Instruct: Given a question, retrieve relevant passages that answer the question.
Query: When did Juan Rivera win the WWC Universal Heavyweight title?
Following this Burke would go on to feud with Juan Rivera who at the time was referred to as "TNT". Both wrestlers had been involved in a mid-card feud prior to this. Rivera won the championship on February 9, 1990, eventually losing it to Abdullah the Butcher, who lost it to Colón. The title was held up numerous times in 1991, as part of feuds between Colón, Greg Valentine and Dino Bravo.[1]
On January 16, 2010, Black Pain returned to the WWC defeating El Bronco in a singles match at WWC Euphoria. On February 13, 2010, he competed in a match against Orlando Colón for the WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Championship in a losing effort. In November 2011, Torres joined New Pro Wrestling and was immediately pushed to the main event. The following month, he defeated Michael Rivera to win the NPW World Heavyweight Championship at Cierre de Temporada. Shane Sewell was scheduled as the first contender for the title, with a match being scheduled for January 28, 2012. However, Torres left the promotion under unknown circumstances, being stripped of the championship in the process.
Steiner joined the Puerto Rican promotion World Wrestling Council (WWC) in March 2010, debuting in an angle where he attacked Universal Heavyweight Champion Ray González. On April 3, at "Camino a la Gloria 2010", Steiner wrestled his first match for WWC, losing to González in a championship match. On April 24, he defeated González in a rematch to become the new Universal Heavyweight Champion. On May 29, he was stripped of the title, after a defense against González ended in a no contest. On July 11, González defeated Steiner (in a match refereed by Ricky Banderas) to regain the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship.
On July 11, 2010, Colón was booked in a match called "The Three Faces of Fear" at WWC's Aniversario 2010 which also involved Booker T. The concept of this contest was that he would face three unknown adversaries successively. Colón also performed on a second date of this event, working under a "tweener" concept, representing a morally ambiguous team without clear allegiance. He returned to WWC on September 25, 2010 at the "Septiembre Negro" event, where he defeated "El Triple Mega Campeón" Ricky Banderas. On November 27, 2010, Colón defeated Shelton Benjamin to win the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship at the Crossfire event. He made his first title defense against Banderas at WWC's last show of the year—Lockout. On January 8, 2011, Colón lost the Universal Heavyweight Championship to Banderas, following interference from Shane Sewell. On June 4, 2011, Carlito returned to WWC and defeated Steve Corino to win the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship for the thirteenth time. On July 17, 2011 at Aniversario 2011 Carlito made his first defense of the title against Abyss. In this event, Savio Vega cut a promo pursuing a feud as part of the first interpromotional angle between WWC and the International Wrestling Association. However, this cooperation was stalled due to differences between the administration of both promotions, remaining fruitless for the rest of the year.
On July 31, 2010, Gilbert debuted in the World Wrestling Council, interfering in a match and costing Ray González the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship. He continued performing under his real name, but his character evolved into one based on Terry Benedict from the "Ocean's Eleven" trilogy franchise due to his physical similarity to Andy García. During the following weeks, an angle was run where he would pursue González while prompting the public to "burn the past". For his in-ring debut, Gilbert issued an open challenge, defeating jobbers in consecutive contests. However, his first storyline was left inconclusive when González left the company. Due to this outcome, Joe Bravo was brought in to the promotion, beginning a feud between both due to Gilbert's "inability to follow orders". This went on to numerous matches between both, including a tie at Septiembre Negro for the first contendership to the Universal Heavyweight Championship. However, the animosity between both was subsequently dropped and a pseudo-partnership emerged occasionally. In November 2010, Gilbert won his first title in the promotion, the WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Championship from "El Sensacional" Roger Carlitos Díaz, which he retained for several months. The feud between both extended to Lockout 2010, closing the year. On February 27, 2011, WWC launched a talk show titled "La Opinión de Gilbert", where he began hosting retired or otherwise established wrestlers. He continued his alliance with Bravo, helping him retain the Caribbean Heavyweight Championship. In March 2011, Gilbert assaulted Julio Estrada in a live edition of "La Opinión de Gilbert", adopting a pattern that included similar attacks against "Invader #3" Johhny Rivera, "El Profe" Ángel Pantoja Rivera, Jesús Castillo, Jr., Rubén "Hercules Ayala" Cruz, "Invader 4" Maelo Huertas and Carlos Colón.
However, both the International Wrestling Association and the National Wrestling Alliance recognized the unification match, considering Lozada the first Undisputed World Heavyweight Champion in Puerto Rico. With the absence of the stable, WWC brought Ron Killings and booked Orlando Colón to defeat him in an attempt to re-establish the performer, who had been neglected during the La Rabia angle. However, the IWA was unable to capitalize on the impact of this angle due to Mario Savoldi abandoning the company while still in possession of part of the promotion's property. This resulted in the roster splintering in two factions, with the wrestlers that sided with Savoldi leaving for a company that was supposed to debut named "International Wrestling Entertainment". The following month, Rivera and Pérez recovered control of the IWA with Ricky Vega, one of Savoldi's main supporters, eventually making a surprising return. Ray González avoided siding with either faction, instead returning to WWC under the guise of "El Cóndor". He was immediately involved in WWC's main angle, a tournament to crown a new Universal Heavyweight Champion. On August 8, 2008, the IWA responded with another parody character, Raymond Zales, which was deliberately pronounced "ray-mon-SAH-les" to mimic the phonetic pronunciation of Ray González's name ("ray-gon-SAH-les"). On August 25, 2008, Daniel "Noriega" Torres left WWC shortly after winning the tournament to crown a new Universal Heavyweight Champion. He signed with EWO and took the new belt with him, forcing WWC to revert to the previous version. Torres eventually joined the IWA, carrying the Universal Heavyweight Championship in a black bag, claiming that it was an illegitimate title due to the unification angle, choosing to pursue the IWA Undisputed Heavyweight Championship instead of defending it.
In 1985, Embry first joined World Wrestling Council in Puerto Rico. On August 17, 1985, he defeated Super Medico II to win the WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Championship. On November 25, 1985, he became a double champion, by defeating Invader III to win the WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship. On January 18, 1986, Embry lost the Junior Heavyweight title back to Invader III, after nearly two months as champion. On May 17, 1986, after exactly nine months as champion, he lost the Puerto Rico Heavyweight title back to Super Medico III. Embry left WWC in 1987.
The most common storyline format used in Puerto Rico involves the "foreign heel" formula. This began during the early years of local professional wrestling, when there was direct competition between the emergent local promotions and more established foreign competition that imported its product. In the 1970s, the World Wrestling Council adopted it as its main creative tendency. The promotion began to fully exploit this by introducing Lawrence Shreve, a Canadian performer more commonly known as "Abdullah the Butcher", as the first WWC World Heavyweight Champion. Portrayed as a wild and violent foreigner, he was billed as having won the belt in a fictional tournament held in Japan. However, this was part of an angle to elevate Colón to main event status by winning the title three days after its introduction. From that point onwards, he was consistently portrayed as a "Puerto Rican patriot" and a "sports hero". Colón sold this gimmick by adopting "Soy Boricua" by Bobby Valentín as his theme song. WWC brought in established wrestlers from the United States, Canada and Japan, adopting a formula where they would win the championship by employing illegal tactics, only to lose it back to him in a bloody match to conclude the feud. In order to further sell, they employed a second tactic which consisted of bringing performers that were considerably muscular and tall, promoting "David vs. Goliath" feuds. After establishing Colón as a top seller, WWC decided to focus on improving the credibility of the young WWC World Heavyweight Championship. The promotion did so by bringing in the holder of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship to wrestle in several cards, where it was booked as an "undefeated" adversary, always retaining against a local performer or wrestling to a time limit draw. After building this reputation, WWC brought in Ric Flair and placed him in a feud for the WWC World Heavyweight Championship. Flair was a major main event performer in the United States and was brought in as a foreigner that only wanted to win the title in order to dispose of it afterwards. During promotional videos, he claimed that it was "unworthy of being called a World Heavyweight Championship", a distinction that "only the NWA World Heavyweight Championship [deserved]". The ensuing match was promoted as being "larger than the World" and to crown the "Undisputed Champion of the Universe", with a steel cage being added as a stipulation. The result marked the first time that a NWA Champion lost in Puerto Rico, exponentially raising Colón's popularity. Afterwards, WWC continued to exploit the foreign heel formula, but added the element of storyline injuries that resulted in the title being held up, resulting in a final match for the vacant belt.
He return to WWC early in 2013. At WWC 40 Aniversario, Chicano and Abbad won the WWC Tag Team Championship. On October 25, 2014, at Aniversario 41, Chicano defeated Gilbert to win the WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Championship. However, he lost the title against Gilbert on November 8, 2014. On December 6, 2014, Chicano regained the title. However, at Hora de la Verdad, on January 24, 2015, Chicano lost the title against Ricardo Rodriguez. However, Chicano regained the title on February 21, 2015 but he lost the title again seven days later against a member of "La Revolución". On April 4, 2015, Chicano defeated Carly Colón to win the WWC Universal Championship. In August 2, 2015 after he lost the WWC Universal Championship, he get his left elbow injured, his return is uncertain.
Cotto joined WWC on 2013, after several time of feud with WWC talent, in July 11, 2015 all the WWC Junior Heavyweight Division comes out to demand a rematch after that until then champion "Peter The Bad Romance" said that there was no one who defeated him on WWC, that week on TV show"Super Estrellas WWC" was announced on "Noche De Campeones" one 5 way X Match style for the WWC Junior Heavyweight Championship where Angel Cotto grab the title to win for first time the WWC Junior Heavyweight Championship.
In the late 1970s Kengo Kimura travelled to North America for a "training tour" mainly working in Mexico for Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre (EMLL) and in Puerto Rico for the World Wrestling Council (WWC). In WWC Kimura defeated Carlos Colón to win the WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Championship. He would also hold the WWC Caribbean Tag Team Championship with Kengo Arakawa. He also held the WWC World Tag Team Championship along with Hiro Sasaki. On December 8, 1978 Kimura, while wrestling as "Pak Choo" won the NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship from El Faraón. He held the title until April 30, 1979 when Alfonso Dantés defeated him for the title.
The IWA also exploited the lack of a women's division in WWC, contracting Soldelina Vargas and introducing new talents. Their main performer was Zuleyma "Amazona" Pérez who held both the IWA World Women's Championship and the IWA Junior Heavyweight Championship. WWC also reactivated the division, with female wrestling experiencing a renaissance that led to the exposure of Nilka "Black Rose" García, Karen "Demonique" Jackson, Yahaira "Sweet Nancy" Mojica, "La Bella" Carmen Álvarez, Milagros "Genesis" Rivera and Karla "Killer Kat" Galdón among others. Despite this, the women's division was inconsistently used, with the performers switching between promotions depending in which one it was active. The result of this was that García, Mojica and Rivera held the championships of both the IWA and WWC. The relationship between both promotions remained as a calm rivalry, only interrupted with random indirect attacks from one of the parts, such as WWC placing a decorative tombstone inscribed with the phrase "RIP IWA" during a Halloween special. Later that year, the IWA ran a short angle with the Extreme Wrestling Organization, at the moment a regional independent promotion, which ended following disagreements. González's association with Jarrett soon concluded, leading to a feud between them. This angle concluded on April 3, 2005, when González defeated Jarrett in a titular contest to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. His reign was short, being stripped on the same event and remaining unrecognized by the NWA.
The ICW / IWCCW Heavyweight Championship was the top singles championship of International World Class Championship Wrestling between 1984 and 1995 where IWCCW closed down operations. Initially ICW’s main title was the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship, through a talent exchange program and a close working relationship between ICW and WWC the Universal Title was promoted in the New England area as the main ICW title without ever mentioning the WWC name, nor was it presented as a title owned by ICW. When the arrangement came to an end in 1985 a specific “ICW Heavyweight Championship” was created with the lineage of the WWC Universal title during the time of the working relationship. In 1993 the then champion Tony Atlas along with a number of IWCCW wrestlers left the company leaving the title vacant and only used sporadically between 1993 and 1995 where the promotion closed. Because the championship is a professional wrestling championship, it is not won or lost competitively but instead by the decision of the bookers of a wrestling promotion. The championship is awarded after the chosen team "wins" a match to maintain the illusion that professional wrestling is a competitive sport.
The WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling championship owned by the World Wrestling Council (WWC) promotion. Locally, it is exclusively defended in WWC, but has made several appearances in foreign promotions during international tours. Being a professional wrestling championship, it is won via a scripted ending to a match or awarded to a wrestler because of a storyline. All but two of the title changes have occurred at WWC-promoted events, with the exceptions taking place at events hosted by International Championship Wrestling (ICW) and the International Wrestling Association (IWA). Title changes that occur on WWC's television program "Súperestrellas de la Lucha Libre" usually air on tape delay and as such are listed with the day the tapings occurred, rather than the air date.
After returning to Puerto Rico, he began working for the Capital Sports Promotion (later renamed to World Wrestling Council). He feuded with Killer Tim Brooks, Kevin Sullivan and Hercules Hernandez. In March 1985, he defeated Randy Savage to win the WWC North American Heavyweight Championship. Wrestled Ric Flair for the NWA title. In the summer of 1987 Ayala suggested WWC office to turn heel after years working as a babyface, he feuded with Carlos Colon over the WWC Universal Heavyweight Title and hired Chicky Starr as his manager. His feud with Carlos Colon reach its peak when Ayala attacked Nancy Coates, Carlos Colon's wife, in a WWC banquet award ceremony. On January 6, 1989 lost a loser leaves town match to Colon and disappeared from WWC.
On July 19, 2008 Corino participated in the event WWC Anniversary but only to lose to Eugene. Later on September 20, 2008 he participated in the event Septiembre Negro where he defeated Sabu. Recently he is one of the members of a group called "La Familia", and is in a feud with BJ for the WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Championship. In this feud thanks to the beatings that lead disqualification by the members of "La Familia", Ray Gonzalez saved BJ and after that Steve Corino attacked Ray Gonzalez in the locker rooms and this began a feud for the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship. On February 7, Steve Corino beat Ray Gonzalez to become WWC Universal Heavyweight Champion. On July 11 at "Aniversario 2009" he lost the title to BJ.
Soto also became one of the first wrestlers in Puerto Rican Wrestling to win the triple-crown of the three different Puerto Rican jr. heavyweight titles after winning IWA's Jr. Heavyweight, WWC's Jr. Heavyweight (5 November 2005), and finally NWS Cruiserweight title; which he won on 10 September 2006. After almost a year in WWC, Stefy returned to the IWA in 2008 under his Rabia character and renamed as Xtefy.
Sewell wrestled part-time in then-new Puerto Rican federation New Wrestling Stars. During his time in the company, as part of a talent exchange with the WWC, he won the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship title from "La Amenaza" Bryan in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico on November 5, 2005, which made Sewell the first wrestler to win both the top titles in both IWA and WWC in a calendar year. He lost the Universal title to Bryan on February 12, 2006 and split his time with both companies. Sewell later feuded with Tim Arson over the NWS Heavyweight title until June 3, 2006 when he lost a Title vs. Leave The Company match.
Shane Sewell (born September 5, 1972) is a Canadian professional wrestler and referee. He has worked for the World Wrestling Council, the International Wrestling Association and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as both a referee and wrestler. Shane Sewell is a fourteen-time World Heavyweight Champion, having won the IWA Undisputed World Unified Heavyweight Championship ten times, the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship three times, and the WWL World Heavyweight Championship one time. By winning the IWA, WWC, and WWL World Heavyweight Championships, Sewell won the three world titles from three top promotions in Puerto Rico.
Concurrently, Pérez had launched a second interpromotional angle, this time involving the third largest company in Puerto Rico, the Extreme Wrestling Organization. Rivera himself remained uninvolved with this, holding a reunion with La Academia Gerencial. However, Angel and Davian left the promotion in February while he was working outside of Puerto Rico, disbanding the stable. Consequently, Rivera sided with the IWA upon returning, assaulting EWO employees at Clash of the Titans 2012. During this visit, he also participated in an event of a smaller independent company, New Revolution Wrestling, winning its heavyweight championship. On May 26, 2012, Rivera reappeared in the IWA and issued a challenge to EWO CEO Richard Rondón to a winner-takes-all match at Juicio Final. However, the event was postponed due to unspecified circumstances and the IWA's partnership with EWO was subsequently dissolved. In July 2012, Rivera began an independent tour, making appearances in International Gladiators Wrestling Alliance and the Puerto Rico Wrestling Association. He had previously wrestled in some shows of IGWA's predecessor, Lucha Libre Extrema Internacional. On October 7, 2012, Rivera reappeared in Superestrellas de la Lucha Libre, issuing yet another challenge. However, this time Colón backfired with a challenge of his own, inviting him to a special edition of Carlito's Cabana. The edition of the talk show that featured Rivera took place on October 14, 2012. In the segment, both traded insults and it finished with the security removing him when he tried to assault Colón after the former spat an apple in his face. At Halloween Wrestling Xtravaganza, Rivera reappeared and once again addressed the crowd before being removed from the facilities by Victor Jovica. At Honor vs Traición Rivera was summoned to a face to face by Jovica. At Lockout 2012 Vega served as special referee in the hair vs hair match between Ray Gonzalez and Carlito. On the November 9, 2013 episode of Superestrellas de la Lucha Libre, the return of Rivera as T.N.T. was announced. At Crossfire, on November 16, 2013, Vega defeated Chris Angel to win the WWC Universal Championship. However, they lost the title to Mighty Ursus at Lockout. TNT won the title back on January 19, 2014. On March 30, 2014 at Hora de la Verdad, TNT defeated Apolo to win the WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Championship. On July 19, 2014, TNT lost the title against Carlito Caribbean Cool. In October 2014, Vega left WWC.
Originally known as International Championship Wrestling (not to be confused with the similarly named ICW promotion run by Angelo Poffo between 1978 and 1984), the promotion started holding events the Boston area sometime around 1984 or 1985. Initially ICW was affiliated with the Puerto Rico-based World Wrestling Council, recognizing the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship and the WWC Tag Team Championship as the top championships in the promotion. The titles were never clearly named as “WWC” titles on ICW television, nor were they presented as being owned by ICW. On February 27, 1985, Dory Funk, Jr. defeated Carlos Colón for the WWC Universal Heavyweight Title in Bangor, Maine. It marked the first time that the WWC Universal Title changed hands outside of Puerto Rico. During the time WWC and ICW had a working relationship talent from both federations travelled to the other federation to compete. The working relationship brought such superstars as Abdullah the Butcher, the Invaders and Hercules Ayala to the New England Area. Angelo Savoldi’s grandson ”Jumping” Joe Savoldi won the WWC Tag-Team Championship alongside Al Perez (known as the New York Rockers) on January 6, 1985 when they beat Super Medico I and Black Gorman.
The WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship and the top title contested for in the Puerto Rican professional wrestling promotion, the World Wrestling Council. The championship was established in July 1982, as the WWC World Heavyweight Championship, when the company was named Capitol Sports Promotions. The championship received its current name following a match between Carlos Colón (WWC World Heavyweight Champion) and Ric Flair (NWA World Heavyweight Champion) where the "Champion of the Universe" was supposed to be determined. The first champion was Abdullah the Butcher, who was billed as champion upon the title's creation. Since being established, the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship has been held by forty-nine different wrestlers and has also been held up on nineteen occasions and vacated or stripped thirteen times.
On April 23, 2011, Corino returned to WWC and defeated Carlito, Gilbert and Shane the Glamour Boy in a gauntlet match to win the vacant WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship for the second time. He would lose the title to Carlito on June 4, 2011.
WWC Dominican Republic Heavyweight Championship was a short-lived title in the World Wrestling Council like the WWC Hardcore Championship this title debuted and became inactive in 2001.
For a time, the title was defended in the W*ING promotion in Japan as the W*ING World Junior Heavyweight Championship. Originally, the title was used to push a wrestler that the promotion was interested in, becoming a stepping stone on the route to the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship. A pattern was followed where these talents would win the Junior Heavyweight Championship first, followed by tertiary and secondary titles, before progressing to the main event.