Waldo von Erich, 75, Pro Wrestler
Ed Varner
Waldo von Erich dies suddenly
By GREG OLIVER - Producer, SLAM! Wrestling
The German great, Waldo von Erich, died suddenly last night at Grand
River Hospital in Kitchener. He was 75.
"His death was unfortunate and it wasn't his time to go," explained
one of his daughters, Mary Jane Berry, to SLAM! Wrestling. He had been
admitted to hospital after a fall on Sunday.
She knows how the fans will remember her father: "He was the dirty
one, such a dirty wrestler," she laughed.
"Even though he was mean in the ring, he was a gentleman outside it,
and anyone who knew him knows that.
Funeral arrangements have not been established, but it will be in
Elmira, Ontario, which the Toronto-born von Erich (born Wally Sieber)
has called home for years.
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http://slam.canoe.ca/SlamWrestlingBios/vonerich.html
REAL NAME: Walter Sieber
BORN: October 2, 1933 Toronto, Ontario
AKA: Waldo von Seiber, Waldo von Erich, The Great Zimm, Wild Man Zim,
The Great Hornet, El Tigre, Mr. M
6'0", 265 pounds
Waldo von Erich was one of the toughest, most successful wrestlers
in the 60s and 70s. He had killer fan heat and held titles everywhere
he went.
Born and raised in Toronto, Wally Sieber learned the mat game at the
Western YMCA under Red Garner. One of his fellow trainees was the
future Bearman Dave McKigney. Heavy into bodybuilding, weight training
and swimming, he turned pro at 17.
He travelled the world and hit all of the promotions across Canada,
including Calgary under the Harts, where he remembered for SLAM!
Wrestling in a April 1998 interview, that "the Hart kids used to wash
my car."
It was in Minnesota that he first met the late Fritz von Erich (real
name Jack Adkisson), and they became instant 'brothers', and held the
NWA American tag belts together in 1967.
As a single, he peaked in matches against Bruno Sammartino at Madison
Square Gardens in New York for the WWWF World title.
von Erich held the Buffalo-Cleveland version of the World title in the
early seventies, and feuded with Johnny Powers.
He also held the North American title as The Great Zimm, the U.S.
heavyweight title, the U.S. tag team titles with Gene Kiniski, and was
Texas champion.
In keeping with the German gimmick, von Erich's famed finishing move
was the Blitzkreig, a kneedrop off the top rope and a yell to go with
it. He was also great on the microphone and would mercilessly pick on
the babyfaces and announcers, like Lord Athol Layton, Billy Red Lyons
and Dominic DeNucci.
He "got almost everything" he wanted from pro wrestling, including
fancy cars, and world-wide fame. He even owned a lake in Northern
Ontario for a while, and is now building a castle in Belize.
von Erich first tried to retire in 1973, but stuck around until 1979.
These days, he's president of the Cambridge, Ont.-based ICW and helps
to train tomorrow's stars. von Erich has lived in Elmira, Ont. since
1972.
Outside of wrestling, he is well-known for creating a chair to help
alleviate back problems, especially for athletic injuries. von Erich
has also worked with many doctors and specialists over the years.
He was married for 29 years to Betty before getting divorced, and they
have three daughters
Magnus
I take it that he was no relation to the von Erich wrestling dynasty
that, I believe, was based in Texas.
Magnus
allenk...@hotmail.com
-- His heel character in the old Montreal-based Superstars of
Wrestling always drew major heat. Sorry to hear of his passing.
--
Allen Kirshner
(the alt.music.lyrics TV theme guy)
allenk...@hotmail.com
>
> - Show quoted text -
-- That's correct. He was billed as being Fritz Von Erich's brother
and the two did team together but Waldo was not related to Fritz or
his family. Neither, for that matter, was Lance Von Erich, who was
billed as Waldo's son.
MCOO...@roadrunner.com
I hated his stinking kraut guts. but he was never boring rip wally
Pat in PA
Watched him on Ch 11's Studio Wrestling in Pittsburgh, PA. Great heel.
Pat
La N
> >
> He travelled the world and hit all of the promotions across Canada,
> including Calgary under the Harts, where he remembered for SLAM!
> Wrestling in a April 1998 interview, that "the Hart kids used to wash
> my car."
>
>
- nilita