Alfonso Carlos Chicharro y Lamamié de Clairac (July 7, 1932 – July 24, 1971) was a Spanish

professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...

and actor, better known by his

ring name A ring name is a type of stage name 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, or projecting ...

Hercules Cortez. He competed in Spanish and other European and North American wrestling promotions including the

American Wrestling Association The American Wrestling Association (AWA) was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 until 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo. The territory was originally part o ...

and International Wrestling Alliance and at the time of his death was an incumbent co-holder of the

AWA World Tag Team Championship The American Wrestling Association (AWA) World Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in the American Wrestling Association from 1960 until the promotion folded in 1991. History When the NWA Minneapolis ...

Professional wrestling career

Alfonso Carlos Chicharro began his professional career in the 1950s as Pepe Chicharro/Pepe Cortés 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

with

Red Bastien Rolland "Red" Bastien (January 27, 1931 – August 11, 2012) was an American professional wrestler best known for his time in Capital Wrestling Corporation where he was a 3 time WWWF United States Tagteam champion with his kayfabe brother, ...

. On July 24, 1971, Hercules Cortez died of injuries suffered in a one-car accident near

St. Cloud, Minnesota St. Cloud is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the largest population center in the state's central region. The population was 68,881 at the 2020 census, making it Minnesota's 12th-largest city. St. Cloud is the county seat of Stear ...

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 passenger of the car, had been scheduled to wrestle

Nick Bockwinkel Nicholas Warren Francis "Nick" Bockwinkel (December 6, 1934 – November 14, 2015) was an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the American Wrestling Association (AWA) in the 1970s and 1980s. Bockwinkel ...

later that day. He was buried in

North Royalton, Ohio North Royalton is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. It is a suburb of Cleveland. The population was 31,322 as of the 2020 Census. Originally incorporated as a village in 1927, it achieved the status of city in 1961. History North Ro ...

Personal life

Cortez (Alfonso Carlos Chicharro) was born the youngest of 13 children from a prominent family in Spain. His family suffered much tragedy due to the Spanish civil war including loss of several of his young siblings (all in their teens). As his family survived the war, he was able to attend college as a young man at 'El Escorial' where he studied to be an engineer. Although he was doing well, and his family was pleased, he kept his love of the outdoors and physical challenges as he grew up tall and strong. Soon, he gained attention for his natural strength, he was offered an opportunity to wrestle and earn some money. He decided to try it and found he enjoyed it, so he ventured out into the world of wrestling. During his travels, while in Canada, he met his future wife and mother of his three children. She was a beautiful young German woman named Waltraud (later changed to Valerie) who did not speak Spanish at that time. Cortez who was well educated and spoke several languages, was able to speak to her in her native tongue and soon they fell in love, got married and had three children together. Oldest to youngest; Alfonso (1960), Ricardo (1963) and Maria Dolores (1964). His wife accompanied him in his travels to many places even bringing along his oldest son until his family grew. They lived in the United States, then Spain, and finally settling back to the United States. It was just months after buying a home in the United States (Ohio), that yet another tragedy struck his family as he was killed in a car accident at the young age of 39 years. His wife (31 years old) was left a widow with three young children ages (11 yrs, 8 yrs, and 6 yrs old). His family has remained here in the US to this day.

Championships and accomplishments

( 1 time) - with

Cauliflower Alley Club The Cauliflower Alley Club is a non-profit fraternal organization, which includes a newsletter and website, comprising both retired and active professional wrestlers and boxers in North America. Established in 1965 by Mike Mazurki and Art Abram ...

**Posthumous Award (2002) *International Wrestling Alliance **IWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *Corporacion Internacional de Catch **Spanish Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *

World Championship Wrestling (Australia) World Championship Wrestling was an Australian professional wrestling promotion that ran from 1964 until 1978. History The promotion gained publicity through television programs on the Nine Network, which were presented at noon on Saturdays and ...

** IWA World Heavyweight Championship ( 1 time)

References

External links