{"id":18809,"date":"2018-05-13T17:42:38","date_gmt":"2018-05-13T21:42:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonprowrestling.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=18809"},"modified":"2018-05-13T17:42:38","modified_gmt":"2018-05-13T21:42:38","slug":"the-victor-quinones-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2018\/05\/13\/the-victor-quinones-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Remembering Vit\u00edn: The Victor Qui\u00f1ones Story"},"content":{"rendered":"

Promoter, manager, referee, businessman, those are some of the characteristics of one of the most prolific and notorious wrestling personality that the world has come to know in the late 80s, 90s and in the 2000s. The 12-year anniversary of Victor Qui\u00f1ones’<\/strong> death was last month, and the wrestling business as a whole \u2013 especially Puerto Rico \u2013 still misses its trailblazing rebel.<\/p>\n

Victor Qui\u00f1ones was the head of many wrestling promotions and was responsible for launching the wrestling careers of many superstars. He founded the infamous IWA Puerto Rico. He was aslo the first man to trust talents like Taka Michinoku<\/strong>, Tajiri<\/strong>, Ricky Banderas<\/strong> (Mil Muertes), among others. Qui\u00f1ones was a cutthroat businessman to some and a father figure in the wrestling business to others.<\/p>\n

Victor Qui\u00f1ones Viewed Wrestling as a Business From a Young Age\u00a0 <\/strong><\/h1>\n

Qui\u00f1ones started in the wrestling business at a young age. He started selling tickets, driving wrestlers and being involved in the business aspect of wrestling at the age of just 13. His mother was the owner of the hotel where wrestlers from other countries would stay at in Puerto Rico.It was in this type of work, in the then Capitol Sports Promotion<\/strong> \u2013 now World Wrestling Council<\/strong> \u2013 that Victor Qui\u00f1ones would meet the man that later became his guardian in wrestling, WWE<\/strong> Hall of Famer Gorilla Monsoon<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Monsoon at the time had a piece of the promotion \u2013 WWC<\/strong> \u2013 and created a bond with Victor that would last for a lifetime. Victor, since he knew how to speak both English and Spanish, would drive Monsoon all over the island. Monsoon would take Qui\u00f1ones to New York, to work with the World Wrestling Federation<\/strong>. Later, in 1984, Qui\u00f1ones returned to Puerto Rico and became one of the owners of WWC. Qui\u00f1ones in an interview with a wrestling magazine \u2013 and through other sources \u2013 confirmed that he would lend money when Carlos Colon<\/strong> and Victor Jovica<\/strong> were having financial problems with WWC.<\/p>\n

The Expedition in Japan<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In 1989 \u2013 one year after Bruiser Brody<\/strong> was murdered\u2013 Qui\u00f1ones inserted himself into the Japanese wrestling market alongside Japanese deathmatch legend Atsushi Onita<\/strong> in Fron<\/strong>tier <\/strong>Martial-Arts Wrestling<\/strong> (FMW<\/strong>). Part of the Deathmatch revolution in Japan and the imploding of Hollywood-type wrestling characters was in part due to Victor Qui\u00f1ones excursion in Japan.<\/p>\n

He founded the wrestling promotion W<\/strong>*ING<\/strong> (Wrestling International New Generations<\/strong>), bringing names like Mr. Pogo (Onita\u2019s main rival) and giving opportunities to wrestlers like New Japan Pro Wrestling<\/strong> booker Gedo<\/strong>, Puerto Rican legend Ray Gonzalez<\/strong> (as the WWC Junior Heavyweight champion) and FMW legend Yokihiro Kanemura<\/strong>. It was in W*NG that we saw the introduction to Hollywood horror characters, as the now infamous Jason<\/strong> (played by an unknown Puerto Rican wrestler and not the Jason \u201cEl Terrible”<\/strong> from WWC) became a key part due to their cult-like popularity.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=6d32v-LLu7U<\/p>\n

After the closing of W*ING, IWA Japan<\/strong> became Qui\u00f1one\u2019s main project. It also gave big opportunities to many now great wrestlers, like former WWE Cruiserweight champion Tajiri. He also brought many legends that worked regularly in Japan, like Terry Funk<\/strong> and Terry Gordy<\/strong>. This all was part of the indie war that exploded in the 90s in Japan. Later with FMW, Qui\u00f1ones returned as a heel manager until accepting an offer from WWE (then WWF<\/strong>).<\/p>\n

Short-lived WWF Latino <\/strong><\/h2>\n

With the booming popularity of World Championship Wrestling<\/strong>\u2019s Cruiserweight division, especially with talents from AAA<\/strong>, WWF wanted to bring a Spanish-liked product to the promotion with Victor Qui\u00f1ones. The company brought Puerto Rican and Mexican wrestlers like Mr. Aguila<\/strong> (Essa Rios), Super Loco<\/strong> (Super Crazy), CMLL<\/strong>\u2019s Negro Casas<\/strong> and mixed them with established talents like TAKA Michinoku<\/strong>, Savio Vega<\/strong> and others. The project ultimately failed but gave life to what we know today as WWE\u2019s Spanish announce team. Many wrestlers from lightweight divisions also gained recognition in the US thanks to the project.<\/p>\n