Alfonso Portillo Ocon/ El Turco Ocon

Alfonso Portillo Ocon, known to his fans and foes as "Turco Ocon," was more than just a fighter who wowed the crowds in his day. Armed with masterful techniques and a gift for teaching, he also played a major role in introducing the sport of wrestling to Central America.

His career had its start in 1949 when he moved to Mexico to learn how to fight. After spending two years under the instruction of one of Mexico's finest wrestlers, Ocon was motivated to take his freshly-acquired skills to new territories.

In 1952, he returned to El Salvador and started the first wrestling team ever in Central America. He also founded a gymnasium called "Jim London," named after an inspirational English wrestler who happened to be blind. It was here that opportunity knocked for so many aspiring Central American wrestlers.

Ocon made it a point to teach anybody for free. This way, he could hand-pick the wrestlers who would excel in competition. Some of the fighters he taught were:

	El Vanpiro El Bucanero El Aguila Migueleña El Suavesito El Gato El Diablo Rojo El Rayo Hondureño

The big moment came in 1953 when Central America experienced her first wrestling match ever! There, at the "Himnacio Nacional" in El Salvador, Ocon's team of wrestlers faced some of the most infamous challengers from Mexico and Panama.

After Ocon's champion fighters trounced the competition, awe-struck critics from neighboring countries coined a new phrase as a credit to Ocon: "Es Un Filon deOro," meaning "you found the gold in this."

In 1954, Ocon traveled to Guatemala where he was contracted to teach and fight. In keeping with his vision, he continued to raise the standard for wrestling, bringing a new appreciation to this emerging sport.

Late in 1955, Ocon moved to the United States where he settled down to raise his family. Ironically, he never fought in another wrestling match again. But thanks to the thriving presence of wrestling in Central America today, the legacy of "Turco Ocon" still lives on.