The Iron Claw told the tragic story of the Von Erich wrestling family, and, in the process, viewers witnessed several incredible wrestling matches. While these fights showed off the wrestlers’ impressive technical abilities and the sport’s showmanship, they also gave powerful insight into the overall narrative of The Iron Claw as the ripple effects of these matches sent shockwaves through the Von Erich family. The most brutal matches tracked the Von Erich family as the four brothers sought their father’s approval and did everything possible to gain the NWA World Heavyweight Championship title.
The Iron Claw was also about the difficult behind-the-scenes circumstances of the Von Erich family’s wrestling careers and the turmoil this caused. Zac Efron gave one of his very best performances as Kevin Von Erich and was surrounded by an astounding cast entirely dedicated to presenting an accurate portrayal of the world of wrestling. As one of the best wrestling movies ever made, the matches in The Iron Claw were effective and intense in presenting an accurate portrayal of the world of wrestling.
After losing out on his shot at becoming an Olympian due to President Jimmy Carter’s 1980 boycott, Kerry Von Erich joined the family business and became a professional wrestler alongside his brothers. Although Kevin appeared to be on the road to becoming the Heavyweight World Champion, he was soon superseded by Kerry, who gained a shot at the title in his match against Ric Flair. This match was only seen briefly as the Von Erich mother, Doris, watched it on TV, but its consequences would be huge in The Iron Claw.
With Kerry’s win, he achieved what no other Von Erich could and became the wrestling Heavyweight Champion of the World. This success earned Kerry the love and respect of his father, which he so desperately craved. However, this incredible accomplishment was short-lived when his pride was soon dampened when he got into a motorcycle accident that led to the amputation of Kerry’s right leg.
Kevin Von Erich believed that nothing could ever hurt his family if he were “the toughest, the strongest, the most successful,” and he carried this philosophy into the ring. This was seen in Kevin’s first wrestling match in The Iron Claw at the Sportatorium as he fought for his father’s acceptance through jump kicks, throwdowns, and a never-back-down attitude. This first wrestling match was not as intense as the ones that came later, but it laid the groundwork for the audience’s understanding of Kevin’s need to win as his voiceover explained his sense of purpose came from winning at wrestling.
As Kevin’s father, Fritz, even joined him in the ring to take out a bystander, it showed that the wrestling matches were a family affair that were even more important to the Von Erich dad than to his children. Kevin took a corner high-flying dive against his opponent, pinned him for the win, and was granted the Texas Heavyweight Champion title. However, as Fritz congratulated Kevin, he told him, “Tomorrow you’re back working harder than ever,” and the sad reality was clear that nothing would ever be good enough unless he were a world champion.
The opening scene of The Iron Claw gave audiences a brief glimpse into the wrestling career of the Von Erich patriarch Fritz, who used his signature ‘iron claw’ move to take down his opponent. This black-and-white foray into the past showcased Fritz’s aggressive nature and steely determination, as he was almost disqualified when he repeatedly punched his foe in the corner. It was a gritty look into the world of professional wrestling that sowed the seeds for his children’s difficult future careers.
As Frtiz refused to be stopped by the referee after he forced his contender into submission, it foreshadowed Kevin’s inability to hold back in the ring later in The Iron Claw. This powerful scene became all the more relevant after the full history of the Von Erich family was revealed. Everything that came after this stems from Fritz’s inability to accept defeat and the unsurmountable expectations he passed on to his children.
When all was said and done, Kevin Von Erich just wanted to connect with his family; for this reason, he was never happier than when he was fighting alongside his brothers. This sense of togetherness was seen in the tag team wrestling match with Kevin and David against Gino Hernandez and Bruiser Brody. As much a brotherly bonding experience as a sporting event, before this match, audiences even got to see the four wrestlers plan out how it would all go down as the scripted nature of the wrestling industry was highlighted.
This performance element of wrestling demonstrated the communication needed to pull off a good show and was the first moment in The Iron Claw that highlighted the Von Erichs as a wrestling team. An enjoyable, albeit brief, match, this tag team was one of the few optimistic moments throughout The Iron Claw as the brothers were finding success without the shadow of a dark tragedy hanging over them. It was also a significant match, as after it, Kevin met his future wife, Pam, for the first time and finally received some support that was not based on his wrestling performances.
The Iron Claw’s most deeply troubling wrestling match was when the youngest Von Erich son, Mike, stepped into the ring for the first time. Mike appeared to take after his father’s musical abilities rather than his wrestling skills. Still, due to family expectations, Mike entered the wrestling business and soon found himself amid tragedy. After injuring his shoulder in the ring, Mike went into a coma from which he almost didn’t survive, which made this match a heartbreaking forbearer of the Von Erich curse.
Mike’s wrestling match was not the most exciting or technically impressive in The Iron Claw, but it highlighted the downside of the Von Erichs’ need to find success in the ring and their tendency to push themselves past the point of comfort. Mike’s injuries led to toxic shock syndrome, which, after the coma, left him brain-damaged and depressed. With his brother David already passed, Mike committed suicide, and the ripple effects of this wrestling match sent shockwaves through the Von Erich family and sent Kevin into an emotional spiral, as he always felt Fritz was too hard on Mike.
Once Kerry joined his brothers Kevin and David in the world of professional wrestling, this opened the door for the three to fight together and truly make a name for themselves as the Von Erich wrestling family. At his father’s orders, Kerry joined his brothers in the ring, and The Iron Claw depicted a montage of their training and wrestling in matches together. While the Von Erich curse loomed large over this development, the matches here felt positive as the family went from strength to strength, and their incredible skill as a unit was displayed.
The three brothers fighting together showed incredible technical ability as they took down their opponents in unison and used the ring as a stage to showcase their outstanding performances. With flips, throws, and takedowns, along with a hard rock soundtrack backed by Rush, this montage was an enjoyable moment of positive respite from all the heartbreaking events that occurred to the Von Erichs. These matches were the family’s most successful and stable, and they were some of the most enjoyable moments to watch in The Iron Claw.
With Kevin, Kerry, and David working together, they faced off against the Fabulous Freebirds in an epic six-man tag team championship match. Weighing in at a combined weight of 690 pounds, the trio was a force to be reckoned with as Kevin tossed Michael Hayes through the ropes, Kevin flipped Buddy over the top rope, and David dropkicked Gordy before the Von Erichs were declared the victors. This important moment of shared glory made the Von Erichs the NWA’s six-man tag team champions.
This match felt so significant in The Iron Claw because it was one of the few times when the brothers were not competing separately for their father’s approval but needed to work together as a team to find success. Sadly, this moment was short-lived, as Fritz told them that David would be competing for the Heavyweight Champion title. Although Kerry appeared proud of his brother, Kevin couldn’t hold back how much David’s overtaking him disappointed him and affected him emotionally.
Kevin Von Erich’s first chance to prove himself as a contender for the heavyweight title came in his non-title match against Harley Race at the Sportatorium. This was the first major match in The Iron Claw and proved to be one of the most effective in the entire film. As Kevin was thrown out of the ring by the four-time world champion Race, he couldn’t move as he lay motionless on the ground before finally making it back into the ring to keep fighting.
As Race threw the match by attacking the referee, it was clear that he didn’t want to be seen losing, and he orchestrated his disqualification. While Kevin started to call out Race when he spoke on the mic after the match, he couldn’t find the right words, and his brother David took over and demonstrated that he had the type of oratory skills to make it in the world of professional wrestling. This should have been Kevin’s moment, but it was stolen from him by David, which made this match all the more heartbreaking.
After having already experienced the deaths of two brothers, Kevin finally has a shot at the NWA World Heavyweight Championship title as he fought against Ric Flair in the match he’d waited his whole career to fight. With an overwhelming amount of emotional trauma, Kevin couldn’t hold back during the fight and used the Von Erich signature ‘iron claw’ move to the point that he was disqualified from the match. This incredibly intense moment called back to the first scene with Frtiz in the ring and showed how the unaddressed trauma of the Von Erichs rippled through the generations.
This was the greatest fight in The Iron Claw, not for its technical display of wrestling showmanship but because of how deeply it resonated with the overall narrative. The Von Eric curse continued to follow the family, and just when it looked like Kevin could get what he always dreamed of, the overbearing emotional turmoil of his struggles meant he could no longer see straight and realize that he was throwing the match. The Iron Claw was more about emotions than wrestling, and here, viewers were given a unique insight into the psychology of the Von Erichs.