(Photo: Santos Menéndez Studio)
By Ane Strazicic Rodriguez
Croats have long been scattered across every corner of the globe. From some of the earliest European voyages to the Americas to the building of modern industries across North and South America, Croatian emigrants have left a lasting mark far beyond their homeland.
Historical accounts suggest that among the early Europeans who sailed to the New World were sailors from Dubrovnik, with some historians even pointing to the presence of Ragusan seafarers aboard the ships of Christopher Columbus.
Over centuries, Croats contributed significantly to the development of the Americas through hard physical labour in mines, on railways and in heavy industry, as well as through fishing, shipbuilding and viticulture.
They also made their mark in education, science and sport.
One such story of Croatian perseverance and success comes not from the mines or vineyards, but from the wrestling ring.
Victor Jovica, known to many in Puerto Rico as the “Wrestling King”, was born Vicko Jovica on 30 October 1949 in Krvavac, in the heart of Croatia’s Neretva region.
Like many Croats of his generation, Jovica left his homeland in search of opportunity.
He first moved to Germany as a young migrant worker before emigrating to Canada in 1962. A decade later, in 1973, he settled in Puerto Rico, the place where he would go on to realise his American dream.
Today, Jovica is a semi-retired professional wrestler and promoter who remains active in Puerto Rico’s wrestling scene.
(Photo: Santos Menéndez Studio)
Wrestling, known in the United States as professional wrestling or sports entertainment, combines athleticism, combat skills and theatrical performance into a uniquely popular form of entertainment. In Puerto Rico, it has long been both a cultural fixture and a successful business.
Building a Wrestling Empire
Jovica made his professional wrestling debut in 1971, initially competing in Canada with Stampede Wrestling. By 1974 he had relocated to Puerto Rico, where he teamed up with local star Carlos Colón to establish Capitol Sports Promotions.
That organisation would later become the World Wrestling Council (WWC), which since the 1970s has been one of the dominant wrestling promotions on the island.
Through WWC, Jovica not only competed but also helped shape the business side of wrestling in Puerto Rico.
(Photo: Ane Strazicic Rodriguez)
Today, he continues to work in promotion and production, presenting a two-hour wrestling programme every Saturday and Sunday afternoon in collaboration with Santos Meléndez Studio, which manages the production side of events.
Jovica enjoyed notable success inside the ring. In December 1976, alongside tag team partner Hercules Ayala, he captured the WWC version of the NWA North American Tag Team Championship by defeating Heigo Hamaguchi and Gordon Nelson. The pair held the title for 21 days.
(Photo: Ane Strazicic Rodriguez)
In November 1977, Jovica won the North American Tag Team Championship for a second time, this time partnering Carlos Colón to defeat The Wild Samoans, Afa and Sika.
One of the most talked-about moments of his career came on 8 February 1983, when Jovica appeared to defeat Ric Flair for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.
He was declared champion after the match, but three days later the National Wrestling Alliance overturned the decision, ruling that Jovica had used the ring ropes for leverage during the pinfall.
Such storylines were common at the time, particularly when the NWA champion functioned as a “travelling champion”, allowing local challengers to appear strong in front of home crowds while the recognised titleholder continued touring.
Although the world title was never officially recognised, the moment remains one of the highlights of his career.
(Photo: Santos Menéndez Studio)
From the Ring to Promotion
By the 1990s, Jovica appeared less frequently as an active competitor, turning his focus to the promotional and organisational side of wrestling.
He became deeply involved in storyline rivalries over control of WWC and helped guide the company through changing times in the wrestling industry.
Under his and Colón’s leadership, WWC became a cornerstone of Puerto Rican sports entertainment, producing generations of local stars and hosting internationally recognised talent.
(Photo: Ane Strazicic Rodriguez)
Meeting Jovica in Puerto Rico is a reminder of how far Croats have travelled and how deeply they have embedded themselves in communities worldwide. For many in the diaspora, encountering a fellow Croatian in distant lands carries a special significance.
(Photo: Ana Mljećka)
From the Neretva valley to the Caribbean wrestling arena, Victor Jovica’s story is one of migration, resilience and reinvention, a testament to the enduring global footprint of the Croatian people.