We’re saddened to report that WWE Hall of Famer Pedro Morales has passed away at the age of 76.
Morales was a highly decorated man in the world of professional wrestling, and in the WWE (formerly WWWF) he managed to capture the Intercontinental Championship, Tag Team Championship, and World Heavyweight Championship, becoming the company’s first ever Triple Crown Champion.
Morales is one of the top-5 longest reigning WWE Champions in history, with a recognized reign at 1,027 days, and was also the first Hispanic champion. During his run, he picked up wins over the likes of Stan Stasiak, Ernie Ladd, and Ray Stevens, and even fought Bruno Sammartino to a draw for the belt in a match that lasted over seventy-five minutes at the 1972 Showdown of Shea, which is still considered one of the greatest matches of all time by many.
However, most remember him more for his second run in the company, where he went on to hold the Intercontinental Championship longer than anyone, with a total of 619 days between two runs with the belt. Currently, the only superstar close to that record is The Miz, who is only 22 days shy of tying Morales.
