Perez began wrestling as an amateur in high school and was one of the top athletes in his home state of Florida.
Perez won the World Class Texas Championship after supposedly defeating previous champion Warrior in a phantom match in Puerto Rico on 21 June 1987.
On 25 December 1987 he successfully defended the title in a steel cage match against Kerry Von Erich, recently returned from a 1986 motorcycle accident.
In 1988, Perez moved to the National Wrestling Alliance's Jim Crockett Promotions with Hart and teamed with Larry Zbyszko feuding with Nikita Koloff and Dusty Rhodes.
[2] Al Perez signed with the World Wrestling Federation and made his debut on October 2, 1989, with a win over George South in a dark match at a Superstars taping in Wheeling, West Virginia.
[3] On September 5, 1990, Perez competed as The Black Scorpion, wrestling Sting in a losing effort at Clash of Champions XII.
[6] Perez reached the finals of a tournament to crown the first GWF North American Heavyweight Champion before losing to The Patriot at the promotion's debut show on 10 August 1991 in Dallas, Texas.
Perez traveled to All Japan Wrestling and teamed with Dory Funk Jr against Dan Kroffat & Doug Furnas on December 6, 1991.