VIEW FROM THE RISING SUN
by Masanori Horie

The Iron Claw
Fritz Von Erich on a magazine cover; and a letter from Fritz to Masa
(Both items courtesy Masanori Horie)

What came and went in his heart?

Fritz Von Erich stood on the ring at Nippon Budokan on 10/23/93, and shook hands with Giant Baba. He was spotlighted and cheered by full house crowds. What came and went in his heart? He had stood at the same place about 27 years before.

Nippon Budokan, a martial arts arena, also used as a concert hall, located in Kitanomaru Park, Chiyoda Word, Tokyo. ("Tokyo Budokan Hall" on Kayfabe sheets is an error.) This hall was constructed in 1964, and served as the site for Judo competition in the Tokyo Olympics held that same year. Modeled after the Yumedono ("Dream Hall") of the temple Horyuji, the outside of structure is Japanese style and octagonal in shape. Now Baba's All Japan Pro-Wrestling holds 7 big shows at Budokan a year. Wrestling history at Budokan started on December 3, 1966. "Giant Baba vs. Fritz Von Erich for the NWA International heavyweight title." Fritz remembered the fact very well.

Fritz came back to Ginza, Tokyo on 10/22/93 after 14 years' absence. For 14 years, he had seen both heaven and hell, which nobody could imagine. After losing to Jumbo Tsuruta in a single match at Kawasaki City Gym on 1/5/79, he had no chance to return to Japan. The hotel, where All Japan's office man took him, was the same hotel he stayed in 14 years ago. He knew Ginza very well. He was invited by Baba as a special guest for the Budokan show on the next day.

Actually, his son Kerry stayed in the same hotel about one year before. Kerry's last Japan tour was for Tenryu and WAR's 2-day Korakuen Hall shows on 7/14 and 7/15/92. Kerry and his Japanese friend visited All Japan's office in Roppongi, because Kerry really wanted to work for All Japan as a regular again. They had to just sit down and wait for Mr. & Mrs. Baba's coming for over 3 hours. Nobody in the office cared about them, and the bosses were never coming.

In Japan, "Tetsu no tsume" ("Iron Claw" in Japanese ) Fritz Von Erich was one of the most famous gaijin (foreign) wrestlers, because NTV (Channel 4) had televised old Nippon (Japan) Pro-Wrestling (Fridays) and All Japan (Saturdays) at 8:00pm from the '60s to the '80s. He was a big rival for Baba. Of course, his popularity was beyond words in his home territory. He was loved, respected, and idolized by Texas "Rasslin'" fans.

Web Master of this site, Rob Moore from Quinlan, Texas said, "Thinking about Fritz Von Erich always takes me back to my childhood, when I wanted to be either a Dallas Cowboy or Fritz." Jim Crainer, a school teacher in Texas, said, "The Von Erichs were such a great wrestling family, that ended in total tragedy except for Kevin....What a waste of superb talent."

On 10/23, Fritz arrived at Budokan with Dory Funk Jr., who was really taking care of his long time rival. In the main event, Mitsuharu Misawa beat Stan Hansen to keep the Triple Crown heavyweight title. Fritz asked Baba and Joe Higuchi (a referee, Fritz' best friend in Japan) to book Kevin for All Japan, then he left his memorial place very quietly. I couldn't imagine that I would hear the 10 count mourning gong for Fritz at the "Wrestle Fest-50 Years of Funk" show in Amarillo, Texas on 9/11/97.

His heart was never quite blank. He tried to keep a strong heart.

Fritz Von Erich and Masanori Horie

[Von Erichs' history of Japanese titles]

Fritz : Nippon (Japan) Pro (11/28/66 - 4/20/73)
All Japan Pro (12/10/73 - 1/8/79)

Kevin : All Japan Pro (5/25/79 - 6/11/81)
New Japan Pro (10/4/85 - 12/9/88)
* World Class switched business relationship from All Japan to New Japan in '85.

David : All Japan Pro (5/25/79 - 2/10/84)
* David arrived in Takanawa Tobu Hotel, and went to RIBERA steak house on 2/9.

Kerry : All Japan Pro (3/31/83 - 5/25/84)
New Japan Pro (10/4/85 - 12/9/88)
SWS (3/30/90 - 7/15/92)

Mike : New Japan (1/2/87 - he was sent back home before tour finish)

Chris hadn't been to Japan.

[12/1/1966 Aichi Gym, Nagoya]
International tag team title match:
Giant Baba & Michiaki Yoshimura (1-1) Fritz Von Erich & Tarzan Zoro (Hans Mortier)
(1) Yoshimura (23:32) Zoro
(2) Fritz (16:50) Yoshimura
(3) 60:00 draw

[12/3/66 Nippon Budokan, Tokyo]
International heavyweight title match:
Giant Baba (2-1) Fritz Von Erich
(1) Baba (2:36) Fritz
(2) Fritz (4:46) Baba
(3) Baba (6:55 DQ) Fritz

[5/23/67 Osaka Gym]
International tag team title match:
Giant Baba & Michiaki Yoshimura (2-1) Fritz & Waldo Von Erich
(1) Waldo (6:21) Yoshimura
(2) Yoshimura (7:42) Waldo
(3) Baba & Yoshimura (9:45 countout) Von Erichs

[5/26/67 Sapporo Nakajima Sports Center, Hokkaido]
All Asian tag team title match:
Antonio Inoki & Michiaki Yoshimura vs. Fritz Von Erich & Ike Eakins
(1) Inoki & Yoshimura (5:50 DQ) Fritz & Eakins
(2) Yoshimura (8:28) Eakins

[5/27/67 Sapporo Nakajima Sports Center, Hokkaido]
International heavyweight title match:
Giant Baba (2-1) Fritz Von Erich
(1) Fritz (11:42) Baba
(2) Baba (4:00 DQ) Fritz
(3) Baba (7:25) Fritz

[12/19/69 Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, CA]
International heavyweight title match:
Giant Baba (2-1) Fritz Von Erich
(1) Fritz (15:29) Baba
(2) Baba (5:18) Fritz
(3) Baba (6:01 DQ) Fritz

[3/3/70 Aichi Gym, Nagoya]
International heavyweight title match:
Giant Baba (1-1) Fritz Von Erich
(1) Baba (15:05) Fritz
(2) Fritz (6:25) Baba
(3) 5:52 double count out

[3/2/70 Hiroshima Gym]
All Asian tag team title match:
Antonio Inoki & Michiaki Yoshimura (2-1) Fritz Von Erich & Jim Ozborne
(1) Inoki & Yoshimura (16:21 DQ) Fritz & Ozborne
(2) Inoki (10:32) Ozborne

[3/7/70 Taito Gym, Tokyo]
International tag team title match:
Giant Baba & Antonio Inoki (2-1) Fritz Von Erich & Prince (Curtis) Iaukea
(1) Fritz (16:50) Inoki
(2) Inoki (8:54) Fritz
(3) Baba (2:20) Iaukea

[9/4/71 Den-en Coliseum, Tokyo]
International heavyweight title match:
Giant Baba (2-1) Fritz Von Erich
(1) Baba (12:18) Fritz
(2) Fritz (6:40) Baba
(3) Baba (2:13 DQ) Fritz

[9/6/71 Sapporo Nakajima Sports Center, Hokkaido]
United National heavyweight title match:
Antonio Inoki (2-1) Fritz Von Erich
(1) Inoki (1:10) Fritz
(2) 5:10 double countout

[4/13/73 Osaka Gym]
International heavyweight title match:
Kintaro Ohki (Kim Ill) (1-1) Fritz Von Erich
(1) Ohki (8:51) Fritz
(2) Fritz (7:04) Ohki
(3) 5:25 double countout

[4/18/73 Yaizu, Shizuoka]
International tag team title match:
Fritz Von Erich & Killer Karl Krupp (2-1) Kintaro Ohki & Umanosuke Ueda
(1) Fritz (14:05) Ohki
(2) Ohki (5:25) Fritz
(3) Krupp (7:25 countout) Ohki
Fritz and Krupp became the 20th International heavyweight tag team champions.

[12/14/73 Nichidai Kodo, Tokyo]
PWF world heavyweight title match:
Giant Baba (17:16) Fritz Von Erich

[6/5/79 Asahikawa, Hokkaido]
All Asian tag team title match:
Great Kojika & Motoshi Okuma (2-1) Kevin & David Von Erich
(1) Okuma (15:45) David
(2) Kevin (5:07) Okuma
(3) Kojika (3:27) Kevin

[5/23/81 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo]
All Asian tag team title match:
Kevin & David Von Erich (2-1) Great Kojika & Motoshi Okuma
(1) Kevin (16:21) Kojika
(2) Okuma (3:23) Kevin
(3) Kevin (2:22) Okuma
Von Erichs became the 35th All Asian tag team champions.

[6/11/81 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo]
All Asian tag team title match:
Akio Sato (a.k.a. Shinja) & Takashi Ishikawa vs. Kevin & David Von Erich
(1) Kevin (8:02) Ishikawa
(2) Ishikawa (3:36) David
(3) Sato (4:06) Kevin

[4/4/83 Tsuruoka, Yamagata]
Missouri state heavyweight title match:
Kerry Von Erich (13:41) Takashi Ishikawa

[4/7/83 Miyagi Sports Center, Sendai]
Missouri state heavyweight title match:
Kerry Von Erich (14:23 double countout) Genichiro Tenryu

[5/22/84 Den-en Coliseum, Tokyo]
NWA World heavyweight title match:
Kerry Von Erich (1-1) Jumbo Tsuruta
(1) Tsuruta (13:05) Kerry
(2) Kerry (6:37) Tsuruta
(3) 7:56 double countout

[5/24/84 Yokosuka, Kanagawa]
NWA World heavyweight title match:
Ric Flair (2-1) Kerry Von Erich
(1) Kerry (15:51) Flair
(2) Flair (3:24) Kerry
(3) Flair (7:19) Kerry
Flair became the 66th NWA world heavyweight champion.

[10/4/85 Sapporo Nakajima Sports Center]
WWF International tag team title match:
Tatsumi Fujinami & Kengo Kimura (0-0) Kevin & Kerry Von Erich
Kimura (8:26 double countout) Kerry

[2/5/86 Osaka Castle Hall]
IWGP tag team title match:
Tatsumi Fujinami & Kengo Kimura (1-0) Kevin & Kerry Von Erich
Kimura (15:46 countout) Kevin

[10/21/88 Sportatorium in Dallas, Texas]
WCWA World heavyweight title match:
Kerry Von Erich (5:40 no contest) Tatsumi Fujinami

[12/1/88 Kagoshima Gym]
IWGP tag team title match:
Riki Choshu & Masa Saito (1-0) Kevin & Kerry Von Erich
Choshu (8:41) Kevin

[12/9/88 Korakuen Hall, Tokyo]
WCWA and IWGP World heavyweight title match:
Tatsumi Fujinami (6:41 referee stop) Kerry Von Erich

[3/30/91 Tokyo Dome]
WWF InterContinental heavyweight title match:
Kerry Von Erich (6:59 DQ) Mr. Perfect (Curt Hennig)

Fritz, Kevin, David, Kerry, Mike, and Chris Von Erich
(Fritz photo courtesy Masanori Horie; David photo Š1984 Dallas Morning News, scanned from Rob Moore's scrapbook; all other photos courtesy Rob Moore)