Discuss here.

Wouldn't consider him, but to me he was the best Von Erich.

No shot in hell. Didn't know how to sell. Ruined matches with his uncooperative behavior. Had some great matches because the Freebirds and Ric Flair because they were special human beings. Kerry is the only Von Erich who deserves real consideration.

Lots of guys have been praised for "making it look real," but Kevin took that thought to the extreme. There's realism and then there's not being fully aware that what you're doing is a work, and that's how Kevin came across.

Their is stuff I enjoy of his. I liked his mat work . Watching him work Gordy and Gordy getting sympathy from me. Says a lot on how stiff and unsafe Kevin was. . No way is he in my 100.

The iron claw is dumb as fuck. The iron claw on the stomach is downright retarded. "Owww, he's pinching my tummy !"

 

All the Von Erich boys had that kinda awkward way to move around, and Kevin was the most awkward of them all, rendered worst by the somewhat creepy barefoot look. Why the fuck would anyone wrestle barefoot unless you're an islander native (gimmick) or doing a martial/arts (MMA today) gimmick ? Kevin was just not very good.

He has no shot, but... the stomach claw, if done right, and the guy knows how to hit the nerves, is painful AS FUCK. I remember some twat in high school who'd do it to people and... yeah... you're not withstanding more than a few seconds of that. Ditto the trapezius one.

He has no shot, but... the stomach claw, if done right, and the guy knows how to hit the nerves, is painful AS FUCK. I remember some twat in high school who'd do it to people and... yeah... you're not withstanding more than a few seconds of that. Ditto the trapezius one.

Yeah. but wrestling has never been about what DOES hurt, it's about what LOOKS like it hurts. Abdominal claws just look weak.

 

He has no shot, but... the stomach claw, if done right, and the guy knows how to hit the nerves, is painful AS FUCK. I remember some twat in high school who'd do it to people and... yeah... you're not withstanding more than a few seconds of that. Ditto the trapezius one.

Yeah. but wrestling has never been about what DOES hurt, it's about what LOOKS like it hurts. Abdominal claws just look weak.

 

 

bingo

 

Trapezius claw = islander worker catching his breath.

There are all sorts of things in wrestling that don't look like they hurt that people don't really complain about. I always thought the issue people had was that it's a move anyone could pull off, and that the level of difficulty is too low for a finishing move. I never had an issue with the clawhold because it was presented credibly, but that was always my takeaway of the issue people had with it.

I can understand it working in the 50's or 60's. But by the 80's, it really looked goofy. There's a reason why stuff like the heart punch wasn't used by then (well, ok, Crush did it in 97, and it looked idiotic).

This feels like nominating one of the inmates from Titicut Follies for an Academy Award.

 

He has some entertaining performances, but I have a pretty big Von Erichs stigma that I barely got over by seeing how many great tags they had on the Texas set. I wouldn't have Kerry on a list, and he has much stuff like the Jumbo and Flair matches than are way better than anything Kevin has on his resume.

Every time I see a stomach claw or kidney type claw I cringe because I know that hurts.

I've rewatched a bunch of World Class for the first time in forever recently, and really enjoyed Kevin's work. Almost feels completely out of control and violent compared to the other brothers, just a very dangerous vibe to him. Best barefoot non-Samoan? No clue who makes that list but he's on it. Granted, most of what I've watched have been Freebird matches which with the heat and others involved are a rising tide that lifts all ships, but he really stands out more than most. Still waiting to see if has anything approaching Kerry's singles matches with Flair or Jumbo.

I thought his singles matches with Flair and Race in '83 were pretty great. He does such an awesome sell of the arm in the Race match that it makes all the other occasions where he smothers opponents even more disappointing.

 

If he spent more time on defence and selling than potatoing guys he might have a shot, but as it stands, no.

Agree with Pete completely, this is a dude who looked as though he didn't know wrestling was a work. The truth being, I think he didn't WANT it to be for him so he didn't cooperate. And if his last name wasn't Von Erich someone would have straightened him out real quick.

 

Not a chance for my top 500.

Best barefoot non-Samoan? No clue who makes that list but he's on it.

 

The person I'd put at the top of that list would be Bull Nakano

 

 

Best barefoot non-Samoan? No clue who makes that list but he's on it.

The person I'd put at the top of that list would be Bull Nakano

Haku and Barbarian are Tongan, too. I know, I know, Samoan means Pacific Islander in wrestling, like Dominican means black Hispanic in baseball.

I went insanely high on Kevin in 2016, think he was like #23 which is really high in hindsight. He's still comfortably a lock for my top 100, he's very much my favourite von Erich. He's not the biggest guy, but he's all action, he's a really believable fighter. He's really fun in brawls, I love the Badstreet match where he takes an uncharacteristic retreat, only because he wants to take his boot off and put it on his fist as a weapon. Probably going to end up in my #50-#75 slots.

Kevin Von Erich seems to have deleted his Twitter account but he had replied or DM'd me after I sent him my blog praising his work in World Class. I had asked him how did he get that mentality he took in the ring. He just said his father told him to make it look like a shoot as much as possible and he took to the fucking extreme. 

I love Kevin Von Erich! I love uncooperative wrestling. I love that fought through everything. That shit to me is just electric. His matches with Flair and Race and tags against Freebirds and Adams/Gino are all-timers. This whole he needs to sell more stuff rings hollow for me. Variety is the spice of life. Do I want everyone to wrestle like Kevin Von Erich NO! But I dont want everyone to wrestle like Ricky Morton either! I would love a Kevin Von Erich in wrestling right now. 

Uniqueness is probably the most important thing to me. Can you have a match that no one else can have because of who you are? Kevin Von Erich checks that box because nobody wrestles like Kevin Von Erich! A lock for my Top 100!

I've thought probably an inordinate amount about Kevin Von Erich since the start of this project for many of the reasons Sleeze states. I'm going to plan on rewatching and thinking some more. If this was a 100 favorites, Kevin would make it for sure. There are some Kevin singles matches I think highly of but I also think he's a really awesome tag wrestler. Just amazing hot tag where he'd run in and just stiff the bejeezus out of people. I reallly appreciate that uncooperative feel he's able to project. Big fan. Someone to revisit. I could see a world where Fritz, Kerry & Kevin all make my list.