Puerto Rico's Wrestling Culture and Its Underrated Pro Wrestlers

When it comes to pro wrestling legacies, Puerto Rico is underrated. It lives in the shadows of the US, Japan, Canada, and Mexico but has carved an impressive path in pro wrestling.

Puerto Rico has always been synonymous with great professional wrestling action. In the 70s and 80s, the US territory had one of the hottest wrestling scenes in the world, where some of the biggest names from the US, Canada, and Mexico competed in various wrestling promotions.

It even had a legendary rivalry between its two biggest promotions. International Wrestling Association and World Wrestling Council. When the WWE visited Puerto Rico for the first time since the pandemic, the island was praised for how loud and appreciative the crowd was.

However, many familiar with Puerto Rican pro wrestling have pointed out that it had always been that way in Puerto Rico when it comes to "rassling." The local scene produced some of the most legendary wrestlers ever to lace boots.

In other words, wrestling was so big in Puerto Rico that it had its own competing promotions, and it even inspired music superstar Bad Bunny to become the person he is today.

Puerto Rico's Legendary Pro Wrestlers

Puerto Rico has produced several wrestling greats, such as WWE Hall of Famers Carlos Colon and Antonio Rocca.

However, when it comes to Puerto Rican legends, nobody else comes close to Pedro Morales, who was not only a WWE Hall of Famer but held the promotion's title belt for quite a long time.

According to Pantheon, Morales won not only the then-WWWF World Heavyweight Championship but also the promotion's United States Champion.

Upon his second run there, when Vince McMahon took over, and it became the WWF, he won both the Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship and Tag Team Championship.

That made him the promotion's first Triple Crown Champion and the first Latino to be recognized as a wrestling world champion.

During WWE's New Generation and Attitude Era, Savio Vega had established himself as one of Puerto Rican pro wrestling's biggest names, having competed in Japan and then the WWE.

He became Intercontinental Champion and was known for his epic feud with Stone Cold Steve Austin. Carlos Colon is known for raising some big names as well, including Primo Colon and Carlito Colon, the latter being best known as WWE star Carlito Caribbean Cool.

As for other Puerto Ricans in WWE, Damien Priest proudly shows off his love for his home territory, while Zelina Vega recently showed off and embraced her Puerto Rican heritage.

Puerto Rico's Wrestling Top Promotion

While the US has WWE and AEW, and Japan has New Japan Pro Wrestling, Puerto Rico has the World Wrestling Council (WWC), responsible for the US territory having such a rabid fanbase that WWE recently remembered it had.

Known originally as Capitol Sports Promotions, it was part of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) until it became bankrupt.

Carlos Colon and Victor Jovica then became its owners, soon becoming one of the largest wrestling companies in the world, though it would not rival the big 3, namely WWE, AEW, and NJPW.

Several wrestling legends and current stars competed under WWC, including Abdullah the Butcher, Randy Savage, Ric Flair, Dory Funk Jr., Dutch Mantell, and Bruiser Brody.

However, according to Bleacher Report, it did have two very well-known homegrown talents, including Carlito and Primo Colon.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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