WWE Hall of Famer Pedro Morales has died.

The man who held the promotion's top title for 1,027 days was 76.

A native of Culebra, Puerto Rico, Morales in the World Wide Wrestling Federation - the WWE's predecessor - from 1970 to 1975, defeating Montreal's Ivan Koloff for the WWWF Heavyweight Title at Madison Square Garden in 1971. He held the title for nearly three years, dropping it to Arvida, Que.'s Stan Stasiak in Philadelphia in February of 1975. Among his title defences was a victory over Bruno Sammartino at Shea Stadium in the summer of 1972.

After working with the National Wrestling Alliance's San Francisco territory, as well as in the American Wrestling Assocation and in New Japan Pro Wrestling after his exit from the WWWF, he made a return to the then-WWF in 1980, teaming with Bob Backlund to win the Tag Team Titles in 1980 and becoming a two-time Intercontinental Champion the following year.

Morales would make his only WrestleMania appearance in 1986 at WrestleMania II as part of a 20-man battle royal won by Andre the Giant.

Following his retirement, Morales acted as a Spanish colour commentator for both the WWF and World Championship Wrestling.

He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1995.