The pressure of following in famous footsteps is tough. In the wrestling world, David Sammartino, David Flair and Scott Putski never hit the stardom of their fathers. For Lacey Von Erich, the first third-generation Von Erich, it’s more about Randy Orton, The Rock and Jake Roberts, who exceeded their fathers’ fame.

Lacey is the 21-year-old daughter of the late Kerry Von Erich, who committed suicide in 1993. During his peak, he was considered one of the best performers in the world, including capturing the NWA World Title in 1984 from Ric Flair. His matches with Flair, with many one-hour draws, are considered some of the most compelling matches of the 1980s.

The tragedy of his death does not end at her father. Lacey has seen three uncles, all who performed in the ring, die at a young age. Her grandfather, Fritz, started the Von Erich name when soon after his debut in 1958. First known as a heel, he would be become a favorite in the years before his official retirement in 1982 (he occasionally wrestled after). He would go on to introduce his sons, who he often claimed would ‘all be future World champions.’

Lacey was resistant to remember the glory days of the Von Erich family when speaking to SLAM! Wrestling.

“It hurts,” said Lacey Von Erich, whose real name is Lacey Adkisson. Lacey affectionately called her father “daddy” throughout the interview, a sadness in her voice when talking about him.

“His death was hard. I was in counseling for a long time.”

Lacey was seven when her father died. “I remember he would tuck a razor blade in his boot,” Lacey said, recalling a story about her father. “He would cut the same place on his head. Sometimes my mother, sister and I would have to drive him to the hospital if he cut himself too deep.”

Lacey was invited to a WWE RAW event in Texas in the summer of 2007. The WWE was working with her one living uncle, Kevin, in the production of what would become The Triumph and Tragedy of World Class Championship Wrestling DVD. She loved being backstage.

It was there she saw Ric Flair, who she remembered watching tapes of him wrestling her father. “He talked bad about my father in interviews, and I remembered that. So when I met him, I was mad at him,” she paused to laugh. “I later realized he was acting.”

She never watched the DVD. She said it would be just too hard to do.

Despite her lack of wrestling background and being a mother of a young child, Von Erich was signed to a WWE contract in August 2007 and sent to Florida Championship Wrestling in Tampa, Fla. She immediately knew this is what she wanted to do.

“I loved the training, even though it was tough,” Lacey said about being in the ring for the first time. She would go onto to wrestle another third-generation wrestler, Nattie Neidhart, in her first match.

In November, she was released by the WWE. Lacey was having trouble, but it had nothing to do with wrestling.

“I totaled my car a week after getting it. I had some roommate and living problems, and so I asked to be moved to Ohio Valley Wrestling (in Louisville, Ky.),” she said.

She knew if she could just avoid the mishaps that seemed to come with her life in Tampa, she would be okay. WWE declined her offer.

Following Thanksgiving, the head of talent relations, John Laurinaitis, called Lacey to discuss her future.

“We both agreed that I needed to get out of Tampa. He said that they could talk again in six months.”

Lacey wanted to show the WWE that she wanted to be a wrestler. She has since been taking independent bookings off her Myspace page, including upcoming bookings in Texas, New Jersey and North Carolina.

“I want to show the WWE that I am still interested and wanting to return. I am open to new opportunities and hope to wrestle and travel all over.”

Lacey currently runs her own advertising company out of California and has just completed her personal web site. Fans can buy merchandise, as well as find out where she will be appearing.

There is great pride in carrying the Von Erich name, she said. “I want to be the third generation of Von Erichs, and make my granddad proud.” Making her father proud means treating fans in the same way that he always did; she is always hearing stories about him from wrestlers and fans. “He was someone with a good heart and a good person.”

Lacey was signed to an all Womens Wrestling Company called ‘Wrestlicious’, shooting various photo shoots and segments for the show, her contract with them soon ended, but for the better, Total Nonstop Action & Wrestlicious agreed to allow Lacey to work at TNA but still do the segments for Wrestlicious.

Lacey was signed to TNA to replace the 2x Knockouts Champion Angelina Love who was released from TNA due to Visa Issues.

Lacey won her first ever match in TNA by pinning Christy Hemme in a 6 person tag team match, giving her the choke slam from hell, since her debut with TNA, she has been criticized on her wrestling skills, with tons of internet rumors buzzing, she had a tough start.

The Beautiful People went for the Championships multiple times, but never succeeded in a victory, they also have done scenes for their movie ‘Meanest Girls’.

The Beautiful People continued until finally Angelina Love had returned (January 4th 2010), in what seem’d like she was glad to be back with The Beautiful People, Love soon turned on them, paying much of her attention to Sky.

Their feud continued on with The Beautiful People & Angelina Love trying to get back at one another. On March 8th 2010, The Beautiful People went for the Vacant Tag Team Championships, going against Love & Tara, as well as Taylor & Sarita, with the help of Daffney, The Beautiful People became champions, and would defend their belts under the ‘Free bird Rule’, which means all 3 of them count as Champions, and any 3 can defend the championships.

A few weeks later, a Lock-Box match was announced, were there would be a 4 on 4 elimination tag team match, were the winners would go on to win 4 keys which would unlock 1 of 4 box’s, 1 containing the Knockouts championship, Poison (Tara’s spider), a chance to do a strip tease (And Lacey wanted to win this one) and then a contract for any match the winner desired, any stipulation, any time. Unfortunately for Lacey, she wasn’t one of the winners, but when Daffney won the Strip Tease (which she wasn’t happy about), Lacey soon came down and attacked Daffney and did her own little strip tease, only for Velvet to interfere, she told Lacey that rule #1 of The Beautiful People, never upstage another member, Velvet then went onto say that next week, she and Angelina will go against each other in a Leather & Lace match. The following week, the match turned into a hand cuffed match, were Angelina would be hand cuffed from behind, and Velvet would beat her down, Lacey & Madison soon interfered and help beat down Angelina, until Tara made the save.

It was announced that at Lockdown, The Beautiful People (Velvet & Madison) would defend their Knockouts Championships, against Angelina & Tara, with the stipulation of one team, whoever picked up the win, would win all the gold, with the help of Lacey, Madison Rayne pinned Tara to become the new Knockouts Champion, which means Lacey & Velvet would continue on as the Tag Team holders, while Madison would hold the Knockouts belt.

On June 17th, 2010 Lacey wrestled her first ever Singles match in her TNA Career against Angelina Love. Angelina announced that tonight she would face Lacey, then next week Velvet, and then at the next PPV, Angelina would take on Madison for the title. In the end, Angelina hit Lacey with a DDT onto a chair which gave Angelina the disqualification and allowing Lacey to pick up the win in her first ever singles match, via DQ.

In late June, it was rumored The Beautiful People (Velvet Sky, Madison Rayne & Lacey Von Erich) would be broken up, and would happen by Velvet Sky attacking Madison Rayne to cost her the Knockouts Championship, and then reuniting the team of Velvet Sky & Angelina Love, nothing was said about Lacey or were she would stand. By Victory Road, The Beautiful People did not split up, nor did the original Reunite, but in the coming weeks The Beautiful People still show signs of a break up.

On the July 15th edition of TNA iMPACT!, Lacey & Velvet were backstage and Velvet was saying how Madison thinks she doesn’t need Velvet or Lacey anymore, Velvet continued her rant, which then led to her confronting Madison about the situation, Madison made it clear that she didn’t need Velvet (Or Lacey). This would show signs of a Beautiful People breakup. Around this time, there were rumors that Lacey would form with Madison (And Madison’s mystery masked partner) and form ‘Mafia’ while Velvet reforms with her Angelina Love as a face ‘Beautiful People’ but nothing has been confirmed.

As weeks went on, a reformation of the original still didn’t occur, but signs still show one in the future. On July 29th, Madison apologized to Velvet for everything, after awhile Velvet accepted her apology.

On the 5th of August, Taylor & Hamada defeated Lacey & Velvet to become the new Knockouts Tag Team Champions. Madison Rayne & The Mysterious Biker Woman came out to make the distraction, when the referee wasn’t looking, The Biker Woman gave Lacey a chair, but Taylor quickly drop kicked Lacey with the chair for the 3 count. Later on backstage, Velvet & Madison were fighting over Madison being the cause of them loosing the titles. Lacey tried to calm them down but Velvet pushed Lacey into a cart leaving her knocked out. Seconds later Velvet realizes what’s happened and goes to check Lacey. Next week is was announced Lacey has been injured with a broke cheek bone. She would be from this point out for several weeks. This was only a work, as Lacey was completly fine and is at home with her family.