Alberto Torres

Decades ago, the Torres Brothers (Alberto, Ramon and Enrique) were all top draws in the world of wrestling, though all three are now gone. The trio likewise spent much time in Arizona early in their careers, seeing a load of action in the late 1950s in the Phoenix, Tucson, Casa Grande, Yuma area. Sometimes they worked as singles, sometimes as a three man tag and sometimes switching off with each other in combos for tag matches.

Alberto is the topic of this particular blog.

Born in 1934, he started early in wrestling while still a teenager and developed into a formidable talent over the years. A cannonball off the ropes was some of his most famous moves, though he also used stunning dropkicks and head scissors leaps against his opponents.

During his Arizona stay, Alberto feuded with Ali Pasha, Brute Bemis, Don Arnold, Jim Wright, Tony Barbetta and Juan Sebastian.

There is a chilling similarity between Torres and Wright. After their feud ended, they would share a simialr fate.

In the early 1960s, Wright died in the middle of a tag team match in Phoenix when the strain proved too much on his heart.

Torres died in Nebraska in 1971 following a tag team match where he and Cowboy Bob Ellis faced Ox Baker and The Claw.

As was to be a repeated formula with other Mexican or Latino wrestlers in the time to come, such as with Nano Ortega, Benny Mendeblis, Tito Montez and the like, the Torres family drew big money at the gate when they were matched against Anglo villains.

Don Arnold once remarked at how his matches with any of the three Torres clan woudl guarantee a sell out in Phoenix and Tucson. He also noted that when he won against any of the popular trio, a rematch would mean an equally large gate.

Arnold also noted that Alberto might well have been the best of the three.

Who knows how far he might have gone had he not met such a tragic end.