Personal Life
On August 22, 1985, Mike's shoulder was operated on due to an injury suffered during a wrestling tour of Israel. He was involved in a tag match against Hernandez and Adams, when his shoulder went out. Kevin advised Mike to tag in so he can finish the match himself. He was released from the hospital in good condition, but his fever shot up to 107 degrees four days later. It was later found that Mike suffered from toxic shock syndrome, a rarity among men. It is theorized that this was from his surgery performed by Dr. Stonie R. Cotton at Brookhaven Hospital, in Dallas, TX. It was said in various publications and in the Heroes of World Class DVD, that he suffered some brain damage from his illness, and he lost a great deal of weight. Mike had a difficult time returning to the ring, and was not able to perform as well as before. While Mike was not the same physically, his promos also suffered, as his speech was often slurred. Meanwhile, Mike's drug and alcohol dependencies worsened as a result of depression over his condition, and his personal behavior became extremely erratic. He was accused (and later acquitted) of assaulting an emergency room physician while being treated for his shoulder problem.
In 1986, he suffered head injuries from a car accident in which his vehicle overturned after he lost control. In addition, Kevin mentioned an incident in which Mike attacked a streetlight in frustration over his current condition. Kevin once said that Mike also suffered from the pressure of having to "be David" after his brother's death. Since the two had similar facial features, many fans saw David in Mike, and from the beginning of his career the pressure was on for Mike to succeed on the same level of his brothers.
Mike was married on February 14, 1985 to Shani Garza.
A few days before his death, Mike was arrested on drunk driving and drug charges. On April 12, 1987, he left a suicide note for his family, then went to Lake Dallas, where he overdosed on the sleeping pill Placidyl and alcohol. He was found dead four days later and buried at Grove Hill Memorial Park in Dallas.
Read more about this topic: Mike Von Erich
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