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Alberto Torres (wrestler)

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Alberto Torres
Birth nameAlberto Torres
Born(1934-01-02)January 2, 1934
California, U.S.[1]
DiedJune 16, 1971(1971-06-16) (aged 37)[2]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Alberto Torres
Al Torres
Billed weight228 lb (103 kg) [3]
Billed fromSonora, Mexico[4]
Trained byEnrique Torres[1]
Debut1957

Alberto Torres (January 2, 1934 – June 16, 1971) was an American professional wrestler. Primarily a babyface throughout his career, he was a part of 'The Famous Torres Brothers' with Ramon & Enrique Torres in the 1950s and 60s as a both a tag team and singles competitor.[5] He wrestled primarily within the National Wrestling Alliance and California, where he was a multi-time NWA World Tag Team Champion, NWA United States Tag Team Championship and the NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (Georgia version).[6][7]

Early life

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Before entering professional wrestling, Alberto Torres' older brother Enrique was already a World Heavyweight Champion and an established star in the world of wrestling.[6] Alberto and his brother Ramon had aspirations of stardom themselves and wanted Enrique to help them break into the business. Enrique agreed to help them, with the condition that they learn the amateur style first and become competent shoot wrestlers. "I told both of them to join a wrestling team. They joined a wrestling team in San Francisco, at the YMCA and other places. Join a wrestling team and learn how to wrestle" Enrique stated.[5] After competing as amateurs, Enrique agreed to them becoming pros.

Professional wrestling career

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Ramón began his career in his native California and did not take long to establish himself in the territory.

Ramón and his brothers became the top babyface team in numerous territories throughout the NWA, including Florida, where they had noted rivalries with the Von Brauners and Keomuka & Matsuda.[8] The brothers continued to travel throughout North America, winning tag team gold from the Georgia and Tri-State territories in the American South to the Stampede Wrestling territory in Calgary.[9]

Enrique and Alberto wrestled a headliner match in Havana, Cuba the night that the Batista regime fell to Castro's rebel army in 1959 and returned to the US with the help of his Promoter, Benny Ginsberg and his Meyer Lansky connections in Cuba.

The three went on to be involved in a 'Vachon-Torres Brother War' in Georgia against the Vachon wrestling family in 1967.[10]

Death

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On June 13, 1971, Alberto and his partner “Cowboy” Bob Ellis were wrestling in an AWA Midwest Tag Team Championship tag team match against Ox Baker and the Claw in Verdigre, Nebraska. Alberto died on June 16 with the cause determined to be a result of heart disease and of a ruptured pancreas and other internal injuries.[5][11] This was worked into an angle in which Baker's Heart Punch was blamed to reinforce Baker's wrestling heel persona.

Championships and accomplishments

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[15]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Alberto Torres « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH – The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  2. ^ Saalbach, Axel. "Wrestlingdata.com – The World's Largest Wrestling Database". wrestlingdata.com. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  3. ^ https://www.oklafan.com/bios/view/385/. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. ^ "Alberto & Ramon Torres vs Art Mahalick & Mike Sharpe 7/8/ 1964 Los Angeles professional wrestling". October 7, 2016. Retrieved November 25, 2017 – via YouTube.
  5. ^ a b c "Bond to wrestling's past is lost with Torres' passing". slam.canoe.com. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  6. ^ a b Saalbach, Axel. "Wrestlingdata.com – The World's Largest Wrestling Database". wrestlingdata.com. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  7. ^ "Torres Brothers | Online World of Wrestling".
  8. ^ "Torres Brothers". Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  9. ^ Saalbach, Axel. "Wrestlingdata.com – The World's Largest Wrestling Database". wrestlingdata.com. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  10. ^ "Regional Territories: GCW".
  11. ^ Russo, Ric (June 15, 2000). "WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO . . . OX BAKER?". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  12. ^ AWA Midwest Tag Team Title history At wrestling-titles.com
  13. ^ Will, Gary; Duncan, Royal (2000). "Texas: NWA Texas Tag Team Title [Von Erich]". Wrestling Title Histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Pennsylvania: Archeus Communications. pp. 275–276. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  14. ^ "NWA Texas Tag Team Title [E. Texas]". wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
  15. ^ "Alberto Torres | Online World of Wrestling".
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