Former WWWF World Champion Pedro Morales has died at the age of 76.

Morales, whose wrestling career began in the 1950s, competed for decades, in promotions such as Mid-Pacific Promotions, the NWA, AWA, and New Japan.

In February 1971, Morales became the fourth man to hold the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship (now recognised as the WWE Championship), defeating Ivan Koloff.

His reign would last an incredible 1,027 days, before he lost the title in December 1973 to Stan Stasiak. 

In the 1980s, Morales won the Intercontinental and Tag Team Championships, becoming the company's first-ever Triple Crown Champion.

A 1995 inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame, Morales also holds the most combined days as Intercontinental Champion, holding the title a combined 619 days over his two reigns. 

Morales is survived by his wife Karen, whom he married in 1966, and their son Pedro Morales Jr., born 1974.