chosen. More like, I'd say that I'd. But I would not want to put them through that. Yeah.
- [84:14]
Theo Von
Like, you were the one that could handle it then.
- [84:16]
Kevin Von Erich
I think I. I would not want them to go through it. Yeah. I would rather me go with it than they did. And I think that's sweet. God might have gave me some credit for that, you know, because it's all about this. We're in a struggle. You know, it's like we're not on the source to laugh it up and have fun. We have tests, real test. And life is hard. And that kind of stuff that kicks you in the nuts is what makes you stronger.
- [84:42]
Theo Von
Yeah.
- [84:42]
Kevin Von Erich
Makes you more strong. And without that, you can't give advice to people about things you haven't been around, you know? But once you've had it and been suffered yourself, now you can say, listen up.
- [84:54]
Theo Von
With that said, like. And I agree. You know, I was just thinking about that the other day. It's like, I've always had this outlook, and they kind of don't teach you that when you're a kid. As much that. And they really shouldn't when you're a young child. But I think they should teach you at some point that life is a test, that it is full of a lot of tests. And it's not all just going to be like this perfect thing or everything might not work out the way you think it. You know, you never really kind of get that education. Maybe. Or maybe some parents do give it to their kids. But with what you said a second ago, if you had to Share something with somebody who had lost a sibling or who had dealt with, you know, some grief from loss. Something that you've learned because, I mean, you're like almost the. The Neil Armstrong of loss. I mean, you've. You've had. You've endured a lot in your life, you know, and watched and watched other loved ones endure a lot. You know, What. What have you kind of learned that you feel like you could share, if anything?
- [85:50]
Kevin Von Erich
Well, thank you for giving that opportunity, because that's what I want to do, is to try to make it positive for somebody. But. But, you know, it's tough because I want to tell people, like, when somebody dies, it's going to get better, but it doesn't get better, man. You don't even get used to it. It just keep tolerating it, and you just somehow it gets a little better someday. But there's no good word to say to him. But when somebody's really busted up, you know, and it. When you overcome that and are able to maintain through that, well, then it's. It's. Now you. Now you've. You've achieved through a struggle, you've achieved over an obstruction, you've gone over a hurdle, you know, and it's like, now you can say you won. Now you can say you won something, because without a fight, there can't be a winner, there can't be a champion, there can't be a. A success unless there's that adversity, you know, and so God wouldn't put you through that unless you're going to benefit and feel. You got a great mind, you're intelligent, God.
- [87:06]
Theo Von
Oh, thanks, man.
- [87:07]
Kevin Von Erich
Life is. He's knocking on your door, too, my friend.
- [87:11]
Theo Von
You, too. I feel like you and me are probably pretty similar in some ways. You feel that?
- [87:15]
Kevin Von Erich
Sure do.
- [87:16]
Theo Von
I do, too. Do you? Was. How, how. How therapeutic was having your own family for you?
- [87:27]
Kevin Von Erich
Everything, man, that was what did it, is what saved me. Because, man, when you can have anything you want, you know, when your brother's gonna have anything they want, and. And they come over and, let's go do this. Let's go. It's like, what a life. I mean, it's. It's a whole lot. But I don't mean to bummy out, man. I don't want to start.
- [87:51]
Theo Von
I don't feel like you're bumming me out at all.
- [87:52]
Kevin Von Erich
Really.
- [87:53]
Theo Von
No, I was just thinking, like. Well, I was gonna ask you what's something that you admire about each one of your children, and then I was going to ask You. What's something that you maybe like something funny or something silly that you kind of admire or maybe miss? Something goofy or something about each one of your brothers? Maybe just like a nice thing, like a. Like a band they like to listen to. Just something like that.
- [88:14]
Kevin Von Erich
Oh, yeah. Well, we love good music, I can tell you. I've never told anybody this story, but we had our. We had a. Like a tree house, but it was built on stilts, a little room on stilts. My dad made us. And so we had a cut. My mother was a third oldest, but there were. She had an older sister, and so her older sister came over and she had two sons, and they were. They could pick on us, you know. And so we're hiding up there, and they were trying to get up. We pull the rope up, wouldn't let them go. And we had rocks. We're throwing rocks at them. And so there. It got really bloody, you know, we're chunking rocks and hitting each other and. And, you know, And. And so I think I'll let one go and hit one of the guys right in the head, you know. And my cousin, it would have kicked my ass if he could have caught me, you know, But. But so he runs in the house to tell on me, so we'll get in trouble, you know. And so me, David Carrier, come down from the tree house, you know, we're watching out. They're not gonna ambush us and beat us up all the way to the house, you know, but they run to the house to tell on us, you know. So we. We run up there, and so the guy's bleeding, my cousin's bleeding, my cousin Steve, bleeding all over the place. And dad said, what the hell happened? And I was about to feel something dead curious, said, dad, he got a little razor blade, cut his head. And my dad started cracking up laughing, you know. And so Dave and I kind of go with the story, you know, and I think he started laughing and just let it go. But Gary was such a cute little kid, you know.
- [89:53]
Theo Von
He was lying about it, huh?
- [89:54]
Kevin Von Erich
He said he was that way.
- [89:57]
Theo Von
He was quick, huh?
- [89:58]
Kevin Von Erich
Another time, we were riding in the car, and my friend had a BB gun. So we were riding all the BB gun and shooting signs and warning lights and stuff, you know. So we drive our pickup and he shoots the windshield and.
- [90:13]
Theo Von
Of your own vehicle?
- [90:14]
Kevin Von Erich
No, no, it was a friend of ours. A friend of ours, an old man that had a ranch just south of us, and so. Shot up.
- [90:22]
Theo Von
Blew it out.
- [90:22]
Kevin Von Erich
Out? Yeah, shot the window out. And the cops Were gonna get us, you know, and we're running from them and all, and got in such trouble. And so we're answering for it all. We got away. And so they weren't sure that we were the ones, you know. And so the cops were all talking to us, and my dad was there. And I hear my dad say, my sons won't lie to me. So I'll. I'll ask them. My sons will not lie to me. And so he calls Carrie over there, or no, and Carrie had already lied to him, you know, And. And so I heard dad say that. He said, come here, Kev. And I went, carrie's over there. We're going with the lie, you know, But I'm busted. And so I'm going to sit. I want to. I can't get the word to carry. I get it to Dave. Dave can't get it carry. And I said, yes, sir, dad, we did it. We all did it. And that's it. Carrie, come here, son. Carrie, look me in the eye. I want you to tell me the truth. Did you do it? He said, no, sir, Dad. I swear. Oh, man.
- [91:30]
Theo Von
Somebody's got a lie, man. And what about Chris? What was something that was fun or just neat about him? What was something he liked to do?
- [91:38]
Kevin Von Erich
Well, he loved Indian stuff, you know, and he had a. So he. He had. He stacked the rocks and all the Indian stuff he knew all about. About Chief Bowles and the Wonka Tonka. I don't know. I can't.
- [91:53]
Theo Von
Wampum. Something like that. He knew a lot of Native American lore.
- [91:57]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, he loved all that stuff. And. And so where they lived, they had all arrowheads and spearheads. He found that stuff all the time, so that's what he was really doing. But he was a great artist. He could draw anything, you know, and so I thought that. But he was. He had asthma, and so because he had to take medicine that made his bones brittle, and he. He just wasn't going to get big and strong, you know? It just didn't. When he worked out, it didn't really do anything.
- [92:24]
Theo Von
We all took all the bigness, too, if he was the last one. Y'all didn't leave any bigness.
- [92:27]
Kevin Von Erich
That's what I thought. I thought maybe we took all the big. Because.
- [92:30]
Theo Von
Yeah, you took all, man.
- [92:31]
Kevin Von Erich
He wanted to be. No, I. I could have cared less, but he wanted to be big so bad.
- [92:37]
Theo Von
And what about Mike? What was something that Mike liked to do? What kind of music did he listen to, too?
- [92:41]
Kevin Von Erich
Oh, he liked Metallica and AC DC.
- [92:48]
Theo Von
And did you ever go to many concerts together?
- [92:51]
Kevin Von Erich
Oh, always a lot of concerts together. Yeah.
- [92:53]
Theo Von
What was one?
- [92:54]
Kevin Von Erich
Y'all went to ZZ Top. Loved them. Yeah. And then.
- [93:01]
Theo Von
Isn't that acdc?
- [93:03]
Kevin Von Erich
We ever went to Fall Cat concert, and I think the band that warmed up for him was the I am Just a Cowboy. What's Starry Nights, Campfire Lights. What was that song? The Cowboy Th.
- [93:17]
Theo Von
Lizzy.
- [93:17]
Kevin Von Erich
Thin Lizzy.
- [93:18]
Theo Von
Then what is it then? Lizzy's.
- [93:20]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, that was a great concert.
- [93:22]
Theo Von
Cowboy Song by Thin Lizzy. I haven't heard that. I got to listen to that.
- [93:26]
Kevin Von Erich
Well, that was. Oh, that's a great song. And that was going to be Dave's song. See, I picked the music, but with Carrie, picked his song, but I walk out music. I always did the music, but. And I picked that song for Dave, but he said, no cuff. I'm a Cowboy. And he picked When I Die, I May Not Go to Texas. It was nothing.
- [93:45]
Theo Von
You want music, latanya Tucker.
- [93:47]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, but. I mean, God, but it was terrible for Go to the Ring, too, because you want.
- [93:52]
Theo Von
I'm sure it was.
- [93:53]
Kevin Von Erich
You want to sound like an interesting sound and a crescendo, and you'll kick the door open, the lights and all.
- [93:59]
Theo Von
Yeah.
- [94:00]
Kevin Von Erich
So you want something and he's blasting.
- [94:01]
Theo Von
Some damn Shania Twain or whatever.
- [94:03]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, yeah.
- [94:04]
Theo Von
That's different level, man. Okay. And so. And Jack had passed away before you. What about Carrie? What's something you remember about him that you like? You like?
- [94:14]
Kevin Von Erich
Shoot, Carrie was just.
- [94:16]
Theo Von
Were y'all the closest, probably?
- [94:19]
Kevin Von Erich
Well, me, Dave and Carrie were real close. And then Mike was our baby, you know, so we were. We were really close and. But, you know, Chris was a little bit. But I told you about the divorce thing. When I was a kid, one thing my mother insisted on, my dad was that my dad not disciplined Mike and Chris like he did me, Dave and Carrie, because he used a leather strap on us, you know, But, I mean, we're boys, you know, and we got.
- [94:44]
Theo Von
It was kind of common back then.
- [94:45]
Kevin Von Erich
It was. Yeah. Yeah.
- [94:47]
Theo Von
And my principal beat me in office one time. A couple times. I think it's back when your principal could spank you and beating her, too.
- [94:54]
Kevin Von Erich
I mean, you know, we had it coming. Yeah, we got it coming.
- [94:58]
Theo Von
Did we? I. I don't know.
- [94:59]
Kevin Von Erich
Well, you know, if we got away with it and we just done it.
- [95:02]
Theo Von
Again, you know, look, he got me. I got away. I got over on him more times than he got over on me, I'll tell you that. Mr. Brady.
- [95:10]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, I think Same with mine. I had a principal like that. He'd come down from in the office and he, he'd open the. Your classroom door and said, who parked on my grass? You know, if the, if, if any car was touching grass, it was his grass and you had to move it, you know, was really obnoxious guy.
- [95:29]
Theo Von
Did you guys finish high school, you and your brothers?
- [95:31]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, yeah, yeah, we did. We. Of course. I hated school and I hated it. I don't know if you did or not, but.
- [95:40]
Theo Von
Oh, if I could wrestle good, I wouldn't like damn spelling.
- [95:43]
Kevin Von Erich
Well, I wasn't wrestling then. You know, I was a little kid. I had to do my homework and all that stuff, but I had to listen to all that junk in class and about Susie has two Dresses and, you know, all that crap. I, I couldn't stand it. I was bored to death. And I, I just. And I, I. And I, I'm not a very good parent. I told you. I just. When I see little boys, I say I hated school. I wouldn't. I don't blame you for not wanting to go, you know, there's a lot better stuff to do. You got a dog, you got a BB gun, and that's all you need. You know.
- [96:13]
Theo Von
When you think back, what about your own parenting? So you have four children.
- [96:18]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah.
- [96:19]
Theo Von
Okay, and what are they like? You have two boys and two girls.
- [96:22]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, two boys and two girls. But my oldest two are daughters, Kristen and Jill. And Kristen is, Is always been my soft spot. I love her so much and she's brilliant. She does everything for us. You know, she's so, she's so incredible. She's such a good foster mom or she. In Hawaii, she'd take the kids for the, the police would. What do you call the idea? The. When the parent. When.
- [96:54]
Theo Von
Oh, cps.
- [96:55]
Kevin Von Erich
Cps. She would get those kids. And then for foster parents, she. They loved her there and said. So many people that loved her in Hawaii. So many kids. And then there's my daughter Jill. She was way more like me. She's like. She can swim endlessly. I've swam out to reefs before that were way too far for anybody without a boat. She'll swim out there without flippers and go down and dive with lobsters with me and grab them with their hands too. I mean, I'm using gloves, but she's pervert. She's something else. She could. She can run like a deer. She. And she loves her. And her sons are all athletic. I could go overboard talking about her. She's such an athlete. Athlete. And. And then there's Ross and Marsh and.
- [97:42]
Theo Von
Ross and Marshall got into wrestling.
- [97:44]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah.
- [97:44]
Theo Von
Did. Were you scared when they got into wrestling or do you have any thoughts about it? Or that's just what they wanted to do.
- [97:50]
Kevin Von Erich
Well, not with Ross. I knew Ross is. He's been a ass kicker his whole life and he's fights easily, you know, and that's not usually. There's not much for a man like that to do in today's world except wrestling. And so we're also going to be good. But Marshall, I did worry about him because Marshall was a super athlete. He went out to Hawaii and he was the quarterback and he was throwing the bombs. The newspapers were just. People would just want a picture of how far he could throw the football. He was, he was just a great athlete. But I worried about him getting that sun. That heat stroke out there, you know, because he had a heat issue one time. So that's the only time I've ever been worried of him because they're both like. Like bulls, you know, they're strong and healthy and I wouldn't worry about it either way. They. With their wrestling now too. They. They know what they need to know there. It's. I believe that the wrestling business about to really explode because it was just like this when our brothers and I got started. And when this Covid got in, they had to wrestle in empty buildings. I don't think I could have ever done that. Yeah, but it made it where the, the people really have not seen them explode yet. They've. They worked for a little. They went to Japan and wrestled and they worked for a little operation in mlw and now they're with aew.
- [99:16]
Theo Von
Oh, really? AEW has been popping off. Oh yeah, I keep hearing about it all the time now.
- [99:20]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, they're. They're gonna. They're really gonna be special, I believe.
- [99:24]
Theo Von
And. Or will they tag team?
- [99:26]
Kevin Von Erich
They've done both. They work tag teams right now, though. I mean, it's a lot of, you know, there's a. Tag teams are such an interesting, exciting match, you know, because the guys don't have time to get a hold, but they can do either one. They can wrestle single, they can work or tag, but probably they'll work a tag team. As a matter of fact. I don't want to talk out of school, but we have a neighbor in Bernie and it's Bill Goldberg, the guy that wrestled at wwe. Oh, yeah, yeah. He. He's a Texas boy, I think, isn't he? Or Oklahoma Bill Goldberg.
- [100:01]
Theo Von
Yeah, I think it's from Oklahoma. Where is he from? Norman? No. Did you ever fight Rocky Johnson?
- [100:10]
Kevin Von Erich
He. I was too young, but my first black and white pictures, that was trying to flex, you know, And I've never. I didn't know, you know, I didn't expect to have muscles, but that's where I can. And so Rocky's was really good at flexing. And so Rocky taught me everything about flexing. You know, he was standing right behind the cameraman doing this and doing all these things. And whatever Rocky did, I did for the picture, you know.
- [100:35]
Theo Von
So you learned a little from him then.
- [100:37]
Kevin Von Erich
Rocky's son is the Rock, you know.
- [100:41]
Theo Von
Oh, yeah. Dwayne Johnson.
- [100:42]
Kevin Von Erich
And so we was like, that's actually the picture.
- [100:46]
Theo Von
That's hilarious, dude.
- [100:48]
Kevin Von Erich
But Little Rock was there.
- [100:49]
Theo Von
Oh, was he?
- [100:50]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, yeah. He's. He's a little boy. I mean, he was the cutest little kid.
- [100:55]
Theo Von
People say that Rocky was the night. Is a. Is a very nice guy. He's still alive.
- [100:59]
Kevin Von Erich
He is. I don't know. I don't know about that. But. But Rock was a great guy too. I mean, he. He was a. We. He was a little younger than us, you know, so we'd wrestle him and like. Like his. We frustrate him. And boy, he. To see if he'd have the courage to bel. To pep up with us. And he would too.
- [101:17]
Theo Von
Dwayne John the Rock, he would fight.
- [101:19]
Kevin Von Erich
He would want to fight. He. That pup was snip will bite you. He was a beautiful little kid.
- [101:26]
Theo Von
Yeah, y'all might have put the. Y'all might have excited. Y'all might have put that fire in him, man. What about Bruiser Brody? Remember him?
- [101:32]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, he was something else. Smart guy. On his wake up workout routine, he would just put on leather gloves and lay into that heavy bag and it thickened his chest. And I mean, he did bench presses too, but he had an awesome bench press. But also his body was built so powerfully because he had it. I think he worked out different. He did a lot of strikes, you know, and that thickens joints and all made him make you have kind of that raw strength, you know, and he'd had that. But if you want to talk about Puerto Rico, Well, I could tell you.
- [102:08]
Theo Von
Too, that what happened.
- [102:10]
Kevin Von Erich
Well, he was killed in Puerto Rico, you know.
- [102:12]
Theo Von
Oh, he was killed in Puerto Rico.
- [102:13]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah.
- [102:14]
Theo Von
I didn't know that.
- [102:14]
Kevin Von Erich
Well, gosh, I never told this story, but I could tell you this one too. That he was. Brody got. Was real temperamental and he would get pissed off real easy. Well, the Puerto Rico wrestling office owed him about 80 grand. And so my dad was president of the alliance back then. And so we worked out a payout schedule where they'd pay him a little each show, but Brody got that show and he wouldn't work for him because they owed him that money. And so dad worked it out where he would come back. And boy, when they came back, they sold out San Juan and it was a great crowd. Well, Brody wanted his money that night because he saw that they had it. But, you know, there are other things that they've, you know, and that's all that started. That's all that started. So he wanted his money and wasn't to be. And so he kicked the guy's ass. You know, the guy's a little. That invader, you know, forgot his name. But man, this is an ugly story too. But the guy who. And so they got in a fight and the guy Brody beat him up and he knifed Brody in the shower. But damn, this is the kind of God, though. I mean, the guy that did it, just about a week before that, his little daughter drowned in his swimming pool. So he's on edge, you know, and so I can't really. I know them both, you know, and they're both men that want to earn their a living, you know, and it's sad.
- [103:54]
Theo Von
Oh, that's him. Jose Gonzalez.
- [103:56]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah. Yeah. Life is, you know, like, I just. We suffer. We find the beautiful moments in between those ugly ones, you know, and yeah, it's good. It's got good and bad.
- [104:10]
Theo Von
Yeah, I, I'm trying to think if there was something else that you talked about, using medicinal marijuana, how did you get into that? And then how did it, it help you? Do you feel like. Well, if you want to talk about it, if you don't want to, that's fine.
- [104:23]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, I did well. Well, I had a lot of knee or certain knee surgeries too, and. And you can take a pain pill, but if you do, then it's going to take an edge off of it and so you'll want to take more. And if you do, you're going to get in a problem. And so I didn't want pain pills, so I wanted unnatural pain relief. And so I tried cannabis and I liked it. And it was, it's. It was just good all around for me. It was good. And so I actually grow it out in Kauai and. And so that's how I, you know, I have, have it. You know, I'm so grateful for it too. I mean, I hope they don't make it illegal again because it was, it's like a wonder drug to me. It really was.
- [105:12]
Theo Von
Did you ever get involved in any other type of plant medicine or anything like that out there? I know there's like ayahuasca ceremonies and stuff like that we've done. I've done that before and a lot of our listeners have, I think have considered it or tried it.
- [105:25]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, there's stuff called. Oh, it's a. What's the name of that? Kiff. No. What? Kava. Kava. Yeah, kava roots. Good for you. I say good for you. It's. I read about the contraindications on that and it's kind of. It can make your skin like have. What do you call those things?
- [105:52]
Theo Von
Shingles, scales or whatever.
- [105:53]
Kevin Von Erich
Scales, like.
- [105:54]
Theo Von
Yeah, make a damn dragon out of it.
- [105:56]
Kevin Von Erich
I guess that's if you do too much of it or something. I tried it. It's not bad for you.
- [106:01]
Theo Von
But have you ever done like ayahuasca or like a plant medicine ceremony where they put you under. Yeah, aya, ayahuasca. Oh, it's like a medicine that you take and you kind of sit in a group of the shaman and it's usually. It's like a two day ceremony and you kind of go through these bouts of like, it's kind of like an emotional journey that you go on. It's really fascinating.
- [106:23]
Kevin Von Erich
Like a sweat lodge kind of thing maybe. Wow.
- [106:26]
Theo Von
Really, really fascinating. If you ever get curious about it.
- [106:28]
Kevin Von Erich
I got a friend in Israel that writes comedy shows, that writes soap operas and he does that. He goes to Africa and South America and finds indigenous people and does stuff like that with him. And he does. I mean he's a wealthy guy, so.
- [106:44]
Theo Von
Yeah, Aaron Rogers, we know who it is. What's your physical routine like today for yourself, Kevin?
- [106:51]
Kevin Von Erich
Physical routine?
- [106:53]
Theo Von
Yeah. Do you have like a daily routine or.
- [106:55]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah, well, Solomon comes in my bedroom about 8, 45 or 9 o'clock.
- [107:03]
Theo Von
And that's your grandson?
- [107:04]
Kevin Von Erich
Uh huh. And we go either catch lizards or snakes or frogs. We've caught. We caught four rattlesnakes on our ranch last year and we caught king snakes and turtles, sea turtles, soft shell turtles, you name it. That little boy and I have so much fun together. Together. And, and he's. I love him to death.
- [107:29]
Theo Von
And does he remind you, any one of your brothers in particular at all or.
- [107:33]
Kevin Von Erich
No, he reminds me of Marshall and Ross. It's like I'm able to be dad again, you know, it's like. Well I, I enjoyed being their Father so much. I really love my sons and my daughters. But having Solomon again is just like Kevin Marshall again, you know, he's got Ross in him too though, you know, it's beautiful. For anybody that's wondering, Kevin Von Erich. I consider myself the luckiest guy in the world. I mean, I know for that movie coming out, you may not believe it, but I am happy all day every day. And I mean, I look forward to tomorrow and I couldn't ask for a better way things turned out and to bitch about my brothers dying too young. The truth is we had a great time. We had a great time. Come a long time.
- [108:21]
Theo Von
Hell yeah. We're still talking about how good the town was.
- [108:23]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah. So I'm not. I can't call it a bad day.
- [108:28]
Theo Von
Is there any message you think that your father, brothers like felt like that? You think that they would want to have given, but they didn't get a chance to. Is there ever anything like that? That.
- [108:36]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah. I want to tell you something now. We watched my dad wrestle when we were little boys and we had an idea to make a wrestling show that would be different. It would be two different. Two hot cameras the whole time. So nothing's going to look bad on television. Use just the best camera shot. It would have done some, some extra time editing. But you know, we wanted wrestling to be instead of the 20 and 30 minute matches, one hour time limits. We thought 20 minutes was plenty of time for a match to just, and pick up the pace, you know, and, and just make it more intense. And I think our shows were like that. I'm proud of them. I'm proud of all of our shows and my brothers and especially Dave and I and dad had a great idea one time and it was going to be to put our new style of wrestling on the show. On the. And it was great. We had a great TV rating and Vince offered us a big part of his half of his company up there to come in with him. And I sat there with my dad and said, nope, what's in it for us? And you never disagree with family in a business meeting. But I was thinking, he's got everything we need. Everything we need. But dad wouldn't go.
- [110:01]
Theo Von
Wouldn't go with him to partner with wwe, you mean?
- [110:04]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah.
- [110:04]
Theo Von
Wow.
- [110:05]
Kevin Von Erich
And they were gonna let that keep San Antonio and Dallas too.
- [110:11]
Theo Von
But who knows, huh?
- [110:12]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah.
- [110:13]
Theo Von
Who knows what would have happened?
- [110:14]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah. Because there's many a Slip, Twix, the cup and the lip, you know, but I mean, we would have been ready. We jumped all over that because we're little boys that had seen it for a whole life, and we just knew how to make it better. We'd watch the NFL, you know, in the slow motion, the collisions and all, and. And concerts with the lasers and all the music, the way it fills you out of your chair, you know, we had it. We had how we wanted to do it, so, you know, that didn't come about, but we had a great time aiming at it.
- [110:49]
Theo Von
Yeah. And who knows? Maybe things would have been different, you know?
- [110:51]
Kevin Von Erich
Yeah.
- [110:52]
Theo Von
I mean, you guys. Yeah. I mean, I just. Yeah. I mean, on behalf of, like. Yeah, any kid that was like me, I mean, the second you guys, they put the name on the screen or it's just. Man. Man, it was awesome, dude, you felt like everything was possible. You could rip the drywall out of the living room. You could do whatever you wanted. Dude, you knew mom was coming home in an hour and a half, but you had a 90 minutes till she got there where you were free as a bird. Boy, I'd break every damn chair we had and then spend the next two hours gluing them back together for dinner.
- [111:24]
Kevin Von Erich
Dude, you would have loved to step in the business. I know you liked it. You would have loved it.
- [111:30]
Theo Von
Well, Kevin, man, thanks so much, dude.
- [111:32]
Kevin Von Erich
Got a show tonight.
- [111:32]
Theo Von
Yeah, we got a show tonight.
- [111:34]
Kevin Von Erich
I'd love to take you to dinner, but you're busy.
- [111:36]
Theo Von
Yeah, tonight I'll be busy, but you know what? I think I'm gonna be down Austin in. In September.
- [111:44]
Kevin Von Erich
Oh, you are? Shoot. Call me up, man.
- [111:47]
Theo Von
I'll show you Texas when I am. I'll come out and see the ranch, man.
- [111:50]
Kevin Von Erich
Throw it. That would be cool. That would be. Man.
- [111:53]
Theo Von
What plants do you guys have out there?
- [111:54]
Kevin Von Erich
There? What plants?
- [111:56]
Theo Von
Yeah, do you plan any avocados or anything like that here in Texas or. No.
- [111:58]
Kevin Von Erich
Oh, no, no, that's. It won't. It won't grow in the. In the subtropics. But I say that. I went to Israel, you know, it's on the 33rd degree ladder from the equator. I mean, that's way far north. They have mangoes there, Papayas. I couldn't believe it. Yeah, they can't grow that in Texas.
- [112:18]
Theo Von
Yeah, you can't grow that in Texas, huh? But you can grow. You can grow a batch of Von Erich's, dude, that are pretty damn impressive. I'll. I'll say that.
- [112:27]
Kevin Von Erich
Sure can.
- [112:28]
Theo Von
Kevin, thanks so much for your time, man. Just thanks for you and your family. Just. Just all the enjoyment and excitement and invigoration and possibility over the years is. I think it's inspired a lot of people and was so much fun as a kid. Just when that. When you guys came on the screen, just getting to be a Von Eric for a few minutes, man, it was fun, man.
- [112:46]
Kevin Von Erich
It was a lot of fun going. I'll think about it. And, you know, when we get some stress built up, you know, you can just get in the ring and kick ass.
- [112:57]
Theo Von
That's a motto for life. These days are gone, but they're pretty close in our minds, you know?
- [113:02]
Kevin Von Erich
Yep. Right there.
- [113:03]
Theo Von
You can still feel them right on the edge of your skin sometimes.
- [113:05]
Kevin Von Erich
Dang.
- [113:05]
Theo Von
Right, dude, I'll. I'll beat the out of somebody in the lobby here if we need to.
- [113:10]
Kevin Von Erich
Well, let's find a quiet spot and I'll take it down somewhere and we can and make a little news.
- [113:17]
Theo Von
Kevin Monarch, thanks so much, man.
- [113:19]
Kevin Von Erich
My pleasure, buddy.
- [113:20]
Theo Von
Now I'm just floating on the breeze?
- [113:22]
Kevin Von Erich
And I feel I'm falling like these leaves I must be cornerstone oh but when I reach that ground? I'll share this peace of mind I found I can feel it in my bones but it's gonna take.
- [113:46]
Theo Von
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