DALLAS -- Funeral services for wrestler David von Erich, who was found dead in his Tokyo hotel room last week, are tentatively scheduled for 10 a.m. CST Wednesday, his father said.
An autopsy performed at Tokyo Hospital at the family's request revealed von Erich, 25, died of acute enteritis, an inflammation of the intestine.
His body was found Friday morning in his room at the Takanawa Tobu Hotel by Japanese wrestling referee Joe Higuchi.
Higuchi said he looked for von Erich after the wrestler did not arrive for a match at Korakuen Stadium.
Von Erich, whose real name was David Atkisson, was on a three-week wrestling tour of the Orient.
His father, Jack Atkisson, who wrestled under the name Fritz von Erich before retiring four years ago, said his son's funeral will be held at the First Baptist Church in Denton, 40 miles north of Dallas.
'David had been complaining of stomach ache and pains,' the father said. 'He had some diarrhea but he'd go on and wrestle on the tour. We thought it was the flu. He worked hard. He was a good boy, a good man.'
The Atkisson family, which lives near Lake Dallas, 30 miles north of Dallas, was originally notified David had died of a heart attack.
'We thought about having a closed service,' said the elder von Erich, 'but everything we have we owe to our fans, and if they want, it'll be an open funeral.'
David, who was known to wrestling fans as 'The Iron Nail,' has three brothers who also wrestle professionally: Kevin, 26, Kerry, 23, and Mike, 19.
