‘I don’t believe in a curse’: the wrestler who lost his five brothers

In 1980s Texas, Kevin Adkisson and his family, the Von Erichs, were wrestling superstars. But by 1993 all of his brothers had died. He describes his love for them – and how he survived the impossible pain

In the early years, Kevin Adkisson had what he describes as an “idyllic” childhood. He and his four younger brothers – David, Kerry, Mike and Chris – grew up on a farm in rural Texas. They spent their days drinking chocolate milk and eating blackberries from the fields, running around with their dogs and riding horses. When they became wrestling stars – known in the ring as the Von Erichs – their excursions got fancier. They would fly out to Hawaii between matches and spend a few days diving and fishing. “We always had fun,” he says. They were as close as brothers could be, often competing side by side in the ring.

But, one night in 1984, that life shattered. Adkisson was at home when he got a call from his sister-in-law Patricia. David, the second eldest brother, had been found dead in his hotel room while on a wrestling tour in Japan. Aged 25, David had been poised to win the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) Worlds Heavyweight Championship. Reeling from shock, Adkisson hung up and ran out of his house. “I went to the woods and laid face down. I could smell the trees and the dirt. I felt so low … I don’t think I’ve ever completely got up from that.”