José González (wrestler)
José Huertas González | |
---|---|
![]() José González in 1988 | |
Birth name | José Huertas González |
Born | [1] San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico | March 17, 1947
Children | 1 |
Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name(s) | Invader 1 El Jibarito de San Lorenzo The Prophet |
Billed height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)[2] |
Billed weight | 230 lb (104 kg)[2] |
Billed from | San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico |
Trained by | Elson Gondeas |
Debut | 1966 |
Retired | 2022 |
José Huertas González (born March 17, 1947[1]) better known as Invader 1, is a Puerto Rican retired professional wrestler, who wrestled in the United States and around the world, especially in Puerto Rico.[3] He was charged with the murder of wrestler Frank Goodish (Bruiser Brody), but claimed self defense and was acquitted in contentious circumstances. These included key witnesses to the incident being unable to testify due to receiving their summons after the trial had concluded, domestic witnesses and event investors corroborating a different account than foreign witnesses, and the murder weapon mysteriously vanishing.[4][5]
Wrestling career
[edit]Since 1973, he was a wrestler and booker for the World Wrestling Council and wrestled for the International Wrestling Association. He held the Puerto Rico heavyweight title twelve times between 1977 and 2001,[6] and the WWC Television Title five times between 1986 and 1991.[7] He retired in 2006 to enter politics.[8]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3c/The_Invader_headlocks_Bobby_Bass.png/220px-The_Invader_headlocks_Bobby_Bass.png)
González began wrestling as The Prophet in Chicago. In 1972 he joined the WWF.[3] When he returned to Puerto Rico to fight with Capitol Sports Promotions, he took on the masked persona of The Invader so his mother would not know he was a wrestler.[3] He fought on The Invaders tag team with Roberto Soto as Invader 2 and then Johnny Rivera as Invader 3.[3] The Invaders worked as a mid-card tag team in the WWF in the early 1980s. They left WWF in 1984. He would return to Puerto Rico working for International Wrestling Association (Puerto Rico) and World Wrestling Council.
In 2011, he returned to the ring, wrestling as Invader 1.
In 2012, González became the corporative director of the World Wrestling League. In 2015, he was inducted into the Salón de los Inmortales.
In 2019, he wrestled at 73 years old.
González made an appearance at IWA on March 12, 2022, in Humacao, Puerto Rico with arch enemy Chicky Starr as a guest referees for a tag team match between Savio Vega & Electro against Manny Ferno & Khris Diaz.
April 30, 2022 in Humacao, Puerto Rico on Juicio Final, with Savio Vega & Chicky Starr as guest referees he defeated Manny Ferno to win the World Championship. His last match was that August.
Murder of Bruiser Brody
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/37/Bruiser_Brody_vs_Jos%C3%A9_Gonz%C3%A1lez_1976.jpg/220px-Bruiser_Brody_vs_Jos%C3%A9_Gonz%C3%A1lez_1976.jpg)
In July 1988, González fatally stabbed professional wrestler Frank Donald Goodish, known as Bruiser Brody, backstage during a wrestling event in Puerto Rico.[9] González was acquitted of murder in 1989 after a jury accepted that he was acting in self-defense.[10] Another wrestler, Tony Atlas, says he witnessed the stabbing in the locker room showers, but the knife used in the stabbing was not recovered. Tony Atlas and Dutch Mantel were called to testify, however the subpoenas were mailed late, arriving ten days after the trial ended. The investigation was criticised in Dark Side of the Ring and two books about Brody: Bruiser Brody (Crowbar Press) and Brody (ECW Press).[11]
Home fire
[edit]On August 11, 2014, a fire at González's home destroyed a car, a motorcycle and part of his house.[12]
Championships
[edit]- International Wrestling Association
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI ranked him #130 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1993 and 1994
- World Wrestling Council
- WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
- WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship (5 times)
- WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Championship (12 times)
- WWC North American Heavyweight Championship (4 times)
- WWC Television Championship (5 times)
- WWC World Tag Team Championship (15 times) - with José Rivera (3), Invader III (3), El Bronco (3), Invader II (2), Pierre Martel (1), Carlos Colón (1), Huracán Castillo, Jr. (1), Maelo Huertas (1)
- WWC Caribbean Tag Team Championship (6 times) - with Invader IV (4), Super Gladiator (1) and Invader III (1)
- WWC North American Tag Team Championship (6 times) - with Super Gladiator (2), Invader III (2), Invader II (1) and Carlos Colón (1)
- Universal Wrestling Promotions
- UWP Caribbean Tag Team Championship (1 time) - Invader II
- NWA San Francisco
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version) (3 times) - with Invader II (2) and Don Muraco (1)
- Pacific Northwest Wrestling
- World Wrestling League
- Salón de los Inmortales (class of 2015)[13]
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic (1989) Babyface push one year after the Bruiser Brody stabbing case
- Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic (1990) Stabbing angle with Atsushi Onita
Luchas de Apuestas record
[edit]Winner (wager) | Loser (wager) | Location | Event | Date | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Invader 1 (career) | Chicky Starr (hair) | Bayamón, Puerto Rico | WWC Aniversario 87 | September 20, 1987 |
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Jose Gonzales". Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
- ^ a b "Jose Gonzalez". Onlineworldofwrestling. 28 May 2023.
- ^ a b c d McGyver. "WWC: Entrevista a El Invader #1". PR Wrestling (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 January 2010.
- ^ Johnson, Paul. "How wrestling icon Bruiser Brody was killed in Puerto Rico by fellow wrestler". news.com.au. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
- ^ "The Killing of Bruiser Brody". vicetv.com. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
- ^ "Puerto Rico Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Titles. 2009. Retrieved 23 January 2010.
- ^ "World Wrestling Council Television Title". Wrestling Titles. 2008. Retrieved 23 January 2010.
- ^ "Old Glory". Riverfront Times. 19 September 2007. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 23 January 2010.
- ^ Associated Press (21 July 1988). "Invader I faces charges". Retrieved 23 January 2010.
- ^ "Famous Wrestling Deaths". Fox News. 26 June 2007. Retrieved 23 January 2010.
- ^ Mooneyham, Mike (13 May 2007). "Unique, controversial Brody still making a large impact". The Post and Courier. Charleston. Retrieved 23 January 2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "SE QUEMA CARRO Y PARTE DE CASA DEL INVADER". August 2, 2014. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
- ^ Piñeiro, Anthony (29 September 2015). "WWL: El Invader #1, Invader #3, Super Médico #1 y El Profe son los primeros Inmortales de la Liga Mundial de Lucha Libre".
External links
[edit]- Profile on Online World of Wrestling
- PW Insider stories about Gonzalez
- José González's profile at Cagematch.net , Internet Wrestling Database