
The tragic story behind The Iron Claw and the Von Erich family
*Warning: Contains potential spoilers for The Iron Claw* The Iron Claw is one of the most hyped films of 2023, but the upcoming wrestling biopic starring Zac Efron is far from your typical, glossy sports movie. In fact, the real-life story of the people it’s based on is one of the darkest in the world of sport, and fans can expect the movie to draw on a real life story full of family tragedy. The upcoming movie, directed by Sean Durkin and released on December 22, focuses on the Von Erich wrestling family and their lives in and away from the ring. The Iron Claw boasts an impressive cast, with Efron joined by the likes of Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickson and Lily James, who will all be telling the family’s story. We can’t be sure exactly what the movie will focus on, but the family is synonymous with the US wrestling scene in the second half of the 20th century. The Von Erich family achieved great success while also experiencing a great deal of tragedy, with the majority of the family members dying young. Parents Fritz and Doris had six sons together but lost one son at a very young age after he was electrocuted and drowned at six-years-old. Fritz was a successful wrestler in his time, and his five sons Kevin, David, Kerry, Mike and Chris followed into the industry and became professional wrestlers too. Fritz and his sons famously helped to popularise the iron claw wrestling hold, which the film is named after. After achieving success, the family experienced more heartbreak. In fact, only Kevin – played by Efron – survived into later life. Kerry, played by Allen White, became well known under the persona “The Texas Tornado” which he competed as in WWE, where he won the Intercontinental Championship. He suffered a motorcycle accident which saw his right foot amputated in his 20s, before he killed himself at the age of 33 in 1993. David, played by Dickson, died at the age of 25. His official cause of death was acute enteritis, but there are some who believe he suffered a drug overdose that was covered up. Mike also died young at the age of just 23 after overdosing on tranquillisers. It’s expected that the film will focus on the family’s tragic story, as well as Kevin’s marriage to Pamela May, played by James. Kevin went on to be known as the “Golden Warrior” and their sons Ross and Marshall also went on to become wrestlers. Their story is hinted at in the trailer released earlier this year. “Ever since I was a child, people said my family was cursed. Mum tried to protect us with God. Pop tried to protect us with wrestling,” Kevin delivers in a voiceover. “He said if we were the toughest, the strongest, nothing could ever hurt us. I believed him; we all did.” Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings
2023-11-15 23:30

Logan Paul left gobsmacked by pawnbroker's valuation for $500k gold Prime bottle
Logan Paul taking one of his '$500k' gold Prime bottles to a pawnbroker seemingly backfired, when the YouTuber was offered a mere $25,000 for the collectable. It was one of the bottles that was given away at the London and New York activations for the popular drink, with another being won by a young boy from the UK. However, Paul wasn't willing to accept $25,000 for the bottle, and immediately demanded the owner offer him $700,000. It wasn't meant to be, though, as after a lot of convincing, he was offered $50,000. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter
2023-11-15 23:00

Will Smith considering legal action against friend who claims actor is gay
Will Smith's team has shut down claims that the actor is gay and was caught in a sex act with fellow Fresh Prince actor Duane Martin years back. The reps called the rumour "unequivocally false". Brother Bilaal claimed to be his former friend of 40 years to the star. He recently sat down with Tasha K with a string of claims aimed at Smith. At one point, he explicitly described what he allegedly saw in Martin's dressing room while working on a Hollywood set. Brother Bilaal said he was asked to keep his eye on Smith, but he was nowhere to be found. He said he had the keys to Martin's dressing room, where he allegedly discovered the pair in the act. "I see Duane having anal sex with Will," he claimed. "There was a couch and Will was bent over the couch and Duane was standing up killing him, murdering him. It was murder in there." "This story is completely fabricated and the claim is unequivocally false," Smith's rep told TMZ and that legal action is being considered against Bilaal. Brother Bilaal also went on to pass comment about Smith's manhood, calling it a "pinky toe". It comes after Jada Pinkett Smith dropped a bombshell that she and Will have not been together for seven years. They simply never divorced. Jada told Hoda Kotb on Today that she "made a promise that there will never be a reason for us to get a divorce" and that the pair will "work through whatever". "I just haven't been able to break that promise," she said. She went on to confirm that the pair also live separately, and when asked how the two maintained the arrangement, she responded: "I think just not being ready yet." How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-11-15 21:42

Japanese actor-director Kitano says his new film explores homosexual relations in the samurai world
Japanese actor-director Takeshi Kitano says he wanted his new film “Kubi” to show the world of samurai in ways that mainstream movies have rarely done before, by portraying the homosexual, love-hate relationship of warlords in one of Japan’s best known historical episodes
2023-11-15 21:31

Kourtney Kardashian criticised for 'sexualising maternity photos' in Travis Barker tribute
Kourtney Kardashian has been harshly criticised for her latest Instagram tribute to husband Travis Barker. In the first upload since the birth of their son, Kardashian wished the Blink-182 drummer a happy birthday. "To my husband, my soulmate, my best friend, my lover, my daddy to our baby boy, my everything… I wish you the happiest birthday," she wrote. "You make all of my dreams come true and I feel so blessed to have you by my side. I love you beyond words, forever." The wholesome message was accompanied by a series of snaps of a heavily pregnant Kardashian posing with her husband. One photo saw Barker's hands covering the reality star's bare chest, while another showed his hand down her pants. The post was liked almost 3 million times and was flooded with over 15,000 comments. Some people did not hold back, blasting the images as "vulgar". One Instagrammer described the shoot as the "weirdest maternity pictures I have ever seen lol." Another reiterated: "These are types of pictures you just keep to yourself lol." Meanwhile, a third added: "Weird to sexualize maternity pictures but ok" Others simply let the couple live, and praised the love they share. "Yessssss Kourt keep p***ing these uptight people off… It’s great. Happy Birthday Travis," one fan wrote, while another added: "Awww what a beautiful and thoughtful post Kourtney. The chemistry between you and Travis is indescribable. You’ve both come so far and should be so proud." "Wow. To find a love like this is so delicate and precious. It seems like an eternity away," one user chimed in. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-11-15 21:05

25 of the Most Confusing Acronyms and Initialisms
You’re not the only person who has Googled “NPC meaning” of late.
2023-11-15 21:00

Dido signs record deal for new music
Dido appears to be lining up new music after signing a new deal with Warner Chappell.
2023-11-15 21:00

Troye Sivan wins big Down Under at 2023 ARIA Awards
Troye Sivan, Kylie Minogue, G Flip and more won top prizes at the Australian version of the Grammys.
2023-11-15 21:00

Logan Paul admits that he almost killed Rey Mysterio during recent WWE match
Logan Paul has confessed that him seemingly 'saving' Rey Mysterio's life during their recent WWE match was actually because he was at fault for the incident in the first place. Coming clean on Impaulsive, Paul admitted that his own mistake caused the fall which saw Mysterio almost land on his neck, so he had no choice but to step in. "I think I was too far back for the move and I think he didn’t clear enough ground for the move," he said. "So like truthfully while I like the headlines and I like being gassed up like this, I was just doing my job.” Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter
2023-11-15 19:56

Leslie Jones jokes about fighting 3 politicians in hilarious take on Markwayne Mullin's Senate scuffle on 'Daily Show'
Markwayne Mullin threatened to fight the president of the Teamsters Union Sean O'Brien in the middle of a Senate hearing
2023-11-15 19:54

'Friends' coffee shop to open permanently in honour of Matthew Perry
Central Perk, the coffee shop and popular hangout spot in Friends has been on display at pop-ups but now a permanent location is set to be opened where the late Matthew Perry will be honoured. From this week, fans of the popular sitcom can visit the 2,600-square-foot coffee shop located on Newbury Street in Boston, which was one of the central places Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), Monica (Courteney Cox), Chandler, Ross (Matthew Perry), Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) and Joey (Matt LeBlanc) would frequent in the ten seasons that aired from 1994 to 2004. The original October opening date was pushed back due to the sudden and tragic death of Perry on October 28. To honour Perry and his well-loved character, Chandler Bing, the new shop will be handing out coffee sleeves with one of Chandler's iconic quotes, “Can I interest you in a sarcastic comment?” Following this, there will also be sleeves with quotes from other characters from the show after opening day. Celebrity chef, restaurateur and “Top Chef” judge Tom Colicchio is behind the curated menu for the coffeehouse, as per the store’s website. There are coffee blends available to purchase online, while the products in the coffee line after some memorable catchphrases from the show such as Pivot Blend, We Were on a Coffee Break, Oh.My.GAWD, and How You Doin’? Of course, it wouldn't be a nod to Central Perk without an oversized orange couch - and although the shop makes design references and includes memorabilia from the show, it isn't looking to identically match the original set. "It's not about creating a replica of it, it's really looking at what it would look like today,” Glen Coben, founder and principal designer of Glen & Co Architecture told PEOPLE. “It’s a modern interpretation of what a coffee shop or Central Perk would look like in 2024.” There is also a bright neon sign that says "The One With..." in reference to the episode names, which will no doubt be an Instagrammable photo op, as well as images around the place such as one of a gold chicken and duck, a reference to Chandler and Joey’s pets in the show. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-11-15 19:39

xQc clears air about $100M Kick contract amid Ninja's accusation of 'misleading' deal: 'It was kind of insane'
xQc clarified that the deal has nothing to do with gambling
2023-11-15 19:29
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