Legendary wrestler Kevin Von Erich, along with his two sons, Ross and Marshall, also famed wrestlers, will visit Israel next week and meet with families of those taken hostage by Hamas. They will also attend a special screening of the movie based on Kevin’s life, The Iron Claw, which opens throughout Israel on January 11.
A family affair
Von Erich and his family have long been supporters of Israel, where they have a huge number of enthusiastic fans. Von Erich competed in wrestling matches in Israel in the 1980s and returned with his sons for a post-retirement match in 2017, telling Ynet, “I love Israel. I’m a Christian. I love Jesus, and my sons are the same way, and this is the Holy Land.”
Von Erich has expressed support for Israel during the current war, and when representatives of Dizengoff Center and Lev Cinemas invited him to visit, he agreed immediately.
The Jewish wrestling connection
The Iron Claw, directed by Sean Durkin, stars Zac Efron as Kevin, and Jeremy Allen White (The Bear) and Harris Dickinson (Triangle of Sadness) in major roles. Among the movie’s producers is the Jewish-American wrestler, Maxwell Jacob Friedman, who also has a role in the film.
Dan Pilz, CEO and co-founder of Dizengoff Center said, “We are happy to host Kevin Von Erich again at our Dizengoff Center and to integrate him into the activities for Israel and the return of the abductees.”
Guy Shani, CEO of the Lev Cinemas chain, said, “This is hugely exciting for us. We all adored Kevin and the Von Erich family when we were growing up, and to host him at Lev Cinemas, particularly in these difficult days, is a great privilege.”