A top fan favorite in the 1960s and ’70s, Pedro Morales is a former WWWF World
Heavyweight Champion.  He was the first man to have held the WWWF World,
Intercontinental and World Tag Team Titles.  Morales was most popular in the northeast and
in California.  He formed a successful tag team with Miguel Perez.

  Born in Puerto Rico, Morales grew up in New York City and made his pro-debut in the
wrestling world in 1958.  It wasn’t long before he was working for Vince McMahon and
appearing at the famous Madison Square Garden.  Morales and Perez beat Brute Bernard
and Skull Murphy at the Garden on December 16, 1963.  Also in New York, West Coast
Superstar Fred Blassie beat Pedro on November 16, 1964.  The following year, while in
California, he won the WWA World Heavyweight Title.  In 1971, Morales would win his second
major World Heavyweight Title with a defeat of Ivan Koloff, the man who had taken the title
from “Living Legend” Bruno Sammartino.  The date was February 8th and a huge Madison
Square Garden audience cheered as he was crowned WWWF World Champion.

  During his reign, promoters in the WWWF rejoined the National Wrestling Alliance and the
World Title he won became a regional championship under the NWA World Title.  There was
no question that the WWWF Heavyweight Title was one of the most respected in all of the
world.  Morales was meeting the top contenders and packing arenas wherever he traveled.  
He pinned George Steele on August 12, 1972 in Boston at the Garden.  Morales beat Ernie
Ladd on September 2, 1972 in New York’s Madison Square Garden in 15:50 to retain his
WWWF Heavyweight Title.

  Later in the month, Morales appeared at Shea Stadium before a draw of 22,500 plus fans
to defend his championship against former champion and favorite, Bruno Sammartino.  The
date was September 30th.  After 76-minutes of wrestling action, the match was called a draw
due to the midnight closing hour.  The match was a classic.  Many speculated if the two were
going to be matched up again at the outdoor baseball stadium.  He received a challenge from
Moondog Mayne, a Captain Lou Albano protégé, in early 1973.  Morales remained the
champion through December 1, 1973 when Morales was upset by Stan Stasiak, a heart-
punch specialist, at the Philadelphia Arena.  He toured many National Wrestling Alliance
territories.

  Along with the WWF Heavyweight Champion, Bob Backlund, Morales captured the WWF
World Tag Team Title from the Samoans on August 9, 1980 before 36,000 at Shea Stadium.  
After a short reign, the two champs returned the belts to the federation.  He captured the
Intercontinental Title from Ken Patera on December 8, 1980 in New York City.  He entered a
feud with Don Muraco and the Grand Wizard led wrestler seemed to be on his way to
capturing the championship.  Muraco beat Morales on June 20, 1981 in Philadelphia at the
Spectrum, for the title.  The battle over the I-C Title was not yet over.  Morales regained the
title, becoming the first ever to do so, on November 23rd in New York.

  On January 22, 1983, Muraco again beat Morales for the Intercontinental Title.  It would be
the last the two would trade the title.  On July 8, 1985, Morales defeated Johnny Valiant to
earn his way into the second round of the King of the Ring Tournament in Foxboro,
Massachusetts.  His second round opponent never made it past the initial round, and Pedro
walked into the semi’s.  There, he faced a former enemy of the past, Don Muraco.  Muraco
beat Morales that night and won the tournament with a victory.  He competed in the Chicago
Battle Royal on April 7, 1986 at WrestleMania II.

  Morales was a hugely popular figure in pro-wrestling and set many firsts in the World
Wrestling Federation.  He was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame on June 24, 1995 in
Philadelphia.

Title History:

  -NWA Americas Heavyweight Title (1965) defeated The Destroyer
  -A two-time WWA World Heavyweight Champion
          -Defeated The Destroyer (1965)
          -Defeated Luke Graham (1965)
  -A four-time co-holder of the WWA World Tag Team Title
          w/ Luis Hernandez (1966) defeated Buddy Austin and El Mongol
          w/ Mark Lewin (1966) defeated El Shereef and Hard Boiled Haggerty
          w/ Ricky Romero (1967) defeated El Shereef and Hard Boiled Haggerty
          w/ Victor Rivera (1967) defeated Mike DiBiase and Karl Gotch
  -WWWF World Heavyweight Title (1971-’73) defeated Ivan Koloff
  -NWA Southern Heavyweight Title (1978) defeated
  -Co-holder of the WWF World Tag Team Title (1980) w/ Bob Backlund
  -A two-time WWF Intercontinental Champion
          -Defeated Ken Patera (1980)
          -Defeated Don Muraco (1981)
  -A two-time WWC North American Heavyweight Champion
          -Defeated Buddy Landel (1983)
          -Defeated Sweet Daddy Siki (1984)



Research by Tim Hornbaker
Pedro Morales Wrestling History
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