“In this corner of the ring, handling the money, our school treasurer Jorge ‘Skorpio’ Portuondo!”

On an average day, Mr. Portuondo works around 16 hours as our school treasurer by day, school clerical assistant by night, and professional wrestling promotor on the side.

If he could start his career over, he would in a heartbeat. “After my experience producing wrestling and TV, I wish I would have put all my effort into getting into the entertainment field,” he said. “I would’ve liked to work in movies or TV, whether it be in producing, directing, acting or my true passion, creative writing.”

Wrestling life

Mr. Portuondo didn’t like wrestling at the beginning, but when he was 11 years old, he watched Hulk Hogan on TV, and his views changed.  “That night, Hogan turned heel—played as a bad guy,” he said. “He had formed a biker gang type group, and it was the first piece of entertainment I had seen where the bad guy won. It got me hooked.”

Mr. Portuondo has his own business named Independent Championship Wrestling (ICW), which started in October 2000 and has been running for 16 years. It takes 12 hours in order to get shows set up and up and running.

“From 2000 to 2012 we ran monthly events. Then we took a hiatus 2013/2014,” he said. “It was brought back in 2015.” We had a successful wrestler Angel Rose that just made it in to impact wrestling which is WWE competition, she’s now a superstar.

High school wrestling is different from pro-wrestling, according to Mr. Portuondo. “High school is competitive, folk-style, tournament-based wresting, where your goal is to compete for the Olympics,” he said.

Pro wrestling is scripted. The matches are pre-determined. Many amateur wrestlers turn to pro-wrestling or mixed martial arts when their amateur careers come to an end.

“Pro wrestling is purely for entertainment,” he said. “It is the only source of entertainment in which the reactions from the audience help the flow of the event.”

Although it is pre-determined, Mr. Portuondo wants Stings to know wrestling is anything but fake. “I have torn my ACL, shattered my elbow, and lost my two front teeth,” he said. “Plus, who knows what’s wrong with my back?”

His next show will be on April 22^nd in Miami Senior High’s very own Asylum.  VIP- front-row tickets are $25; ring-side tickets are $15; general admission for adults is $10, and general admission for students is $5.

Class of ‘03

Mr. Portuondo attended Miami High, where he was involved in WMHS and Thespians. “TV Production was my favorite class not only because I loved arguing with Dr. Underwood, but because I learned how to create, produce and edit shows which has helped me put on my wrestling matches,” he said. Drama class also taught him acting and production.

Teachers that still teach here at Miami High were some of Mr. Portuondo’s favorites. “Waldo, Underwood, and Hueck left an impression on me that I’ve carried with me since,” he said.

Mr. Portuondo’s definition of success is being happy with where life is, professionally, financially, and personally.  Miami High people that helped him get to where he is today are: Barbara Quintero, Ozzie Drago, Lili Valladares, Madeline Meiklejohn, and Amalia Rodriguez.  

As a Stingaree, Jorge would like to give advice to those still in high school. “Go to college,” he said. “Don’t make the same mistake I did. Hustle for your success, fight to be who you want to be, and don’t give up. Cut those who hold you back, out of your life.”

All about the Money

After graduating in 2003, he began working at Miami High as an assistant to the school treasurer. When the former treasurer moved on to pursue a career in nursing, Mr. Portuondo was promoted.  “I am clerical assistant during night school,” he said.

The top skills to be a treasurer are: paying attention to detail, checking all paperwork two and three times to make sure everything adds up, and obviously being fluent with numbers and math.

Personal life

As a pro wrestler, his favorite show is obviously WWE RAW and the gory Walking Dead. His favorite movie is Die Hard, while his favorite food is Mongolian Chicken with his favorite Sunkist drink.

Mr. Portuondo met his wife Stacy in 2008 at a wrestling event in Coral Springs, where her brother was wrestling. They have been together since March 2009 and got married in August of 2013. They have a 1-year-old daughter named Emma Skye.

If Mr. Portuondo could describe his family in three words, they would be: united, loving, and determined. “I’m ecstatic with my family and life,” said Mr. Portuondo. “If I could think back when I was 20-25 years old, I wouldn’t have been able to picture myself where I am now.”

Mr. Portuondo’s parents are from Cuba, but he was born in Miami in 1984, and was raised in Little Havana, where he attended Douglas Elementary, Riverside Elementary, and Shenandoah Elementary. Later, he went to Shenandoah Middle, then Miami Senior High School.

Although extremely satisfied with life, Mr. Portuondo would have liked to land a job with WWE/NXT. “If I could talk to anyone in history, I’d talk to Vince McMahon and Hulk Hogan because I want to understand their mindsets for the wrestling business,” he said.