When I was in college in 1993, the country music band Little Texas had a ballad called What Might Have Been and I would sing it in my car as loud as I could with my windows down of course! Little did I know many years later I would be sitting at a computer writing a story about tragedy with that lyrical phrase dominating my mind. In professional wrestling, tragedy and triumph are words and terms which seem to be married to the sports entertainment product. A wrestling star who epitomized this statement is David Von Erich. A tremendous wrestler who was given tremendous opportunities in his career and burst through all of them with dignity and grace. His triumphs were legendary which included some of the greatest wrestling titles in the history of the sport. When you look at the history and lineage of the NWA Missouri, Texas, Southern Heavyweight, and numerous Tag Titles around the globe you will find the name of David Von Erich on those lists. Unfortunately, while scrolling down the title history list of the National Wresting Alliance World Heavyweight Championship you will not find this legend.

David Von Erich was supposed to be the heir apparent to Ric Flair’s throne in the mid-eighties. Flair dominated the NWA territories from 1981 to 1984 and became Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s (1981 & 1984) and Wrestling Observer’s (1981–1984) Wrestler of the Year. He was unstoppable and had many memorable matches during this time including one of his greatest victories which was the 1983 Starrcade steel cage match with Harley Race. During 1983, David Von Erich was involved in a year-long feud with his brothers against The Freebirds in World Class Championship Wrestling’s territory but not too many people are aware David Von Erich and Ric Flair had a 1983 preview for what was supposed to come in 1984.

The feud between the Yellow Rose of Texas and the Nature Boy goes back to 1981. Let me set the scene for you, Sam Muchnick was the promoter of the St. Louis Wrestling Territory and very instrumental in making the NWA into what we know it today as the former Number One wrestling organization in the world until Vince McMahon Jr. took over in monopolizing the sports entertainment business. Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis, Missouri was the venue of choice for his big wrestling events. On April 3, 1981, his card was set with seven matches and headlined by David Von Erich going up against Ric Flair. Here is the list of the other six matches:

• Rufus Jones over Dick Murdoch via DQ

Dick The Bruiser and Bob Brown (sub for Butch Reed) over Baron Von Raschke and Big John Studd

Kerry Von Erich over Pat Kelly (sub for Ox Baker)

JJ Dillon over Art Crews (sub for Terry Taylor)

Pat O’ Connor drew Buzz Tyler

• Mike and Pat Kelly over Bob Brown and Art Crews

Ric Flair defeated David Von Erich and both had a take home pay that was exactly the same — $719.97. The seating capacity in the Kiel Auditorium was 9,300 and on this Friday night on April 4, 1983 wrestling fans paid to see the Yellow Rose of Texas face off with the Nature Boy! This was the beginning of a great rivalry which would develop over the next couple of years. During this period in 1981, Ted DiBiase was the Missouri State Champion and Harley Race was the NWA World Champion. Ric Flair would become NWA World Champion later in the year on September 17, by defeating Dusty Rhodes in Kansas City, Missouri with legend and former NWA World Champion Lou Thesz as the special referee. For David in late 1981, he left his home in Texas for the Florida territory where he would turn heel feuding with Barry Windham and Mr. Wrestling II to name a few. He was essentially expanding his own name to other territories in search of the big prize which was the Ten Pounds of Gold that his rival Ric Flair now held. Moving to 1982, David Von Erich was back in Texas and brought Gorgeous Jimmy Garvin with him for a historic feud ending in mid-1983 when David defeated Jimmy for the NWA Texas Heavyweight Title.

Ric Flair would travel the globe as the NWA World Heavyweight Champion from the end of 1981 up until mid-1983. Ric and David had a great match for the World Title that you may be lucky enough to find on YouTube from October 11, 1982 in Fort Worth, Texas. Flair would finally lose the NWA World Title on June 10, 1983 to Harley Race which would be Harley’s last run with the most prestigious belt in the industry. One of the most interesting things about this story is that Harley Race was already a champion on the day he defeated Ric Flair in St. Louis. Harley held the Missouri Heavyweight Title which he had won on May 13, 1983 beating Jerry Blackwell. Race was told he would have to relinquish the Missouri Belt since he had just won the World Title. This set up an epic tournament for the Missouri Championship and can you guess who made the finals? Yes, you are correct, the Yellow Rose of Texas David Von Erich and the Nature Boy Ric Flair were to now set to wrestle for the prestigious Missouri Heavyweight Championship on July 15, 1983 in St. Louis. If you are wondering, David defeated Bob Orton Jr. and Blackjack Lanza to reach the finals. Ric had to beat Bulldog Bob Brown, George Wells, and Butch Reed to make it to the championship match with David. Ric Flair went on to defeat David Von Erich for the Missouri Championship Title Belt this night!

The chemistry in the ring these two elite performers possessed was incredible. They had zero issues selling to each other and really pulling the crowd from emotions of anger one minute to exhilarating cheers the next. There is no doubt in my mind Ric Flair and David Von Erich would have headlined every major arena in the United States battling for the Ten Pounds of Gold.

In late December 1983, David attended a meeting with the NWA officials including Jim Barnett and Ron Fuller where it was decided he would have a run with the most prestigious world title of them all. Everything was looking up for the young star until that fateful day in Japan. On February 10, 1984, less than two months after being told he would be the next great champion of the NWA, David Von Erich was found dead at the age of 25. This 6’7 and 235-pound would-be world champion was gone.

David’s brother Kevin had fond memories of that time and how much music played a part of their lives telling me: