Ruben Cruz (July 14, 1950 – January 22, 2020) was a Puerto Rican

professional wrestler Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...

, better known by his

ring name A ring name is a type of stage name or nickname used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons ...

Hercules Ayala. He competed in Canadian and international wrestling promotions including the eastern Canadian

Grand Prix Wrestling Grand Prix Wrestling (GPW) was a professional wrestling promotion run and owned by Emile Duprée. It toured parts of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. It has no connection with Paul Vachon's Grand Prix Wrestling promotion of Mo ...

, the

Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...

-based

Stampede Wrestling Stampede Wrestling was a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta. For nearly 50 years, it was one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies. Originally established by Stu Hart in 1948, the prom ...

New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) is a Puroresu, Japanese professional-wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, and based in Nakano, Tokyo. It is currently majority owned by card-game company Bushiroad, with TV As ...

in Japan and

World Wrestling Council The World Wrestling Council (WWC; Spanish: "Consejo Mundial de Lucha") is a professional wrestling promotion based in Puerto Rico. It was originally established as Capitol Sports Promotions in 1973 by Carlos Colón, Victor Jovica, and Goril ...

in Puerto Rico.

Professional wrestling career

Born in

Bayamón, Puerto Rico Bayamón (, ) is a Bayamón barrio-pueblo, city and Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality in Puerto Rico. Located on the northeastern coastal plain, it is bounded by Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, Guaynabo to the east, Toa Alta, Puerto Rico, Toa A ...

, Ayala was a fan of professional wrestling and admired Huracan Castillo. During the early-1970s, he traveled to the United States several months after his mother had left to live with her daughter and her grandchildren in

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

. While living in Boston, Cruz met former

National Wrestling Alliance The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is an American professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion and governing body owned by Billy Corgan and operated by its parent company Lightning One, Inc. Founded in 1948, the NWA be ...

wrestler

Angelo Savoldi Mario Louis Fornini (April 21, 1914 – September 20, 2013) was an Italian/American professional wrestler and wrestling promoter, better known professionally as Angelo Savoldi. At the time of his death, he was known as the world's oldest retired ...

working out at a local gym. After undergoing training with Savoldi, he was able to compete for the then

World Wide Wrestling Federation Capitol Wrestling Corporation (CWC) was an American sports promotion company. Run by Vincent J. McMahon from the 1950s until the 1980s, the company was originally a professional wrestling and boxing promotion and later became the holding company ...

from 1974 to 1975 as Ruben Ayala. In December 1976, Ayala and

tag team Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establis ...

partner

Victor Jovica Victor Jovica (born November 26, 1945) is a Croatian-born Puerto Rican semi-retired professional wrestler, and promoter. Along with Carlos Colón, he is the co-founder and promoter of Capitol Sports Promotions, now known as the World Wrestlin ...

won the

NWA North American Tag Team Championship (Puerto Rico/WWC version) The WWC North American Tag Team Championship, also known as the Puerto Rican version of the NWA North American Tag Team Championship, was a major tag team championship that was used and defended in Capitol Sports Promotions (CSP, later the Wor ...

from

Heigo Hamaguchi is a Japanese retired professional wrestler, better known by the ring name . During his career he was recognized as a talented tag team wrestler despite his relatively small size for a heavyweight, and today he is recognized as a trainer in both ...

and Gordon Nelson. In 1977, Cruz met

Bret Hart Bret Sergeant Hart (born July 2, 1957) is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. A member of the Hart wrestling family and a second-generation wrestler, he has an amateur wrestling background at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal U ...

and the

Dynamite Kid Thomas Wilton Billington (5 December 1958 – 5 December 2018), best known by the ring name the Dynamite Kid, was a British professional wrestler. Trained by former wrestler "Dr Death" Ted Betley, he competed in the World Wrestling Federatio ...

in Germany, and they introduced him to

Stu Hart Stewart Edward Hart (May 3, 1915 – October 16, 2003) was a Canadian sport wrestling, amateur and professional wrestling, professional wrestler, wrestling Booker (professional wrestling), booker, professional wrestling promotion, promoter, and ...

. Cruz worked in Canada for eight years. In Hart's

, Cruz held the

Stampede International Tag Team Championship The Stampede International Tag Team Championship was the main tag team title in the Canadian professional wrestling promotion Stampede Wrestling. It was created in 1958 as the NWA International Tag Team Championship (Calgary version). When promo ...

with

Jim Neidhart James Henry Neidhart (February 8, 1955 – August 13, 2018) was an American professional wrestler known for his appearances in the 1980s and 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation as Jim "the Anvil" Neidhart, where he was a two-time WWF Tag ...

. In addition to Stampede, he wrestled for

Lutte Internationale Lutte Internationale (; "International Wrestling") was a professional wrestling promotion based in Montreal from 1980 until 1987. The promotion was founded by Frank Valois, André the Giant and Gino Brito as Promotions Varoussac (VAlois, ROUSSim ...

. In January 1987, he defeated David Shultz for the

Canadian International Heavyweight Championship The Canadian International Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship that was defended in the American promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). It was originally the top singles title in the Montreal-based wrestl ...

, but lost it to

Abdullah the Butcher Lawrence Robert Shreve (born January 11, 1941), better known by the ring name Abdullah the Butcher, is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. He has a reputation for being involved in some of the most violent and bloody hardcore wrestling mat ...

approximately one month later. After returning to Puerto Rico, he began working for the Capital Sports Promotion (later renamed to

). He feuded with

Killer Tim Brooks Timothy Paul Brooks (December 4, 1946 – June 30, 2020), better known by his ring name "Killer" Tim Brooks, was an American professional wrestler. He competed in North American regional promotions, including the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA ...

, Kevin Sullivan and

Hercules Hernandez Raymond Constantine Fernandez Jr. (May 7, 1956 – March 6, 2004) was an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler better known by his ring name Hercules Hernandez, or simply Hercules. Fernandez began his career in 1979, primarily w ...

. In March 1985, he defeated

Randy Savage Randy Mario Poffo (November 15, 1952 – May 20, 2011), better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler and professional baseball player, best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation ( ...

to win the

WWC North American Heavyweight Championship The WWC North American Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship defended in the Puerto Rican promotion, the World Wrestling Council. Created in 1974, it was the primary singles championship of the promotion until the cre ...

. He also wrestled

Ric Flair Richard Morgan Fliehr (born February 25, 1949), known professionally as Ric Flair, is an American retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Flair's career spanned 50 years. He is ...

for the NWA title. In the summer of 1987 Ayala suggested to the WWC office that he turn heel after years working as a babyface. He feuded with

Carlos Colon Carlos may refer to: Places ;Canada * Carlos, Alberta, a locality ;United States * Carlos, Indiana, an unincorporated community * Carlos, Maryland, a place in Allegany County * Carlos, Minnesota, a small city * Carlos, West Virginia ;Elsewhe ...

over the WWC Universal Heavyweight Title and hired

Chicky Starr José Anibal Laureano Colón (born June 24, 1958) is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler and manager. He is better known by his ring name, Chicky Starr. He is best known for his work in the World Wrestling Council (WWC) and International Wrest ...

as his manager. His feud with Carlos Colon reached its peak when Ayala attacked Nancy Coates, Carlos Colon's wife, at a WWC banquet award ceremony. On January 6, 1989, he lost a loser leaves town match to Colon and disappeared from the territory. In 1992, he worked as booker in Puerto Rico for the American Wrestling Federation, where he reunited with manager Chicky Starr and was the AWF champion until he lost the championship to Huracán Castillo Jr. Between 1995 and 1996, he made some appearances at the World Wrestling Council and feuded against Bronco l. In 2011, Hercules Ayala returned to the World Wrestling Council and dedicated the 2011 WWC Anniversary Card to him. He was also inducted to the Prairie Wrestling Alliance Hall of Fame.

Personal life

Cruz met his wife Susan while he was wrestling in Canada. They had two daughters together, and Cruz had a son from a previous relationship . After retiring from professional wrestling, Cruz settled in

St. Albert, Alberta St. Albert is a List of cities in Canada, city in Alberta, Canada, next to the Sturgeon River (Alberta), Sturgeon River, northwest of the Edmonton, City of Edmonton, the provincial capital. It was originally settled as a Métis community, and is ...

, and worked for a fencing company. He is the godfather to fellow wrestler

Ángel Acevedo Ángel Acevedo (born January 27, 1941) is a Puerto Rican retired professional wrestler known by his ring name The Cuban Assassin and for his appearances with Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling, World Wrestling Council and Stampede Wrestling. Ángel A ...

's daughter. He died on January 22, 2020 at age 69.

Championships and accomplishments

*Americas Wrestling Federation **AWF World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) **AWF World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Invader IV * Big Time Wrestling **

NWA World Tag Team Championship The NWA World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling World Tag Team Championship, world tag team championship created by the National Wrestling Alliance. From 1948 to 1982, the NWA allowed List of National Wrestling Alliance territories ...

( 1 time) – with Ali Mustafa * Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fame **Class of 2012 *European Wrestling Union **World Super Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *

( 1 time) *

Prairie Wrestling Alliance The Prairie Wrestling Alliance (PWA, formerly Prairie Wrestling Association) was a independent wrestling promotion based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and founded 2001. The PWA was co-owned, operated, and promoted by Kurt Sorochan. Lance Storm is ...

**PWA Hall of Fame - 2008 *

( 1 time) – with

WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship The WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship is a secondary title contested for in the Puerto Rican professional wrestling promotion, the World Wrestling Council (WWC). The title has been in use since 1975. Prior to being defended in the WWC, it wa ...

( 3 times) **

( 1 time) **

WWC North American Tag Team Championship The WWC North American Tag Team Championship, also known as the Puerto Rican version of the NWA North American Tag Team Championship, was a major tag team championship that was used and defended in Capitol Sports Promotions (CSP, later the Worl ...

( 1 time) – with

WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Championship The WWC Puerto Rico Championship is the secondary professional wrestling championship that is defended by the World Wrestling Council based in Puerto Rico. The title was created in January 1974 and, as its name suggests, is defended exclusively wi ...

( 5 times) **

WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship The WWC Junior Heavyweight Championship is a championship contested for in the Puerto Rican professional wrestling promotion, the World Wrestling Council. While weight classes are generally not strictly adhered to in professional wrestling today ...

( 3 times) **

WWC World Tag Team Championship The WWC World Tag Team Championship is the tag team title contested for in the Puerto Rico, Puerto Rican professional wrestling promotion, the World Wrestling Council. History Abroad (2017) On February 11, 2017, Thunder and Lightning defended t ...

( 1 time) – with

King Tonga Tonga Uliuli Fifita (born February 10, 1959) is a Tongan professional wrestler best known for his appearances in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) under the ring name Haku and his appearances with ...

WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship The WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling Championship (professional wrestling)#World championships, world heavyweight championship and the top title contested for in the Puerto Rico, Puerto Rican professional wrestlin ...

( 3 times)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ayala, Hercules 1950 births 2020 deaths Sportspeople from Bayamón, Puerto Rico Puerto Rican male professional wrestlers Professional wrestling executives Puerto Rican emigrants to Canada Businesspeople from Alberta Professional wrestlers from Alberta Sportspeople from St. Albert, Alberta Stampede Wrestling alumni 20th-century male professional wrestlers 21st-century male professional wrestlers WWC Universal Heavyweight Champions WWC Puerto Rico Champions Stampede Wrestling International Tag Team Champions NWA World Tag Team Champions (Texas version) WWC World Tag Team Champions WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Champions