The Iron Claw: How did Mike Von Erich die?

Fritz Von Erich inspired each of his sons to follow a wrestling career, a heritage delved into in The Iron Claw that unveils the heartfelt truth behind the death of Mike Von Erich.

Led by his father’s persistent desire to make the Von Erichs a household wrestling name, Mike Von Erich was forced to take on the wrestling profession. In The Iron Claw, it’s made clear that Mike didn’t share the same desire to become a professional wrestler like his brothers.

While being very supportive, his heart was somewhere else – music. But Fritz’s grip on his sons and his obsession led Mike down a dark path that interweaved itself with the family’s supposed curse.

The movie tells a heart-breaking story that parallels real life but with some added changes. Here’s how Mike Von Erich died. Warning: Spoilers ahead!

Mike Von Erich was in a coma

The Iron Claw details the real life story of Mike Von Erich’s death being the cause of an overdose and dying by suicide.

YouTube/VICE TV

In the movie, David never had a desire to become a wrestler and didn’t have the same athletic build as his brothers. He showed a greater love for music and wanted to do camerawork for his father’s wrestling company. Even his brothers knew he didn’t belong in the ring.

But after the death of David, Fritz pushed him to get in the ring with Kerry and Kevin to continue the legacy. Despite being trained by Kevin, Mike wasn’t as fine-tuned as his brothers. The Iron Claw begins the tragic story when during what is presumed his first match, he gets injured.

Mike goes in for a routine shoulder surgery when the surgeon comes to inform Fritz and Kevin of the bad news. During the operation, Mike’s temperature wouldn’t drop from 107 leading him to go into a coma. The movie fast-forwards to Mike’s recovery and an almost exact replica of the hospital press conference. Mike had damage to his brain from the fever. It’s revealed he suffered from toxic shock syndrome.

The Iron Claw then takes some creative freedom leading up to his death. Mike sees the pressure from his father to have him return to the ring, despite Kevin knowing better. Some time passes, and Mike’s mental health deteriorates under the pressure of trying to be like his brothers. In return, he takes an overdose of medication with beer. Sits on his bed waiting, until he takes a blanket and finds a place to rest out in the field. He’s found the next day and a note saying he can’t be his brothers.

Mike’s death in The Iron Claw is very similar to the real story. But instead, Mike’s injury happened during a tour in Israel when he had already been wrestling for a while. His fever had appeared days after surgery leading to toxic shock syndrome. After some recovery, he did return to the ring.

The weight of continuing the family business spiraled him into depression and drug abuse. On April 12, 1987, Mike overdosed on the tranquilizer Placidyl. He was 23 years old and found with his sleeping bag in a heavily wooded area.

Read more TV & Movies content here, and Dexerto’s review of The Iron Claw here.