Jack Barton Adkisson Sr. (August 16, 1929 â€" September 10, 1997),
better known by his ring name Fritz Von Erich, was an American
professional wrestler, wrestling promoter, and the patriarch of the
Von Erich family. He was a twentythree-time world champion and a
record 20-time WCWA Champion. He was also the owner of the World Class
Championship Wrestling territory.Adkisson attended Southern Methodist
University, where he threw discus and played football. He has been
reported to have played with the now defunct Dallas Texans of the NFL
(not the AFL team which became the Kansas City Chiefs), but this is
not true. He was signed as a guard but was cut. He then tried the
Canadian Football League (CFL).While in Edmonton, he met legendary
wrestler and trainer Stu Hart, and Hart decided to train and book him
in his Klondike Wrestling promotion, naming him Fritz Von Erich and
teaming him with "brother" Waldo Von Erich as a pair of "evil German"
brothers. Adkisson's oldest son Jack Barton Adkisson Jr. was born
September 21, 1952. He died in 1959 after an accidental electrocution
and drowning, and Jack Sr. stopped traveling to the east coast,
allowing former partner Waldo to use the Von Erich name in the World
Wide Wrestling Federation.
better known by his ring name Fritz Von Erich, was an American
professional wrestler, wrestling promoter, and the patriarch of the
Von Erich family. He was a twentythree-time world champion and a
record 20-time WCWA Champion. He was also the owner of the World Class
Championship Wrestling territory.Adkisson attended Southern Methodist
University, where he threw discus and played football. He has been
reported to have played with the now defunct Dallas Texans of the NFL
(not the AFL team which became the Kansas City Chiefs), but this is
not true. He was signed as a guard but was cut. He then tried the
Canadian Football League (CFL).While in Edmonton, he met legendary
wrestler and trainer Stu Hart, and Hart decided to train and book him
in his Klondike Wrestling promotion, naming him Fritz Von Erich and
teaming him with "brother" Waldo Von Erich as a pair of "evil German"
brothers. Adkisson's oldest son Jack Barton Adkisson Jr. was born
September 21, 1952. He died in 1959 after an accidental electrocution
and drowning, and Jack Sr. stopped traveling to the east coast,
allowing former partner Waldo to use the Von Erich name in the World
Wide Wrestling Federation.
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