Al Madril
Alberto "Al" Madril (born March 20, 1950) is an American retired professional wrestler.
Al Madril | |
---|---|
Birth name | Alberto Madril |
Born | San Bernardino, California, United States | March 15, 1950
Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name(s) | Al Madril Leo Madril |
Billed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
Billed weight | 231 lb (105 kg) |
Debut | 1970 |
Retired | 1993 |
Professional wrestling career
Madril began his wrestling career in 1970.[1] During the first half of the decade, he competed in Pacific Northwest Wrestling, the Portland, Oregon-based division of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). While there, he formed a tag team known as The Compadres with José González and won the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship on July 2, 1973.[1][2] Wrestling under the ring name Leo Madril, he also competed in the Vancouver, British Columbia-based NWA All-Star Wrestling. He held the Vancouver version of the NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship twice, teaming with Flash Gordon for the first win, and Dan Kroffat for the second.[1][3]
Competing once again under his real name, Madril then moved to Texas to continue his career.[4] In 1975, he won the NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship on three occasions, defeating El Gran Marcus for the first and John Tolos for the others.[1][5] He also teamed with Jose Lothario that year to win the NWA Texas Tag Team Championship twice.[6]
Late in his career, Madril was a traveling partner of Shawn Michaels, who was trained by his former tag team partner Lothario. Michaels credits Madril with helping him develop an appreciation for the music of Elvis Presley.[7] After adopting his "Heartbreak Kid" gimmick in the early 1990s, Michaels went on to host an interview segment in the World Wrestling Federation named the Heartbreak Hotel, after one of Presley's songs.[8]
Madril was involved in a rather high-profile feud with the Von Erich family in late 1986 and much of 1987, when he formed a tag team sometimes referred to as the "Duo of Doom" with Brian Adias, who turned heel after accusing the Von Erichs of holding him back and preventing him from succeeding on his own merits. During one especially memorable incident, Kerry Von Erich, who was Brian's high school classmate in real life, confronted him regarding his actions. Still on crutches following his June 1986 motorcycle accident, Kerry was attacked by Madril, with Adias standing aside and allowing Madril to hit Kerry with one of the crutches several times before referee Marc Lowrance finally managed to get Kerry out of the ring. Afterwards, Kevin Von Erich ran in and launched an attack on Madril. Adias and Madril would go on to win the World Class Tag Team Championship, while continuing to feud with the Von Erichs through the summer of 1987.
Madril competed until his retirement in 1993.[1][9] He is currently working as a security guard for a hospital in Los Angeles.[10]
Championships and accomplishments
- Big Time Wrestling (San Francisco)
- NWA All-Star Wrestling
- NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (2 time) - with Flash Gordon (1) and Dan Kroffat (1)[3]
- NWA Big Time Wrestling / World Class Wrestling Association
- NWA American Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Brian Blair (1) and Kerry Von Erich (1)[12][13]
- NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship (5 times)[14][15][5]
- NWA Texas Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Jose Lothario[6]
- NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[16]
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Kerry Von Erich[17][18][19]
- WCCW Television Championship (1 time)[20][21]
- WCWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Brian Adias[22]
- NWA Hollywood Wrestling
- NWA Americas Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[23]
- NWA Americas Tag Team Championship (4 times) - with Chavo Guerrero Sr. (1), Mando Guerrero (1), and Tom Prichard (2)[24]
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Los Angeles version) (1 time) - with Walter Johnson[25]
- Pacific Northwest Wrestling
- Southwest Championship Wrestling / Texas All-Star Wrestling
- SCW Television Championship (1 time)[27]
- TASW Heavyweight Championship (2 times)[28]
- TASW Texas Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Chavo Guerrero, Sr. (1), Magnificent Zulu (1), and Mike Golden (1)[29]
References
- "Wrestler Profiles: Al Madril". Online World of Wrestling. Archived from the original on 12 December 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-08.
- "NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Title". Wrestling Titles. Archived from the original on 22 December 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-08.
- "NWA Canadian Tag Team Title (Vancouver)". Wrestling Titles. Archived from the original on 22 December 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-08.
- "The Shawn T. Malone Films - Madril vs. Matsuda Wrestling Match (1975". Texas Archive of the Moving Image. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
- "Texas Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Titles. Archived from the original on 30 December 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-08.
- "Texas Tag Team Title". Wrestling Titles. Archived from the original on 30 December 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-08.
- Michaels, Shawn; Aaron Feigenbaum (2005). Heartbreak & Triumph: The Shawn Michaels Story. Simon & Schuster. p. 84. ISBN 0-7434-9380-X.
- Michaels, Shawn; Aaron Feigenbaum (2005). Heartbreak & Triumph: The Shawn Michaels Story. Simon & Schuster. p. 190. ISBN 0-7434-9380-X.
- Petersen, Steve. "Pacific Northwest #22, Page 2". Kayfabe Memories. Retrieved 2009-01-08.
- "World Class Memories: FAQ: Current Whereabouts and Final Resting Places". Retrieved February 4, 2015.
- NWA World Tag Team Title (San Francisco) history At wrestling-titles.com
- Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "(Dallas) Texas: NWA American Tag Team Title [Fritz Von Erich]". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. ISBN 978-0-9698161-5-7.
- "N.W.A. American Tag Team Title". Wrestling-Titles.com. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
- Will, Gary; Duncan, Royal (2000). "Texas: NWA Texas Heavyweight Title [Von Erich]". Wrestling Title Histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Pennsylvania: Archeus Communications. pp. 268–269. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- "NWA Texas Heavyweight Title". Wrestling-Titles. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
- NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title history At wrestling-titles.com
- NWA World Tag Team Title (Texas version) history At wrestling-titles.com
- Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2000). "Texas: NWA World Tag Team Title [Siegel, Boesch and McLemore]". Wrestling title histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Pennsylvania: Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- "National Wrestling Alliance World Tag Team Title [E. Texas]". Wrestling-Titles. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
- Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). "Texas: WCWA Television Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 396. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- "World Class Television Title". Wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
- WCWA World Tag Team Title history At wrestling-titles.com
- NWA Americas Heavyweight Title history At wrestling-titles.com
- NWA American Tag Team Title NWA Americas Tag Team Title history At wrestling-titles.com
- NWA World Tag Team Title (Los Angeles) history At wrestling-titles.com
- NWA Pacific Northwest Television Title history At wrestling-titles.com
- SCW Southwest Heavyweight/Television Title history At wrestling-titles.com
- TASW Heavyweight Title history At wrestling-titles.com
- SCW Southwest Tag Team Title history At wrestling-titles.com