NWA North American Tag Team Championship
In December 1976, Ayala and tag team partner Victor Jovica won the NWA North American Tag Team Championship (Puerto Rico/WWC version) from Heigo Hamaguchi and Gordon Nelson. In 1977, Cruz met Bret Hart and the Dynamite Kid in Germany, and they introduced him to Stu Hart. Cruz worked in Canada for eight years. In Hart's Stampede Wrestling, Cruz held the Stampede International Tag Team Championship with Jim Neidhart. In addition to Stampede, he wrestled for Lutte Internationale. In January 1987, he defeated David Shultz for the Canadian International Heavyweight Championship, but lost it to Abdullah the Butcher approximately one month later.