[16] On June 4, Von Erich defeated former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Harley Race, elevating him to main event status.

[2] In response, Terry Gordy slammed the cage door on Kerry's head, which led to Flair winning the match and retaining the title.

[14][20] On July 4, Kerry and his elder brothers Kevin and David defeated the Fabulous Freebirds in a two out of three falls match to win the NWA Texas Six-Man Tag Team Championship.

[27] Kerry's biggest career highlight was on May 6, 1984, when he beat "Nature Boy" Ric Flair in a historic match, in front of over 45,000 fans at Texas Stadium to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.

[2][1][29] He lost the belt 18 days later in Yokosuka, Japan, back to Flair in a bout that was marred by controversy: Von Erich's feet were on the bottom rope following a reversed rollup, but the referee ignored this and made the count.

On September 3, they defeated the Freebirds in a handicap steel cage Loser Leaves Texas match for his fourth six-man tag title reign.

[21][31] After ending their rivalry with the Fabulous Freebirds, Von Erich brothers next feuded with Gino Hernandez, Chris Adams, and Jake Roberts.

In order to remain on kayfabe terms, Adams and Kerry wrestled as a tag team two days later in San Antonio, since the heel turn had not aired on television yet.

On October 27, 1984, Hernandez, Adams, and Roberts defeated the Von Erichs to win the Six Man Tag Title in a match that saw Bobby Fulton substitute for an injured Kevin.

The crowd thought Kerry won by submission but instead "due to excessive bleeding" the referee stopped the match and awarded the decision and the WCWA Championship to Jerry Lawler.

[38] Von Erich made his Madison Square Garden debut for World Wrestling Federation on March 24, 1980, defeating Jose Estrada.

[39] On September 28, 1985, Kerry made an appearance for American Wrestling Association's SuperClash defeating Jimmy Garvin to retain the NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship.

[40][41] In 1990, Kerry feuded violently with Matt Borne, who turned heel during a ringside interview; during one match, the two battled outside the Sportatorium into the parking lot during a thunderstorm.

During the height of their angle, Kerry abruptly left the USWA/World Class and joined the WWF, leaving the Von Erich tradition to older brother Kevin (who was considered semi-active) and Chris.

Honorary Von Erich "Gentleman" Chris Adams then became the Sportatorium's main headliner, feuding with Pringle, Steve Austin, and Jeanie Clarke.

He debuted on the Saturday Night's Main Event XXVII as a fan favorite under the ring name Texas Tornado (while being openly acknowledged as Kerry Von Erich by announcers), defeating Buddy Rose, who coincidentally was his first opponent in his career.

[50] In October 1991, Von Erich renewed his old rivalry with Ric Flair, being among the first names to face him in the ring after the NWA World Champion joined the WWF that August.

[51] The following month, "The Texas Tornado" suffered his first lopsided loss when he was squashed by The Undertaker in less than four minutes on the November 10, 1991, episode of Wrestling Challenge.

He was eliminated by the eventual winner Ric Flair, the man Von Erich beat eight years before for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.

While undefeated against them in multiple matches, Von Erich was unable to move back up into contention as he suffered several losses against Rick Martel, Nailz, and Kamala.

[54] Although Von Erich was announced to face Papa Shango at the SummerSlam PPV card in London, UK, he was replaced by El Matador and he officially left the WWF in August 1992.

Von Erich returned to Dallas to compete in the Global Wrestling Federation (GWF), where he began teaming with former arch-rival Chris Adams.

According to his brother Kevin, Kerry reinjured the foot following surgery by attempting to walk on it prematurely during the night at the hospital to grab something to eat, thus forcing the doctors to amputate it.

However, other accounts such as Bill Moody on his old website, said that it was on February 2, 1987, during the card of Wrestling Star Wars on the Tarrant County Convention Center in Fort Worth that his foot was reinjured instead.

Moody says Kerry turned up on crutches and was feeling too much pain, so the doctors injected a liquid-type numbing painkiller on his injured foot so he could go on.

He continued wrestling after the accident with a prosthesis and kept the amputation secret to the majority of fans and fellow wrestlers, even going to the extreme of showering with his boots on.

Kerry told Bret again in the summer of 1992 that he wanted to follow his three late brothers David, Mike and Chris (the latter two of whom had died through suicide), and that they were calling him.

On March 16, 2009, WWE.com announced that the Von Erich family would be inducted into the 2009 class of the WWE Hall of Fame by long-time rival, Michael Hayes.

He is portrayed by Jeremy Allen White in the A24 movie The Iron Claw, based on the life of Kerry and The Von Erich family.