The Iron Claw: How did David Von Erich die?

The Iron Claw, a collaboration between A24 and Lionsgate, delves deeply into the tragedies that plagued the Von Erich family. Here, we explore their curse and unravel the narrative behind the death of David Von Erich.

Known as one of the most infamous families in wrestling, the Von Erichs became a household name starting with their father Fritz Von Erich. As the movie describes, the Von Erich brothers were often told they were cursed. A series of events during the height of their wrestling fame didn’t prove otherwise, with many of the Von Erich family dying, causing more pain for those remaining.

The Von Erichs are known among wrestling fans for their triumphs in the ring and the multiple deaths of Fritz’s children. David Von Erich (played by Harris Dickinson in The Iron Claw cast) was the third son, the tallest, and skilled with a microphone. He started his wrestling career in 1977. His father allowed him to further his wrestling career over his brother Kevin.

On his way to a title shot, the Von Erich family was struck with tragedy. The Iron Claw dives only briefly into David Von Erich’s death, so here’s the full story. Warning: Spoilers ahead!

David Von Erich’s death explained

While there have been multiple stories of David’s death, he ultimately died of a heart attack that was caused by enteritis and a ruptured small intestine. 

YouTube/VICE TV

The cause of death has often been blurred with conspiracies of David having died of an overdose. In Ric Flair’s autobiography, he claimed evidence of drug use was cleared from the scene by another wrestler.

The Iron Claw unfolds the tragedy at Kevin’s wedding, when he finds David throwing up blood in the bathroom. David refuses to say that anything is severely wrong and says it’s a stomach bug.

Days later, Kevin goes home and finds his father at the table. He’s informed they found David dead in his hotel room in Tokyo due to a ruptured intestine. It follows a very similar story to what happened in real life.

Why was David Von Erich in Tokyo?

In February 1984, David was on a tour with All Japan Pro Wrestling in the hopes of winning over the Japanese fans and getting him ready to win a title belt.

David had been complaining of feeling sick for a while but didn’t seek medical attention for fear of losing his chances in Japan.

David was found dead in his hotel on February 10, 1984. According to WrestlingInc, Bill Irwin was the last person to see him alive. He explained having seen David sitting on his bed in his hotel room before leaving for the night. The following day, David didn’t show up on the bus to leave for their first show.

Irwin and a few other wrestlers went to look for David and found him in his hotel room.

“[David was] laying exactly where I left him. Where I left him sitting, he was now laid back on the bed, and he was as blue as this thing I’m wearing,” said Irwin. While paramedics worked on him, everyone knew he was dead.

But Irwin offered another theory, saying David was a “purger” who ate and vomited. He believed food had come up causing David to choke. However, official reports classified David’s death as due to enteritis and a ruptured small intestine.

You can find out more about The Iron Claw, like whether Kevin is still alive, who Chris Von Erich is, and how Mike Von Erich died. We’ve also got a list of the best sports movies ever made, if you’re into that.