Enrique "Rickin" Sánchez Betancourt (June 5, 1935 – January 17, 2023) was a Puerto Rican wrestling, boxing, and baseball television broadcaster, as well as a boxing promoter and television producer. He was the main broadcaster and producer used by

Capitol Sports Promotions 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 Gorilla M ...

when that company's shows, mainly the one named "Superestrellas de la Lucha Libre" ("Wrestling Superstars"), were broadcast island-wide in

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

on Canal 4, then known as WAPA-TV. He left the company in 1984 after a dispute with part owner of WWC

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 ...

. He was substituted by

Hugo Savinovich Hugo Savinovich (born February 15, 1959) is an Ecuadorian sports commentator and retired professional wrestler and professional wrestling manager. He is signed to Lucha Libre AAA as a Spanish commentator. He is best known as part of the Spani ...

. He briefly ran a wrestling promotion in 1985. Sánchez studied elementary, middle and high school in Canóvanas. He entered the

University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez The University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus (UPRM) or Recinto Universitario de Mayagüez (RUM) in Spanish (also referred to as Colegio and CAAM in allusion to its former name), is a Public university, public land-grant university in Mayagüez ...

in 1952 where he took courses in Civil Engineering, although he finished a bachelor's degree in Surveying in 1955. He was also a boxing executive, being one of the organizers of the Puerto Rican Boxing Commission, alongside Héctor Cardona, Manolo Rodríguez, Tomás Ramos Librán and the famous singer, Felipe Rodriguez. He was a native of the northern city of Canovanas, where in 2016, he was the object of a municipal dedication. Sánchez was also formerly a radio show host, as he began his career hosting a show named "Tablero de los Deportes" ("Sports' Scoreboard"), where he joined to substitute the legendary Puerto Rican basketball player,

Fufi Santori José Santori Coll (May 7, 1932 – April 2, 2018) was a Puerto Rican basketball player and coach. Santori was also, for a short period late in his life, a bachata singer; he recorded an album, named ''El Sentimiento de Fufi'' (''Fufi's Feelin ...

Television channel founder

Sánchez was the founder of a popular but short-lived television channel in Puerto Rico, named "Videomax", based at

WRFB WRFB (channel 5), branded ABC Puerto Rico, is a television station licensed to Carolina, Puerto Rico, Carolina, serving the San Juan, Puerto Rico, San Juan area as an affiliate of American Broadcasting Company, ABC. It is a full-time broadcast ...

channel 52.

Personal life and death

in 2016 Sánchez was inducted to the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez Sports Hall of Fame. He was married to Blanche Vidal. His son, Rickin Sánchez, Jr., who was born from his marriage to Vidal, was also a television producer and a television director, who died in 2007. Sánchez died on January 17, 2023. He was interred at the New Canóvanas Municipal Cemetery

Canóvanas, Puerto Rico Canóvanas (, ) is a town and municipality in Puerto Rico, located in the northeastern region, north of Juncos and Las Piedras; south of Loíza; east of Carolina; and west of Río Grande. Canóvanas is spread over 6 barrios and Canóvanas ...

. Rickin Sánchez was posthumously honored at the 50th anniversary show of the

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 ...

Awards and accomplishments

World Wrestling League La Liga Wrestling (formerly World Wrestling League or Liga Mundial de Lucha), was a wrestling promotion company based out of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Founded in 2012 by businessman Richard Negrín with the cooperation of established wrestling figur ...

**''Salón de los Inmortales'' (class of 2015)

References

1935 births 2023 deaths American mass media owners Boxing promoters People from Canóvanas, Puerto Rico Professional wrestling promoters Professional wrestling announcers Puerto Rican sports executives and administrators University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez people {{prowrestling-bio-stub

Television channel founder

Personal life and death

Awards and accomplishments

See also

References