For other people named Pedro Morales, see Pedro Morales (disambiguation).
Pedro Morales
Morales as the WWWF Heavyweight Champion
Birth name
Pedro Antonio Morales
Born
(1942-10-22)October 22, 1942 Culebra, Puerto Rico
Died
February 12, 2019(2019-02-12) (aged 76) Perth Amboy, New Jersey, United States
Spouse(s)
Karen Morales
(m. 1972)
Children
1
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)
John Kilonis Johnny Como Johnny Ricco Pedro Morales
Billed height
5 ft 10 in (178 cm)[1]
Billed weight
235 lb (107 kg)[1]
Billed from
Culebra, Puerto Rico
Trained by
Barba Roja[2]
Debut
1959[3]
Retired
1987
Pedro Antonio Morales (October 22, 1942 – February 12, 2019) 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).
Debuting in 1959, Morales originally came to prominence with WWA in the 1960s, where he held the World Heavyweight Championship and World Tag Team Championship. In 1970, he joined the WWWF, winning its World Heavyweight Championship and United States Championship. In a second run with the by-then World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in the 1980s, he won the Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship and Tag Team Championship, establishing himself as the promotion's first Triple Crown Champion.[4] He retired from professional wrestling in 1987.
A popular champion, Morales had particular appeal to his native Puerto Ricans and the wider Latino audience.[4][5][6][7][8] The first Latino to hold a world heavyweight championship, his reign as WWWF Heavyweight Champion remains among the longest in history.[9] He previously also held the record for most cumulative days as Intercontinental Champion at 619 days across two reigns, having been surpassed by Gunther in February 2024. He was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame in 1995,[10] the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in 2015 and the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 2017.
^ ab"Pedro Morales WWE". wwe.com. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
^Cite error: The named reference oww was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference WWEHOF was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ab"Ivan Koloff's WWE Championship reign". WWE. Archived from the original on July 15, 2005. Retrieved October 1, 2007. Pedro Morales [defeated] Ivan Koloff for the [WWF] Championship...Morales would also go on to become the first Triple Crown winner [upon winning] the Intercontinental Championship and World Tag Team Championship.
^Ross Davies (2001). Bruno Sammartino (p.72). The Rosen Publishing Group. ISBN 0-8239-3432-2.
^Fred Blassie and Keith Elliot Greenberg (2004). "Classy" Freddie Blassie: Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks (p.175). Simon and Schuster. ISBN 0-7434-6316-1.
^Scott M. Beekman (2006). Ringside: A History of Professional Wrestling in America (p.105). Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-275-98401-X.
^Ric Flair (2005). Ric Flair: To Be The Man (p.90). Simon and Schuster. ISBN 0-7434-9181-5.
^Alexander Trujillo (October 24, 2012). "Reportaje Especial". Pedro Morales: 70 años del pionero Latinoamericano (in Spanish). El Diario Culebrense. p. 13.
^"Pedro Morales Death". Wrestler Deaths. February 12, 2019. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
Pedro Antonio Morales (October 22, 1942 – February 12, 2019) was a Puerto Rican professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances in the United...
Morales is a Spanish surname. Notable people with the surname include: Alfredo Morales (born 1990), American footballer Alvaro Morales (disambiguation)...
or more: Bruno Sammartino (who achieved the feat on two occasions), PedroMorales, Bob Backlund, Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, John Cena, CM Punk, AJ Styles...
first world champion of Puerto Rican descent, and second overall, since PedroMorales in 1971. At Backlash France on May 4, Priest successfully defended his...
boxer Pedro Martínez, Dominican baseball player Pedro Miguel Pauleta, Portuguese football player PedroMorales, Puerto Rican professional wrestler Pedro Pérez...
Archived from the original on April 29, 2007. Retrieved April 16, 2007. "PedroMorales' first reign". WWE. Archived from the original on October 20, 2007....
Archived from the original on October 22, 2020. Retrieved April 24, 2007. "PedroMorales". World Wrestling Entertainment. Archived from the original on February...
Reynero, Rodrigo Millar, Mario Salgado, Héctor Mancilla, Gonzalo Jara, PedroMorales, Mauricio Arias, among others. As for sporting achievements, reached...
PedroMorales Torres (8 August 1932 – 13 September 2000) was a Chilean football manager. He coach several international Chile teams: Chile Olympic team...
reign and for most cumulative days as champion. Prior to his reign, PedroMorales had the longest combined reign at 619 days over two reigns, and held...
shortest at 21 days. Brazil was the oldest champion at 46 years old, while PedroMorales was the youngest at 28 years old. United States portal WWE United States...
Backlund teamed with PedroMorales to capture the WWF Tag Team Championship from the Wild Samoans at Showdown at Shea. Backlund and Morales were forced to vacate...
Tony Garea and dominated the series. On October 4, 1982, he challenged PedroMorales for the Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship at Madison Square...
Championship (6 times) NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with PedroMorales NWA Florida Television Championship (1 time) Continental Wrestling Association...
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