The Iron Claw: Why It Was Important For Chavo Guerrero Jr. To Work On The Movie - Exclusive

Retired wrestler and former ECW World Champion and WWE Tag Team Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr. has spent the last few years working as a wrestling choreographer on TV series like "GLOW" and "Young Rock." So when the same opportunity arose for the feature film "The Iron Claw," Guerrero Jr. was a natural choice to train actors like Zac Efron and Jeremy Allen White as they played members of the Von Erich family, the Texas clan as infamous for their tragic history as their exploits in the ring. Being a third-generation member of a wrestling family himself — also with roots in Texas — Guerrero tells Wrestling Inc. in our exclusive interview that working on "The Iron Claw" had a personal resonance for him. 

"I always give them 100% every time I'm coordinating a show or a movie," he says. "But yes, this absolutely did because nobody understands what a wrestling family goes through being in that business, except for another wrestling family."

With the possible exception of the many deaths that befell them, the Von Erich tale is the story of every family that's been involved in the sport — from the financial struggles to the rigors of training to the endless travel to grappling with injuries and drugs. Yes, there is fame and money and celebrity status, but as Guerrero notes, it's not an easy road.

"Being able to help tell the Von Erich story — it's the Guerrero story as well," he explains. "It's the Orton story, it's the McMahon story, it's a wrestling family story. So definitely, I wanted to make sure that it was very, very accurate, at least on my part, as much as I could. And I did tell the Von Erichs when I first started doing this, 'Guys, thank you for putting your trust in me. I will help make this story as if I'm making it about my own family.'"

"The Iron Claw" is out now in theaters.