Making A Case: Why WWE Should Sign Marshall And Ross Von Erich
The WWE has a history of signing the top stars the industry has to offer. However, there are a surprising amount of great stars to never been employed by WWE. Two are third-generation stars: Ross and Marshall Von Erich.
Despite being one of the most famous names in pro wrestling, The Von Erichs were never a true staple in the WWE. The Von Erich boys made their names in the business by working for their father Fritz Von Erich’s company in Dallas, Texas: World Class Championship Wrestling. Around the same time a young Vince McMahon purchased the WWE from his father and was looking to create his legacy, David, Kevin, and Kerry Von Erich were becoming heroes in Texas and were hands down the most popular stars in World Class Championship Wrestling.
The three Von Erich brothers feuded with The Fabulous Freebirds in the early 1980s. The feud arguably helped WCCW and The Von Erich’s become even more popular. The Von Erich boys were winning all the championships that were offered in World Class and were starting to travel around to work for other companies and fight some of the top wrestlers in the world like Ric Flair. The Von Erichs looked to be headed to the top of the wrestling world when tragedy would strike the family. In 1984 while overseas fighting in Japan, David Von Erich was found dead.
After the death of David, The Von Erich family was never quite the same. Despite two younger brothers, Chris and Mike Von Erich, joining the wrestling business, there was a clear void without “The Yellow Rose of Texas” David with them. Tragically, the two youngest Von Erichs struggled to have the success of their older brothers. Mike reported having struggled with the idea of having to carry the loss of David on his shoulders. In 1987, Mike tragically committed suicide and his younger brother would do the same in 1991.
The last remaining Von Erich sons, Kerry and Kevin, both had a chance in the WWE. Kevin Von Erich fought a one-off match for the company in 1991 butt didn’t sign a long-time deal. However, Kerry Von Erich is the only Von Erich to win gold in the WWE and also the only Von Erich to win the NWA World Championship. In his two years in the WWE as The Texas Tornado, Von Erich won the Intercontinental Championship, even working with a secret amputated foot he had been hiding since a motorcycle crash in 1986.
Tragedy struck the Von Erich family once again in 1993. A year after leaving the WWE and in a dark place in his mind, Kerry followed his younger brothers by committing suicide. In 2009, despite only having Kerry earn success in their company, the WWE honored the entire family by inducting them all into the WWE Hall of Fame. While the Von Erich family is one surrounded by tragedy, the Von Erich family still lives on today. Kerry’s only daughter Lacey Von Erich spent some time in Impact Wrestling before retiring and starting her family and raising the next generation of Von Erichs.
However, Lacey isn’t the only third-generation Von Erich, let’s get to the point of the article and the men of the hour, the sons of Kevin Von Erich: Ross and Marshall Von Erich. The third-generation Von Erichs have been making a name for themselves and are currently working in Major League Wrestling. Ross and Marshall reported having skipped out on a WWE tryout in order to sign with MLW. While some would find that decision strange, it also makes a lot of sense. The Von Erichs are a well-known name but Ross and Marshall want to make their own name.
It would be easy for Ross and Marshall Von Erich to arrive in the WWE and use their last name to become stars. They have been wrestling for a decade since their debut in 2012. They would debut for Impact Wrestling in 2014 at their Slammiversary PPV. However, they never got any momentum started in their short time with the company. It wasn’t until they joined MLW in 2018 that they started to make their name. Since then, they have become MLW Tag Team Champions and can often be found in the main event picture in the company.
Both under the age of thirty-five and Marshall yet to hit thirty, The Von Erichs still have plenty of time to explore their options. However, it would be a win for both parties for Ross and Marshall to join WWE. It would never hurt for the WWE to bring a top tag team into the company. They would instantly be the perfect fit to go up against The Uso’s. They have the wholesome family image that the company looks for with the label of third-generation superstars, which makes them stand out even more. Ross and Marshall have all the ingredients to fit right in with the WWE.
They could make Von Erich history because they would become a great pair of tag team champions and become the first Von Erichs to hold the WWE Tag Team Championships. However, if we go the historic route that barely any team has been safe from, Ross and Marshall would surely be able to thrive in WWE on their own if they break up their team. With Ross and Marshall going strong, the legacy of The Von Erichs is in good hands.