WWE Hall of Famer Pedro Morales Dead at 76

WWE Hall of Famer and former WWWF Heavyweight Champion Pedro Morales died at the age of 76 on [...]

By Connor Casey

WWE Hall of Famer and former WWWF Heavyweight Champion Pedro Morales died at the age of 76 on Tuesday, according to WWE.com.

"WWE extends its condolences to Morales' family, friends and fans," the company website wrote.

A native of Puerto Rico, Morales is best known from his time in the World Wide Wrestling Federation from 1970-75 and again from 1980-87. In his only reign as world champion from 1971-73, Morales held what would eventually become the WWE Championship for 1,027 consecutive days.

Morales made his wrestling debut at age 17 in 1959 and initially rose to popularity in the Worldwide Wrestling Associates promotion in California starting in 1965. He held the WWA World Heavyweight Championship twice and the World Tag Team Championships on four occasions with four different partners over the next three years, and in 1970 signed with Vince McMahon Sr. to join the WWWF. He won his first title with the company, the WWWF United States Heavyweight Championship, in January 1971 by defeating Freddie Blassie and captured the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship from Ivan Koloff just one month later.

Throughout his reign Morales, the first Latin American world champion in WWWF history, worked with the likes of Ray Stevens, Stan Stasiak, Blue Demon, Ernie Ladd, George "The Animal" Steele, Mr. Fuji, The Shiek and even Bruno Sammartino. Morales dropped the title to Stasiak in December 1973, who held it for just nine days before dropping it to Sammartino.

But Morales was far from finished. After stints with the NWA, AWA, Championship Wrestling from Florida and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Morales made his way back to McMahon's promotion (now the World Wrestling Federation) in 1980. After winning the WWF Tag Team Championships in with Bob Backlund in April of that year, Morales became the first wrestler in company history to ever become a triple crown champion as he won the Intercontinental Championship from Ken Patera in December 1980. No wrestler would become a triple crown champion again in the WWF until Bret Hart won the WWF Championship from Ric Flair in October 1992.

Morales still holds the record for most days as Intercontinental Champion at 619 days across two reigns. The Miz is close to breaking Morales' record at 599 (recognized) days, though he has held the title eight times.

After retiring from in-ring work in November 1987, Morales worked as a Spanish-language commentator for both WWF and WCW. He was named to the WWF Hall of Fame in 1995 alongside The Grand Wizard, The Fabulous Moolah, Ivan Putski, Steele, Ladd and Antonino Rocca.

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