The Iron Claw revolves around the Von Erich family and their influential role in the professional wrestling world (along with the unbelievable and numerous tragedies they experienced over the years). However, the movie doesn’t only feature Von Erichs — Ric Flair, another professional wrestler, is also depicted on the big screen, seeing as many scenes feature the characters in the wrestling ring, and they needed opponents to go against. The 2023 biographical sports drama film is based on the true story of the Von Erich family, including the patriarch, Fritz, who started the wrestling dynasty and relentlessly pushed his sons to continue his legacy (resulting in them fighting people like Ric).
Aside from Ric and Fritz, some of the other real-life characters in the movie are Fritz’s wife, Doris, and their four sons, Kevin, Kerry, David, and Mike — their first child, Jack, died when he was six, and their sixth son, Chris, was left out of The Iron Claw entirely. The film does its best to portray the Von Erich family’s story as accurately as possible, even if director and writer Sean Durkin had to omit details, events, and people from the script. However, one figure that could not have been excluded was Ric Flair, given his importance in the Von Erich family’s narrative in the ring.
Why Ric Flair Is In The Iron Claw
Over the course of the Von Erich family’s presence in the world of professional wrestling, each member had their fair share of rivalries with other fighters. One of Kerry Von Erich’s most formidable opponents was Ric Flair, the Nature Boy. But before Kerry and Ric’s feud, a different Von Erich brother was Ric’s rival — David. Ric, the world champion at the time, was supposed to fight David for the National Wrestling Alliance heavyweight title in 1984. But David died from acute enteritis in Japan just before the match was scheduled to take place.
As depicted in The Iron Claw, Kerry and Kevin flipped a coin to see who would wrestle Ric in their late brother’s place. Kerry won the coin flip and later honored David’s memory by defeating Ric during the match. The victory was undoubtedly a highlight in Kerry’s career, and he would continue to face off against Ric multiple times before Kerry died in 1993. So, Ric is in the film because he played a significant role in the Von Erich family’s life (especially in the months following David’s death).
The Iron Claw Fact Check: 8 Biggest True Story Changes & Inaccuracies
The Iron Claw tells the true story of the Von Erichs, a legendary wrestling family, but the film changed and left out some details about their lives.
Who Plays Ric Flair In The Iron Claw
Aaron Dean Eisenberg portrays professional wrestler Ric Flair in the 2023 biographical sports drama. Before appearing as the famous athlete in the movie, Eisenberg had roles in television shows such as Gossip Girl, Blue Bloods, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Public Morals, The Deuce, and Joe Pickett. However, Eisenberg is now garnering a lot of attention for playing Ric Flair in The Iron Claw.
