Out With The Old: Claws

One of my loyal readers sends me cash contributions from time to time to help me cover the costs of my server storage fees.  In return, I blog about specific holds, wrestlers, or scenes that float his particular boat.  I know he digs Sleepers and Claws — check out my gallery from 3/22/14 to see more.  Here was his specific request this year:

“Any gallery with claw and sleeper holds from the 60s and 70s… The Von Erichs, Kowalski, and especially Duke Keomuka and Hiro Matsuda, etc.”

I knew I had some Von Erich Iron Claws on my hard drive, so here is what I dug up that I think will make at least one loyal reader’s day.

When I was a youngster, most of the dominant wrestlers at the time were fairly old and massive — built like Dick Murdoch seen here cringing in brain pain.  What made the Von Erichs stand out for me (and probably for my generous patron) was their youth.  I could relate to them because they were not much older than me at the time.  But they weren’t jobbers either — they were dominant studs thanks in part to their all-powerful Iron Claw hold.

One gimmick used by the Von Erich’s enemies was to use the brothers’ own weapon against them — to also master a variation of the Claw and use it to weaken and destroy a Von Erich.  That transfer of power could be a rush — below is one example:

This image is from Kerry’s bloody battle with Jerry Lawler.  Kerry is seen attacking Lawler’s forehead with his trusty Iron Claw, but ironically, it is the blood gushing out of Kerry’s own face that has the ref most concerned.  You can see more (full color) images of that war in a gallery I made in 2001.

Kevin snatches Al Perez by the hair, then sinks in his Iron Claw.

My new favorite YouTube channel — “My Wrestling Obsession” — posted a short video featuring Kevin (in white trunks with red stripes down the hips) slapping his patented Iron Claw on long-haired Al Perez.

Kevin is acting butch and dominant by gripping a fistful of Perez’s hair so he can’t pull his face away — he has to stand there and take it.  Austin Idol rescues pretty-boy Perez, but Kevin is obsessed with clawing this stud, and reapplies his skull-crusher outside the ring.

Austin Idol uses wrist tape to break up the Claw.

Outside the ring, Perez endures another Claw.

Here are some more Iron Claw images that may not involve the Von Erich boys, but they’re from the era that my donor enjoys and I’ve never met an Iron Claw photo I didn’t love.

The intimacy of the hand placement is part of the appeal of an Iron Claw — grabbing on a dude’s face with your fingers, your palm over his nose and mouth.  Also the obscuring of his face represents emasculation, a refusal of his power and agency.  That shift of power is emphasized when the victim sinks into a helpless stupor, his limp body utterly at the Clawman’s mercy.

Kevin mounts his opponent and cranks on that Iron Claw.

The owner of the My Wrestling Obsession YouTube channel must really dig Kevin Von Erich and his sexy Iron Claws.  He digs Kevin as much as my generous donor digs Kevin.

Here is a clip from a video he recently posted featuring Kevin in “his baby blue trunks” mounting and clawing a masked Chris Adams.