World Wrestling Council

Pwcompanybox
name= World Wrestling Council


acronym=WWC
established= September 13, 1973
folded=
style=
location= Puerto Rico
founder= Carlos Colon, Victor Jovica and Gorilla Monsoon
owner=Victor Jovica
parent=
sister=
formerly=Capitol Sports Promotions
website= http://www.superestrellaswwc.com/|

The World Wrestling Council (WWC) is one of Puerto Rico's two main professional wrestling promotions, the other one being the International Wrestling Association. The organization is also known as "WWC".

WWC produces "WWC Superestrellas de la Lucha Libre" weekly wrestling TV show, which airs every Saturday & Sunday at 12:00pm-1:00pm AST on WAPA-TV and "WAPA America", Saturday & Sunday 12:00-2:00pm EST on SuperCanal 33 in the Dominican Republic (until May, 2007)

History

Capitol Sports Promotions

The World Wrestling Council was founded on September 13, 1973, as Capitol Sports Promotions, with Carlos Colon, Victor Jovica and Gorilla Monsoon as promoters/co-owners of the organization. WWC/Capitol Sports Promotions was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) until late 1988.

Capitol Sports Promotions gained fame in Puerto Rican homes soon after their TV show, "Super Estrellas de la Lucha Libre", went on-air every weekend on channel 4, WAPA-TV. The taped show is still aired on weekends (both Saturday and Sunday for two hours until March 2008 when the TV show was reduced to 1 hour on both Saturdays & Sundays due to declining ratings). From 1973 to 1980 it also had shows on Channel 11 (for "Telecadena Perez Perry" before the channel went off the air, and after the return of the same channel as "Teleonce"), on channel 7 on Sunday evenings at 6pm (after horse racing), and even had a show at one time on Telemundo channel 2 on Saturday mornings at 10am

Capitol Sports Promotions began touring all over the island, and with the golden era of boxing in Puerto Rico limited only to Ponce and the metropolitan area of Puerto Rico, Capitol Sports Promotions took their shows to many, inner country towns where people were not used to seeing live in-ring sports events. As a result, Capitol's shows usually filled the smaller town arenas.

Early stars, apart from Colon, included Barrabas, El Tigre Perez, Hugo Savinovich, Gorilla Monsoon, Huracan Castillo and others. Famous wrestling tag-teams included Los Super Medicos, Los Invaders and others.

Many American stars came to Puerto Rico to wrestle for Capitol Sports Promotions during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Such were the cases of Randy Savage, Ric Flair, Bruiser Brody, Dory Funk, Jr. and others.

In 1983, Rickin Sanchez had taken over as Capitol's main promoter, as well as becoming one of the organization's broadcasters on the television shows. He was joined by the already retired Savinovich, to form one of Puerto Rico's most famous broadcasting duos in history, which complemented the narrations of the matches by Joaquin Padin JR. Some time later, Rickin Sanchez (and his production company R & F Television) left the production of "Super Estrellas.." due to some disagreements with the ownership of WWC, and then Hugo Savinovich became the main host of the programs.

World Wrestling Council

By the middle 1990s, the organization changed its official name to the World Wrestling Council. Women also began to have an ever increasing presence in the organization during that decade, with La Tigresa leading the way.

With the turn of the century came a turn of events for the WWC that almost destroyed the franchise. A small promotion, called International Wrestling Association, promoted by Victor Quinones, became a big competitor when it made an alliance with giant WWF and started featuring American superstars. Suddenly, WWC had to change its ways and realize that they were not the only game in town.

Since then, Puerto Rican wrestling talent has jumped from the WWC to the IWA, and vice-versa. But, in the last months of 2004, Carly Colon ("Carlito") was signed to WWE.

2007

On June 24, WWC held an event called Noche de Campeones (Night of Champions) on which WWC former Tag Team Champions Thunder and Lightning made a comeback. They feuded La Amenaza de la Destrucción (Menace of Destruction), formed by La Amenaza Bryan and Black Pain, both of them former Universal Heavyweight Champions. IWA official booker and TNA Spanish commentator Hector Melendez signed a contract with WWC to perform similar tasks.

On July 13 the company celebrated their 34th Anniversary, taking place in Coliseo de Puerto Rico. The main event was Carlito Caribbean Cool vs Scott Hall, because Scott Hall had said in interviews that Carlito is just a “Mini Razor”. This event also included the Bruiser Brody Cup, whose winner would win the cup and get a shot for any title. The winners were Cuban Connection Ricky Santana and Fidel Sierra but a new tag team called Legion of Armageddon appeared and won the match and a shot for the Tag Team Championships. El Profe made his comeback to WWC and became the manager of this tag team.

Following Aniversario, several wrestlers debuted in WWC and formed a stable of masked wrestlers called Encapuchados, formed by Biggie, Jeffrey and later joined by Stefano and Niche. Joe Bravo also signed with WWC and appeared on an event called Guerra en el Norte (War in North) celebrated at Vega Baja. At this moment, WWC has good relationships with wrestling companies in Japan and the United States. Carlos Colon was in conversations with WWE executives in order to evaluate the possibility of WWC once again becoming a WWE developmental territory.

2008

During the holiday recess a group of personnel were either released or renounced, among them several wrestlers that were holding championships. Among them are Biggie Size, Television Champion "Superstar" Ash Rubinsky, booker and announcer Moody Melendez (he quit, and after February 17, 2008 will work for AAA), Jumpin' Jeff Jeffrey and Xtefy, La Morena, Amazona and heel group " Los Templarios", on January 6, 2008. WWC also held an event called Euphoria on the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum on the same date. None of the wrestlers showed up on the WWC event, but later some of them showed up at IWA's event, seeing the Universal Champion come out to challenge IWA's Champion at the time, Blitz, for a "unification bout" (this "unification bout" was not recognized by WWC). On one instance during the show, the now former Universal Champion came out to the public with the belt until representatives from WWC came out to retrieve the belt in the middle of the show, under the criticism of IWA officials.

The day after, Carlos Colon spoke in an interview with local newspaper Primera Hora about the situation with the Universal Championship belt. He challenged IWA officials to surrender the belt or face legal action. This threat vanished as IWA surrendered the belt the following day.

In February, on an event called "La Hora De La Verdad", a tournament to choose two new contenders began, that would wrestle in "Aniversario 2008" to crown a new Universal Heavyweight Champion. In April 2008, Ray Gonzalez, who was wrestling in IWA returned to WWC under a mask, naming himself "El Cóndor". Gonzalez asked for a chance to compete in the tounament, eventually receiving permission.

On July 19, at "Aniversario 2008", the final of the tournament to determine a new Universal champion was won by Noriega. After 36 days with the title, he left the company while still the champion, signing a contract with a promotion named EWO. [cite web| url=http://www.wrestlevent.com/2008/Noticias_Principales.section/paginas/articulo10ceae599.html| title=Oficial la "Rebeldia"| publisher=Wrestleevent Entertainment| language=Spanish| date=2008-08-27| accessdate=2008-08-27]

In September 20, in the event Septiembre Negro Ray Gonzalez beat Shane to win the vacant WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship.

Roster

Current

* Angel
* Aquiles
* BJ
* El Hombre de la Mascara
* Charles Evans
* El Wizard
* El Comandante
* El Bronco
* Ray Gonzalez
* El Profe (Manager)
* Sexy Marie
* Killer Kat
* Huracan Castillo Jr.
* Slash Venom
* Johnny Styles
* Steve Corino
* Tommy Diablo
* Abvriela
* Ricky (Mini Profe)
* Los Gemelos D'Jour (Tag Team)
* El Paparazzi
* Orlando Colon(injured)
* Rico Suave
* Los Renegados del Infierno
* Shane
* The Texas Outlaws-Todd Dean & Bad Boy Bradley (Tag Team)
* Thunder & Lighting

Annual Events

*Euphoria
*La Hora de la Verdad
*Camino a la Gloria
*Honor vs Traición
*Summer Madness
*Aniversario
*Septiembre Negro
*Halloween Wrestling Xtravaganza
*Crossfire
*Lockout

Championships

Current

Defunct and inactive

ee also

*List of famous Puerto Ricans-Sports
*Sports in Puerto Rico

References

External links

* [http://www.superestrellaswwc.com/ Official Site] (in Spanish)
* [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/pr/wwc/ WWC Title Histories]