Invader #1

Real Name - Jose Gonzales Huertas

Birthdate - 3/18/46

5’8” 255 lbs. - San Lorenzo, PR

Athletic Background - n/a

Teacher(s) - n/a

Professional Background - Chicago(`69), Tri-States(`69), Florida(`70-`71), Dallas(`71), Portland(`72-`73), All Japan(`75), WWWF(`76-`78), All Japan(`77), WWC(`77-`01), New Japan(`82), WWF(`83-`84), Mid-Atlantic(`84), ICWCCW(`85), All Japan(`87), IWA(`03-`06), WWC(`11-`14)

Aliases - Jose Huertas, Prophet, Sabu, Manuel Cruz, Manny Cruz, Sabu Singh, El Profeta, The Grappler, Mr. Wrestling

Groups - The Invaders

Peak Years - `79-`88

Finisher(s) - 

- Heart Punch

- Loaded Headbutt

Favorites -

- Sleeper

- Snap Mare-Fistdrop

- Low Blow

- Measured Punch

- Punch-Chop Barrage

Place in History - Jose Gonzalez, the man who wrestled as the Invader, is best known to those outside of Puerto Rico as the man who murdered Bruiser Brody.  The circumstances around that event are still mysterious, but it happened, and while he won in court, Gonzalez will always be vilified for that act.  If you separate him from that happening, then he is perhaps the second biggest star in the history of Puerto Rican wrestling.  The superstardom of Carlos Colon cannot be denied, however Invader is right there with a long history of big angles and hot matches.  His journey, like many of the top Puerto Ricans, saw him travel around the United States working the undercards as a strange foreign character.  When he returned to Puerto Rico in 1977 for the WWC, he came in as half of a masked team called the Invaders.  They were villains at first, but as natives, it was only a matter of time before their true identities were known and they became heroes.  After turning babyface, the Invader quickly rose to become one of the top stars in the company.  His brawling style, his intense promos and his ability to get over heated angles and matches were rivaled by few.  The real life death of Michel Martel led to a drawn out feud with “brother” Pierre Martel.  It shockingly led to Invader teaming with Pierre and Invader #2 turning as a result.  Subsequent incarnations of the Invaders included Johnny Rivera and Jose’s younger brother, but it was always Invader #1 who was the star.  He took on another up-and-comer in Chicky Starr, however the relationship soured and became the second most famous rivalry on the island.  This was the dynamic that the Invader needed.  He was seen as the everyman who was proud to be Puerto Rican and Chicky Starr played an arrogant scumbag who spoke English and aligned himself with Americans.  The two men battled off and on for the next twenty years.  Jose Gonzalez was not only a top star, but also frequently the booker for the WWC.  It was in this capacity that some believe he went into the shower with Bruiser Brody in 1988 and stabbed him.  After a hiatus following the trial, the Invader returned and resumed his spot as a top babyface on the cards battling Abdullah the Butcher, Ivan Koloff and the like.  A variety of factors led to a downturn in business for WWC and a group of key players left to form the AWF.  Many of the young talent left, so the need to hot shot the territory led Invader to turn heel and go to battle with Carlos Colon in a match that aired on primetime television.  The WWC survived those years and Invader was soon a hero again.  The company held steady with a stream of talent coming up and coming in.  By the early 2000s, WWC was struggling to keep up with newly formed IWA.  They rehashed old rivalries and the push of Carlos Colon’s children led to a falling out between Colon and Gonzales.  He left WWC and joined the IWA, which was perhaps the most surprising defection to the upstart company.  He did a series of dream matches before having a final match against Savio Vega.  Despite the publicly displayed animosity between Gonzales and Colon, he returned to the WWC in 2011 and had matches here and there over the next few years.  There are a great number of pro-wrestlers whose greatness has been diminished by a terrible act.  Hall of Famers who faced or even did time for all kinds of horrible crimes and many of them get a pass because they were big enough stars like Jimmy Snuka or exceptionally talented like Chris Benoit.  On the island of Puerto Rico, Jose Gonzales is a legend, right behind Carlos Colon, and is probably deserving of some praise and recognition for his achievements and yet he only deemed worthy of disdain.  It is a controversy that has eclipsed not only his legacy, but how many outsiders view pro-wrestling in Puerto Rico.