Pedro Antonio Morales was a Puerto Rican professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances in the United States with Worldwide Wrestling Associates (WWA) and the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF).
Morales as the WWWF Heavyweight Champion
Morales with Bruno Sammartino, whom he faced on September 30, 1972.
Morales on the cover of 1973 Wrestling Annual magazine.
Morales (bottom) during a match against Superstar Billy Graham (top), circa 1983
Professional wrestling in Puerto Rico
Professional wrestling has been considered one of the most popular forms of entertainment in Puerto Rico for more than fifty years. It is considered the highest source of income in the sports entertainment industry on the island; a minor industry within its tertiary sector in its overall economy. After sports commentator José Antonio Géigel and a group of wrestlers founded the first promotion based in Puerto Rico, the discipline has consistently remained being broadcast in local television. Originally a mixture of foreign wrestling styles, the Puerto Rican wrestling style developed into a unique form of performing. Most notably, local promotions relied on unusual matches, often involving foreign objects or odd arenas. Local wrestling is considered to be one of the pillars that contributed to modern hardcore wrestling, being the territory where the first "fire" and "death" matches took place. Local promotions exploited the innovation and held their cards in large stadiums, eventually becoming an element of popular culture. During the course of six decades, Carlos Colón Sr. has developed over 70 scars in his forehead that are product of this method of performing, becoming the main symbol of the style's nature. The storylines in Puerto Rico have historically revolved around the "foreign heel" formula, with local wrestlers obtaining victories over notable figures that include Ric Flair, Harley Race, Hulk Hogan, Terry Funk, Diamond Dallas Page, Scott Hall, Booker T, Samoa Joe and Curt Hennig among several others.
Pedro Morales was the first Latin American in history to win a recognized world heavyweight championship.
Fire was first used in a professional wrestling match at Capitol Sports Promotions. "Death matches" (pictured) originated in Puerto Rico and became highly popular in Japan.
Carlos Colón in 2014
Juan Rivera, also known as T.N.T. and Savio Vega, was a main character in the IWA-WWC rivalry and a key figure in the establishment of the WWA.