Hercules Cortez


Alfonso Carlos Chicharro was a Spanish professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name Hercules Cortez. He competed in Spanish and other European and North American wrestling promotions including the American Wrestling Association and International Wrestling Alliance and at the time of his death was an incumbent co-holder of the AWA World Tag Team Championship.

Professional wrestling career

Alfonso Carlos Chicharro began his professional career in the 1950s as Pepe Chicharro/Pepe Cortes in Spain. In 1958, he competed in Canada and the United States using the name Claude Dassary. By 1960, Alfonso had finally settled on the name "Hercules Cortez", as suggested by his wife, Valeri.
A trademark of Hercules Cortez was a giant boulder he brought from Spain which he would place in the ring and dare others to lift. He traveled all over the world wrestling in many different venues and territories. He also acted in several films in his native Spain and in some Italian movies.

Death

By 1971, Cortez was wrestling in America and held the AWA World Tag Team Championship with Red Bastien. On July 24, 1971, Hercules Cortez died of injuries suffered in a one-car accident near St. Cloud, Minnesota early in the morning. Cortez and Bastien were returning to Minneapolis-St. Paul after a tag team match in Winnipeg just hours earlier. Hercules, who was reported to have been the driver of the car, had been scheduled to wrestle Nick Bockwinkel later that day.

Personal life

Cortez was married to a woman named Valeri.

Championships and accomplishments