Antonino Rocca
Encyclopedia
Antonino Rocca was an Italian
-born Argentine
professional wrestler
. Rocca was a popular face
and in some cities with both Italian-American and especially Hispanic
audiences, his following was exceptionally large and loyal.
He had a love for opera and was apparently described as having an excellent - if untrained - singing voice. Maestro Arturo Toscanini
, a wrestling fan, was good friends with Rocca.
. Rocca became one of the most well-known wrestlers in America during the golden age of television. He also had a successful tag team career, forming a popular tandem with Miguel Pérez
. The two, along with their heel
(villain) opponents, drew large crowds to Madison Square Garden
on a regular basis. Rocca had an uninterrupted seven-year run of headlining or co-headlining every main-event at the Garden.
Rocca started his American professional wrestling career in 1948-1949 in Texas, and his earliest days wrestling in the business are still not known. He had been trained by the legendary legitimate-wrestler and former world's heavyweight champion Stanislaus Zbyszko
in Argentina. In the early 1950s, he held two regionally-recognized versions of professional-wrestling's world heavyweight singles-championship while still headlining nationwide, frequently in territories where other wrestlers were the recognized champs. He was even described by then National Wrestling Alliance generally-recognized champion Pat O'Connor
as the "uncrowned champion" in New York City, and it was O'Connor who, on television, challenged Rocca to a match (not held in New York City) to determine who was better.
In 1949, Rocca started wrestling in the New York City-area territory for Joseph Raymond "Toots" Mondt, and the Johnston family of promoters, which controlled wrestling at Madison Square Garden and Mondt, who owned Rocca's exclusive contract. The territory had been one of the four largest-grossing areas up until the mid-1930s New York
, and would later be run by Capitol Wrestling Corporation
(now World Wrestling Entertainment
). He is generally considered as the box-office draw that helped bring wrestling back to Madison Square Garden, on a regular basis, for the first time since 1938.
Rocca was so popular that he was being used as a main eventer by promoters throughout the U.S. and Canada, who booked him through Mondt, who was the co-founder of the booking office that provided the talent for the Garden and other venues. Rocca formed a tag team with Jose Miguel Perez
in 1957 and they were hugely successful as such. Together, they captured the NWA Capitol World Tag Team Championship, which was the top tag-team title used in CWC, and like so many other titles, was a regional one. They were never defeated after winning this title but the appellation was abandoned after about five years. Perez was videotaped with his original belt from that title in a 1987 30th anniversary tribute, after Rocca's death. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jisuCghQdsg
In 1963, the Capitol (CWC) promotion may have left the NWA when it was renamed the World Wide Wrestling Federation. WWE history lists a tournament final to crown the first WWWF World Heavyweight Champion
as Buddy Rogers over Rocca on April 29, 1963 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but this tournament is fictitious. Rogers had legitimately held the NWA world's title but lost that title to Lou Thesz in Toronto earlier in 1963 in a match—and rematch—ignored by the New York City and Chicago promoters.
In 1959 and into 1960, Rocca worked briefly with veteran Kola Kwariani and under the controversial promoter, impresario and genuine manager of wrestlers, Jack Pfefer
, who took effective control of the Garden's wrestling office. Kwariani had just broken away from his partnership with Vince McMahon Sr
. Rocca then set the post-World War II record for wrestling-attendance at Madison Square Garden's 49th-50th Street location, drawing 21,950 fans in a singles-match against an obscure wrestler named "the Amazing Zuma," a/k/a "Argentina Zuma," on January 2, 1960, as was reported by the New York Times. This was part of a series of three matches between the two held during a four-month period, when the pair earlier drew, on another night, almost as many fans to the Garden. The Times called the largest turnout of these three matches the all-time record for wrestling attendance at Madison Square Garden, although there is some question whether a Jim Londos-led event in the 1930s drew a few hundred more fans. Rocca had also been provided with new wrestler, Bruno Sammartino
as a partner and second-banana in tag-team matches. But when this team failed to sell-out the Garden, the pair was split up to wrestle each other in the hopes that business would pick up, however it did not. Eventually McMahon Sr. took the New York territory back and built it by first featuring "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers and then, a few years later, the by-then charismatic Sammartino as its champion.
After a demotion, and with the arrival of Buddy Rogers as the featured star at MSG in 1961, within a few years Rocca left the WWWF and briefly set up a competing promotion (supported by Jim Crockett, Sr. and others) based at the Sunnyside arena in Queens, NY. It is believed to have failed and it ceased operations.
In the mid-1970s, he teamed up with Vince McMahon Jr. to handle the color commentary on the WWWF's weekly television show.
in Puerto Rico
with partner Miguel Perez. They captured the obscure WWC North American Tag Team Championship
on September 11, 1976 by defeating Los Infernos. They lost the titles to Higo Hamaguchi and Gordon Nelson on October 16.
and André the Giant
at the famed Madison Square Garden
.
.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
-born Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
. Rocca was a popular face
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
and in some cities with both Italian-American and especially Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
audiences, his following was exceptionally large and loyal.
He had a love for opera and was apparently described as having an excellent - if untrained - singing voice. Maestro Arturo Toscanini
Arturo Toscanini
Arturo Toscanini was an Italian conductor. One of the most acclaimed musicians of the late 19th and 20th century, he was renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orchestral detail and sonority, and his photographic memory...
, a wrestling fan, was good friends with Rocca.
Wrestling career
As a soccer and rugby-player when he moved to Argentina, before World War II, and an overall athlete, Rocca was known for his unique, acrobatic, off-the-ground, flying wrestling style, which he probably invented, wowing audiences with his dazzling aerial maneuvers. He was responsible for the revival of the New York City Metropolitan-Area territory in the late 1940s, which would eventually become part of the modern day World Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
. Rocca became one of the most well-known wrestlers in America during the golden age of television. He also had a successful tag team career, forming a popular tandem with Miguel Pérez
Miguel Pérez (wrestler)
Miguel Jose Perez was an Puerto Rican professional wrestler who was best known for his tag team with Antonino Rocca.- Montreal Athletic Commission :...
. The two, along with their heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
(villain) opponents, drew large crowds to Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
on a regular basis. Rocca had an uninterrupted seven-year run of headlining or co-headlining every main-event at the Garden.
Rocca started his American professional wrestling career in 1948-1949 in Texas, and his earliest days wrestling in the business are still not known. He had been trained by the legendary legitimate-wrestler and former world's heavyweight champion Stanislaus Zbyszko
Stanislaus Zbyszko
Stanislaus Zbyszko was a Polish strongman and professional wrestler popular in the United States during the 1920s. He was one of the most influential European grapplers of all-time, he was also among the sport’s great pioneer champions...
in Argentina. In the early 1950s, he held two regionally-recognized versions of professional-wrestling's world heavyweight singles-championship while still headlining nationwide, frequently in territories where other wrestlers were the recognized champs. He was even described by then National Wrestling Alliance generally-recognized champion Pat O'Connor
Pat O'Connor (wrestler)
Patrick John "Pat" O'Connor , was a professional wrestler from New Zealand. O'Connor was regarded as one of the premier workers of his era...
as the "uncrowned champion" in New York City, and it was O'Connor who, on television, challenged Rocca to a match (not held in New York City) to determine who was better.
In 1949, Rocca started wrestling in the New York City-area territory for Joseph Raymond "Toots" Mondt, and the Johnston family of promoters, which controlled wrestling at Madison Square Garden and Mondt, who owned Rocca's exclusive contract. The territory had been one of the four largest-grossing areas up until the mid-1930s New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and would later be run by Capitol Wrestling Corporation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(now World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
). He is generally considered as the box-office draw that helped bring wrestling back to Madison Square Garden, on a regular basis, for the first time since 1938.
Rocca was so popular that he was being used as a main eventer by promoters throughout the U.S. and Canada, who booked him through Mondt, who was the co-founder of the booking office that provided the talent for the Garden and other venues. Rocca formed a tag team with Jose Miguel Perez
Miguel Pérez (wrestler)
Miguel Jose Perez was an Puerto Rican professional wrestler who was best known for his tag team with Antonino Rocca.- Montreal Athletic Commission :...
in 1957 and they were hugely successful as such. Together, they captured the NWA Capitol World Tag Team Championship, which was the top tag-team title used in CWC, and like so many other titles, was a regional one. They were never defeated after winning this title but the appellation was abandoned after about five years. Perez was videotaped with his original belt from that title in a 1987 30th anniversary tribute, after Rocca's death. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jisuCghQdsg
In 1963, the Capitol (CWC) promotion may have left the NWA when it was renamed the World Wide Wrestling Federation. WWE history lists a tournament final to crown the first WWWF World Heavyweight Champion
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
as Buddy Rogers over Rocca on April 29, 1963 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but this tournament is fictitious. Rogers had legitimately held the NWA world's title but lost that title to Lou Thesz in Toronto earlier in 1963 in a match—and rematch—ignored by the New York City and Chicago promoters.
In 1959 and into 1960, Rocca worked briefly with veteran Kola Kwariani and under the controversial promoter, impresario and genuine manager of wrestlers, Jack Pfefer
Jack Pfefer
Jack Pfefer was an professional wrestling promoter during the early-to-mid 1900's. He pioneered an earlier form of sports entertainment, as he was one of the first promoters to visualize the pro wrestling business in the mold of theater...
, who took effective control of the Garden's wrestling office. Kwariani had just broken away from his partnership with Vince McMahon Sr
Vincent J. McMahon
Vincent James "Vince" McMahon, better known as Vince McMahon, Sr. was an American professional wrestling promoter. He is best known for founding the American promotion, World Wide Wrestling Federation, which is now known as WWE.-Early life:Vincent James McMahon was born on July 6, 1914 in Harlem,...
. Rocca then set the post-World War II record for wrestling-attendance at Madison Square Garden's 49th-50th Street location, drawing 21,950 fans in a singles-match against an obscure wrestler named "the Amazing Zuma," a/k/a "Argentina Zuma," on January 2, 1960, as was reported by the New York Times. This was part of a series of three matches between the two held during a four-month period, when the pair earlier drew, on another night, almost as many fans to the Garden. The Times called the largest turnout of these three matches the all-time record for wrestling attendance at Madison Square Garden, although there is some question whether a Jim Londos-led event in the 1930s drew a few hundred more fans. Rocca had also been provided with new wrestler, Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino is an Italian-American former professional wrestler, best known for being the longest-running champion of the World Wide Wrestling Federation , holding the title across two reigns for over 11 years in total, as well as the longest single WWE Championship reign...
as a partner and second-banana in tag-team matches. But when this team failed to sell-out the Garden, the pair was split up to wrestle each other in the hopes that business would pick up, however it did not. Eventually McMahon Sr. took the New York territory back and built it by first featuring "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers and then, a few years later, the by-then charismatic Sammartino as its champion.
After a demotion, and with the arrival of Buddy Rogers as the featured star at MSG in 1961, within a few years Rocca left the WWWF and briefly set up a competing promotion (supported by Jim Crockett, Sr. and others) based at the Sunnyside arena in Queens, NY. It is believed to have failed and it ceased operations.
In the mid-1970s, he teamed up with Vince McMahon Jr. to handle the color commentary on the WWWF's weekly television show.
Appearances in Japan (late 1960s-early 1970s)
Rocca was involved as a wrestler, but also as a referee in Japan during these years. He refereed a number of matches for the Japan Prowrestling Association (JPA), and later followed Antonio Inoki to New Japan Pro Wrestling in 1972.World Wrestling Council (1973-1976)
There is not much information on where Rocca worked in the following ten years, but it is known that in 1973, he joined the World Wrestling CouncilWorld Wrestling Council
The World Wrestling Council is one of Puerto Rico's two main professional wrestling promotions, the other one being the International Wrestling Association....
in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
with partner Miguel Perez. They captured the obscure WWC North American Tag Team Championship
WWC North American Tag Team Championship
The NWA North American Tag Team Championship was a major tag team championship that was used and defended in Capitol Sports Promotions...
on September 11, 1976 by defeating Los Infernos. They lost the titles to Higo Hamaguchi and Gordon Nelson on October 16.
Gorilla Monsoon vs. André The Giant
On February 25, 1977, in his last days, Rocca made an appearance with World Wide Wrestling Federation, officiating a boxing match between Gorilla MonsoonGorilla Monsoon
Robert James "Gino" Marella , better known by his ring name of Gorilla Monsoon, was an American professional wrestler, play-by-play announcer, and booker...
and André the Giant
André the Giant
André René Roussimoff , best known as André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. His best remembered acting role was that of Fezzik, the giant in the film The Princess Bride...
at the famed Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
.
Death
On March 15, 1977, Antonino died in New York City. His funeral was attended by thousands and made front cover news of all NYC newspapers and of all of the sporting world. He was later inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame Class of 1995WWE Hall of Fame
The WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for professional wrestlers maintained by WWE. It was officially created on the February 1, 1993 episode of the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw television program...
.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Argentine Backbreaker (Argentine backbreaker rack)
- Signature moves
- Airplane spin
- BackbreakerBackbreakerA backbreaker refers to professional wrestling moves which see a wrestler dropping an opponent so that the opponent's back impacts or is bent backwards against a part of the wrestler's body, usually the knee...
- Diving crossbody
- DropkickDropkickA dropkick is an attacking maneuver in professional wrestling. It is defined as an attack where the wrestler jumps up and kicks the opponent with the soles of both feet; this sees the wrestler twist as he or she jumps so that when the feet connect with the opponent one foot is raised higher than...
- Hurricanrana
- Victory roll
- Nicknames
- Bull of the Pampas
Championships and accomplishments
- American Wrestling Association (Montreal)American Wrestling AssociationThe American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
- AWA World Heavyweight Championship (Montreal version)AWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe American Wrestling Association World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship and the highest ranked championship in the defunct American Wrestling Association. All AWA trademarks, including the AWA World Heavyweight Championship, are now owned by WWE...
(1 time)
- American Wrestling Association (Ohio)American Wrestling AssociationThe American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
- AWA World Heavyweight Championship (Ohio version)AWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe American Wrestling Association World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship and the highest ranked championship in the defunct American Wrestling Association. All AWA trademarks, including the AWA World Heavyweight Championship, are now owned by WWE...
(1 time)
- Stampede WrestlingStampede WrestlingStampede Wrestling is a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta and was for nearly 50 years one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies...
- Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame
- NWA Capitol WrestlingWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Capitol version) (1 time) - with Miguel Perez; they were never defeated for this title and the title was abandoned after roughly five years.
- NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Northeast version)WWWF United States Tag Team ChampionshipThe WWWF United States Tag Team Championship was a major tag team title in the World Wide Wrestling Federation from 1963 until 1967. Originally, the WWF was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance operating out of the Northeast and was called the Capitol Wrestling Corporation...
(1 time) - with Miguel Perez
- Southwest Sports, Inc.World Class Championship WrestlingWorld Class Championship Wrestling ' was a regional professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Originally owned by promoter Ed McLemore, by 1966 it was run by Southwest Sports, Inc., whose president, Jack Adkisson, was better known as wrestler Fritz Von Erich...
- NWA Texas Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA Texas Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling title that has existed since the 1930s. Though its exact date of creation isn't known, it is among the oldest championships used in professional wrestling today...
(2 times)
- World Wrestling CouncilWorld Wrestling CouncilThe World Wrestling Council is one of Puerto Rico's two main professional wrestling promotions, the other one being the International Wrestling Association....
- WWC North American Tag Team ChampionshipWWC North American Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA North American Tag Team Championship was a major tag team championship that was used and defended in Capitol Sports Promotions...
(1 time) - with Miguel Perez.
- World Wide Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling FederationWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
- WWF Hall of FameWWE Hall of FameThe WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for professional wrestlers maintained by WWE. It was officially created on the February 1, 1993 episode of the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw television program...
(Class of 1995) - CWC/WWWF International Heavyweight ChampionshipWWF International Heavyweight ChampionshipThe WWF International Heavyweight Championship is a former championship recognized by NWA Northeast, the World Wrestling Federation, New Japan Pro Wrestling and the Japanese UWF.The title existed from 1959 through 1963 and again from 1982 through 1985....
(1 time)
- Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
- (Class of 2003)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of FameWrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of FameThe Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is a professional wrestling hall of fame that recognizes people who make significant contributions to the sport. It was founded in 1996 by Dave Meltzer, editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is not...
(Class of 1996)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame
In popular culture
- Rocca was depicted wrestling SupermanSupermanSuperman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
on the cover of the Superman #155 (August 1962) comic book. - The 1976 horror film Alice, Sweet Alice, featuring child actress Brooke ShieldsBrooke ShieldsBrooke Christa Shields is an American actress and model. Some of her better-known movies include Pretty Baby and The Blue Lagoon, as well as TV shows such as Suddenly Susan, That '70s Show and Lipstick Jungle....
, includes Rocca in a bit part.
External links
- WWE Hall of Fame profile
- Antonino at Wrestling Museum
- Antonino Rocca at the Supermanica wiki
- Wrestling Classics' "Lou Thesz Forum." This site also has the largest known Internet-collection of links to photographs of Rocca, both as a wrestler, and off-stage, and contains various verified, eyewitness-attended accounts of his matches posted by veteran fans.