Which Puerto Rican WWE star had a longer title reign than Roman Reigns?

WWE Backlash 2023 kicked off in Puerto Rico without Roman Reigns, and it was a massive hit. The fans, superstars, and everyone involved were at the peak of their energy and excitement.

During the Backlash event in Puerto Rico, WWE tried its best to acclimatize fans to the rich history the place shares with WWE and wrestling in general. One massive part of the history is a former world champion whose legacy is greater than that of Roman Reigns.

Pedro Morales was a Puerto Rican pro wrestler who held the world championship for almost three years. His career spanned over a period of thirty years, and during this time, he accomplished several noteworthy milestones. One of them was holding the WWE Championship for 1,027 days from February 1971 to December 1973.

It was a historic achievement, and his name is mentioned along with some of the all-time greats of the industry. Morales is one spot ahead of Roman Reigns in the list of all-time longest reigns with the WWE Title.

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Diving deep into Pedro Morales’ career

Morales was born on Culebra Island but moved to Brooklyn, New York as a child. Morales made his debut in 1959 when he was still a teenager in New York.

Morales was not only powerful but also technically astute. One of the most memorable fights that Morales has been a part of was a 75-minute match against Bruno Sammartino at Shea Stadium.

He was the first WWE Superstar to become a Triple Crown champion during his career, that is, he won the tag team titles, WWWF (now WWE) Heavyweight Championship, and the Intercontinental Championship.

Morales retired from competing in the squared circle in 1987. Following his retirement, he ventured into becoming a commentator for WWE events in the Spanish language. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1995.

The legendary former superstar passed away on February 12, 2019.

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Can Roman Reigns surpass Pedro Morales’ title reign?

The Undisputed WWE Universal Champion has been reigning for over 980 days. WWE has plans to ensure he holds the title for well over a thousand days, which is probably one of the reasons he wasn’t booked for Backlash 2023.

His next title defense could come at Night of Champions later this month. If he manages to retain it during his next title match, it will be interesting to see whether he can surpass Pedro Morales.

It’s only a matter of time before the fans know how long Roman Reigns can be champion!