Puerto Rico Wrestling

[BillThompson]

I'm waiting, very patiently, for the 80s PR set, have a feeling it will effect my GOAT rankings big time.

[kayfabe1984]

EDIT

 

Wrong thread. Sorry.

Edited October 6, 2014 by kayfabe1984

[DylanZero]

I would love to see more of the current stuff from this scene and in general find it fascinating. The historical stuff we've seen and gone through in this thread alone (special thanks to El Boricua for doing such a great job with his backstories and general knowledge) has really been great stuff and just great passion shown all around.

 

Anyway, main point is I've looked fairly hard for some current WWC and the like and I'm more or less at a loss. So just someone out there let me know if there's a YT channel, website, anywhere I can watch this stuff? Or is this endeavor just hopeless? Especially with Aniversario coming up soon that seems a great place to start watching if possible so it would seem relevant to ask here. Even another PR promotion would be pretty cool, but WWC is the one I'm most familiar with today.

[El Boricua]

If you're looking for current WWC, you can find it at the following link:

 

http://www.bumbia.com/wwc/

 

They're only posting the Saturday shows there now.

 

And on the Aniversario front, they've announced that El Patron will not be able to appear, it will be avaialble on iPPV, and that the event will be dedicated this year to Chicky Starr.

[Tim Evans]

So after all the build they put into the Ray Gonzalez/Patron match, he won't be there? That's nice. I know the Colons have certain dates they can work with WWC but I found it odd that WWE would let them work a show with Alberto.

[sek69]

WWE seems to be treading very carefully not to be seen as doing anything like that since it appears by all accounts Alberto could own them if all the racism shit came out.

[DylanZero]

If you're looking for current WWC, you can find it at the following link:

 

http://www.bumbia.com/wwc/

 

They're only posting the Saturday shows there now.

 

And on the Aniversario front, they've announced that El Patron will not be able to appear, it will be avaialble on iPPV, and that the event will be dedicated this year to Chicky Starr.

So I just want to say I watched the first match from the latest episode of Las Superestrellas and that kick flurry Rikochet does pretty much made him by far my favorite wrestler who uses that name in the business. This seems like it'll be a real fun show to follow. Thanks for getting me started! Is there a price for the Aniversario PPV and where can I get it? UStream like everybody else or their own deal? Too bad about Patron not being there, wonder if Ricardo/Chimera is taking his place in whatever they had planned?

[El Boricua]

Don't know the details of the provider for the iPPV yet, but they've said it's going to be $15. El Patron not appearing may be related to AAA dates taking priority for him, he's apparently booked in Tijuana the day before Aniversario. Whatever they're going to do now will probably be clear this coming weekend when Ricardo Rodriguez is expected to appear with a special message for Ray.

[JerryvonKramer]

Anyone know if this match actually took place?

 

 

I can't find any record of it.

 

That "Texas Death Match" sign is hilariously shoddy.

[goc]

On the same disc as the contract signing there is this:

Match: Clip of Invader #1 defeating Dory Funk Jr. to win the WWC P.R. Title (Terry Funk comes in & attacks Invader afterwards,Title Change 10/16/82)

 

I'll check it out sometime in the next couple days, I gotta copy that disc anyway.

[El Boricua]

On the same disc as the contract signing there is this:

Match: Clip of Invader #1 defeating Dory Funk Jr. to win the WWC P.R. Title (Terry Funk comes in & attacks Invader afterwards,Title Change 10/16/82)

 

I'll check it out sometime in the next couple days, I gotta copy that disc anyway.

 

Yes, that's the one. Terry's post match attack set up a match between Invader and Terry around the beginning of November.

[goc]

JVK let me know if you want me to put it on youtube for you.

[JerryvonKramer]

Cheers, goc, depends on how long the clip is I guess.

[JerryvonKramer]

By the way, here's the weird thing about that match. They mention on the tape that it's signed for October 16th ... but according to Clawmaster's record books, Dory was not in Puerto Rico at all that month in 1983:

 

Wednesday, October 12, 1983 – Memorial Auditorium – Spartanburg, SC
1) Ric Flair & Roddy Piper (sub. Wahoo McDaniel) & Mark Youngblood defeated Dory Funk, Jr. & Dick Slater & Mark Lewin (w/ Gary Hart)
This was a television taping with eight more matches advertised including Baron Von Raschke, Greg Valentine, Bugsy McGraw, Charlie Brown, Chavo Guerrero, Bob Orton, Jr., Kevin Sullivan and The Assassins.

Thursday, October 13, 1983 - unknown arena - Orange, VA
1) Kevin Sullivan defeated Vinnie Valentino
2) Mark Lewin defeated Steve Muslim
3) Chavo Guerrero defeated The Ninja
4) Charlie Brown & Johnny Weaver defeated Bob Orton, Jr. & Baron Von Raschke via DQ
5) Ric Flair defeated Dory Funk, Jr.

Saturday, October 15, 1983 - Civic Center - Roanoke, VA
1) Gene Anderson defeated Keith Larsen
2) Scott McGhee defeated Kelly Kiniski
3) The Assassins defeated Bugsy McGraw & Brickhouse Brown
4) Dick Slater defeated Dory Funk, Jr.
5) Charlie Brown & Mark Youngblood defeated Baron Von Raschke & Gary Hart

Sunday, October 16, 1983 - Coliseum - Greensboro, NC
1) Dory Funk, Jr. & Bugsy McGraw & Mark Youngblood defeated Paul Jones & The Assassins
2) Scott McGhee defeated The Magic Dragon
3) Terry Gibbs defeated Tom Lintz
4) Gene Anderson defeated Keith Larsen
5) Jack Brisco & Jerry Brisco vs. Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood
6) Wahoo McDaniel defeated Dick Slater via DQ
7) Baron Von Raschke vs. Charlie Brown
8) Steel Cage Match: Ric Flair defeated Bob Orton, Jr.

Sunday, October 16, 1983 - unknown arena - Fayetteville, NC
1) Vinnie Valentino defeated The Ninja
2) Kevin Sullivan & Mark Lewin defeated Scott McGhee & John Bonello
3) Dory Funk, Jr. defeated Chavo Guerrero
4) Charlie Brown defeated Baron Von Raschke
5) Ric Flair & Wahoo McDaniel defeated Bob Orton, Jr. & Dick Slater

Thursday, October 20, 1983 - Sumter County Exhibition Center - Sumter, SC
1) Vinnie Valentino defeated Tim Gerrard
2) Gary Royal defeated Ric McCord
3) Chavo Guerrero defeated The Ninja
4) Kevin Sullivan defeated Keith Larsen
5) Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion Rufus R. Jones defeated Dory Funk, Jr.
6) Tag Team Champions Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood defeated Jack Brisco & Jerry Brisco

 

Is the video wrongly dated? Dory was booking Crockett in 83, so makes sense that he was around Mid-Atlantic.

 

I can't find any Dory vs. Invader matches listed until back in 1980. There's this:

 

Friday, October 17, 1980 - Juan Pachín Vicéns Auditorium - Ponce, PR
1) El Gran Apollo vs. Luke Graham
2) Big Red vs. Toru Tanaka
3) Dory Funk, Jr. vs. Invader #1
4) Invader #2 vs. Pierre Martel
5) Gama Singh & The Destroyer vs. Johnny Rivera & José Miguel Pérez
6) Dutch Mantell & Danny Condrey vs. Mighty Igor & Jay Strongbow

 

Or did the match happen a lot later?

 

Not a particularly big deal, just trying to do a rough timeline for the Funks and can't make head nor tail of this clip of Dory in PR in 1983. Surely it can't be 83?

[El Boricua]

It's October 16, 1982. Invader was in WWF in November of 83.

[Tim Evans]

Apparently at Anniversario this past weekend, Jerry Lawler sent in a video for Chicky Starr's celebration and challenged him to a match in January to crown a true King of Wrestling. If that happens, I can't wait to see it. Has Lawler ever wrestled in Puerto Rico? Also Anniversario looked like it was awful with two straight DQ finishes including one in the hardcore match.

[goc]

Cheers, goc, depends on how long the clip is I guess.

I didn't put it up because there is pretty much NONE of the match. All we see is Invader get a pin and then as the ref has his back turned Invader tapes his fist up and KOs Dory with it to keep him down for the 10 count for the Texas Death Match. Then we see Terry jump him afterwards, but none of the actual match.

[Cobra Commander]

Has Lawler ever wrestled in Puerto Rico?

he did cut a promo for a match with Jose Rivera in an unspecified year

[sek69]

Apparently at Anniversario this past weekend, Jerry Lawler sent in a video for Chicky Starr's celebration and challenged him to a match in January to crown a true King of Wrestling. If that happens, I can't wait to see it. Has Lawler ever wrestled in Puerto Rico? Also Anniversario looked like it was awful with two straight DQ finishes including one in the hardcore match.

 

 

The show kind of got fucked up since the main event angle was supposed to be Alberto vs Ray Gonzalez until Alberto remembered he was booked in Mexico that weekend and they had to substitute Ricardo instead.

[BArthur]

This is one of the specific reasons I got an account here. I've been watching a lot of old WWC stuff lately, solely on the recommendation of the Colon/Hansen feud, which I enjoyed the fuck out of. I'll post some thoughts on matches I've watched that haven't been covered in this thread already.

[BArthur]

Carlos Colon vs Boris Zhukov- 1986

-I've seen absolutely nothing of Zhukov outside of his Bolsheviks run,

-Colon, I've seen a little bit of his stuff now and the more I see, the more I like

-This is from a large basketball arena and the seats go right up to ringside, giving it a big match feel.

-Seriously these Puerto Rican crowds are nuts, I'm one of those guys that uses crowd heat as a big factor in my enjoyment of a match.

--Hammerlock reversal sequence to start. Zhukov gains control and works on the arm, and continues do so until missing a charge into the corner, which generates a big pop. Colon throws punches in the corner before beginning to work on Zhukov's arm. This sequence goes on for quite some time, until Zhukov hits a headbutt to the gut out of the corner. Zhukov with some stiff elbows and a hangman for 2. He throws Colon to the outside.

After being knocked off the apron twice Colon makes it back into the ring. They trade punches in the corner. Colon gets the advantage, and the crowd comes un-fucking-glued.

Colon charges the corner and gets hit with a knee from Zhukov, which gets 2. Colon is tossed into the ropes and comes back with a Sunset Flip for the win.

-Fairly short at under 10min, but great heat, and no restholds.

-Pretty stiff strikes here from Boris Zhukov, and I didn't think much of him during his WWF run.

-I could see how Colon's over-expressive, cartwheel filled comebacks wouldn't be for everyone but you can't argue that they work in this time and place. I'm digging them more as I watch these matches just for the crowd reaction alone.

[BArthur]

Randy Savage vs Hercules Ayala- March 2/1985

-Awsome pre-taped promo from Savage to start about how he's the worlds greatest athlete, sexiest wrestler, and Ayala is nothing. Possibly shot in the office of a neglected community center though. Somewhat subdued compared to Savage's WWF mic stuff but the groundwork was there

-For the WWC North American Belt

-From an 80's commercial release by Eddie (Grimes?) productions with awful-ish dubbed in commentary. Awful-ish because despite the fact that they (I don't recognize the voices or hear the names of these two guys) put over the characters well, their voices and delivery are SO grating.

-Pretty Good Heat for Savage as fans are in his face, and throwing garbage as he walks to the ring.

-If you're not familiar, Hercules Ayala is a bigger brawling type, who kind of looks like a Puerto Rican version of Steve Williams.

-Savage stalls and parades around for a bit, they brawl around outside to start. Once they get going, Savage dominates for the first 6-7 min followed by a bit of back and forth until Savage takes a sweet looking bump off a missed charge and ends up upside down in the ropes. Ayala makes the comeback until Savage pulls a chain from his tights and nails Ayala with it to regain the advantage. Savage does the "hide the object" routine with the ref. Flying Elbow misses but Savage uses and hides the chain again for 2. This routine would work better if this referee wasn't so shitty at looking away. Savage tries to go for the chain again but Ayala wrestles it away. He hits Savage with it in front of the ref who stares blankly at them with no attempt to look away, before counting the 3. Ayala wins the title and the fans go fucking crazy.

-The crowd is standing room only, and very vocal throughout the match which adds to the atmosphere immensely. Savage is his typical awsome 80's self, bumping as well as HBK or Hennig ever did. Ayala plays his role well, if unspectacular. I liked his expressions during the comeback.

For the under 15min length, I liked that there wasn't a very extended middle heat segment. That's to say I thought the timing of the false comebacks really kept the crowd invested. Something I'm missing when I see current product is guys only playing to the hard camera and not the live crowd.

[Parties]

I just opened this thread for the first time and have a lot more to go through, but the first couple pages alone are revelatory and Puerto Rican wrestling is the new greatest thing ever. We need more Chicky Starrs and Billy Joe Travises in sports entertainment. Colon's portrait should be on the wall of every modern pro wres writers' room, to enforce the notion of booking to strengths and around limitations.

[goc]

I am kind of holding off on jumping all the way in on Puerto Rico, waiting for something better than hopping around youtube. I did just watch Billy Joe Travis vs. Hugo Savinovich and it's REALLY awesome. Too bad it seems like BJT didn't have much of a run in Puerto Rico. I would love to see more of him in Puerto Rico being pelted with garbage and taking dropkicks on the home plate of baseball stadiums.

[Wade Garrett]

I really enjoy older Puerto Rico. The atmosphere alone really elevates everything about the big matches.