. Additionally, Rocca would often tie his opponent up in pretzel holds, to the delight of his fans, of which there were legions. He wrestled extensively for Capital Wrestling Corporation the precursor to WWWF. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. What is the exposition of the blanket by Floyd dell? For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. But due to the confines of the time limit curfew, the title did not change hands. His fan following was passionate, as is evidenced by the famous riot that erupted at Madison Square Garden on a night in 1957 when Rocca was busted open by Dick the Bruiser. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Perez was videotaped with his original belt from that title in a 1987 30th anniversary tribute, after Rocca's death. Rogers had legitimately held the NWA world's title but lost that title to Lou Thesz in Toronto earlier in 1963 in a matchand rematchignored by the New York City and Chicago promoters. Brooklyn, Kings County, New York 11214 . Nothing, really, ; Antonino Rocca; Antonino Rocca; ; Antonino Rocca; Antonino Rocca; Antonino Rocca; Antonino Rocca; Antonino Rocca; Antonino Rocca; Antonino Rocca; Antonino Rocca; Antonino Rocca; Antonino Rocca; Antonino Rocca; Antonino Rocca; ; Antonino Rocca; luchador profesional italiano; lutador italiano; ; ; Italiaans professioneel worstelaar; argentinischer Profiwrestler (19281977); Italian professional wrestler; cora gairmiil Iodlach; wrestler italiano; Antonino Biasetton; Argentina Rocca; Angelino Rocca; Antonio Biasetton; Angelino Rocca; Antonino Biasetton; Antonino Biasetton; Argentina Rocca; Antonio Rocca; Angelino Rocca; Antonino Biasetton; Antonino Biasetton, Last edited on 15 November 2020, at 08:41, Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame, Argentine Rocca - Olympic Auditorium Wrestling News 31 January 1962 (cropped).jpg, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Category:Antonino_Rocca&oldid=512706368, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. He had a love for opera and was apparently described as having an excellent if untrained singing voice. https://www.nytimes.com/1977/03/16/archives/antonino-rocca-49-star-wrestler.html. Antonino Rocca is a member of the WWE Hall of Fame (1995), Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame (1995), Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (1996), and the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum (2003). Day of death: 15.03.1977 (at the age of 53) Cause of death: Nierenversagen. This browser does not support getting your location. In addition to his revolutionary wrestling technique, Rocca was arguably the biggest, most consistent box office draw of his era. Watch every Premium Live Event and enjoy some of your favorite WWE content on Shahid. Commentary Career; Ratings; Comments; Personal Data. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1977th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 977th year of the 2nd millennium, the 77th year of the 20th century, and the 8th year of the 1970s decade. Cloudflare Ray ID: 78b99aa02da12d52 In the 1970s, he returned to WWE as an announcer, calling the action with a very young Vincent K. McMahon. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. On February 25, 1977, in his last days, Rocca appeared with World Wide Wrestling Federation, officiating a boxing match between Gorilla Monsoon and Andr the Giant at the famed Madison Square Garden. This, along with his use of television, allowed McMahon to gain enough leverage to become the major player in the territory. He refereed a number of matches for the Japan Pro Wrestling Association (JWA), and later followed Antonio Inoki to New Japan Pro-Wrestling in 1972. based on information from your browser. Antonino Rocca would have been 53 years old at the time of death or 92 years old today. Antonino Rocca 1956.jpg 569 681; 99 KB. He was part of the Chicago Comiskey Park shows in 1961, teaming with Antonino Rocca, and a popular star on Studio Wrestling during the 1960s. There was an error deleting this problem. Rocca was involved as a professional wrestler, but also as a referee in Japan during the late 1960s and early 1970s. There was a problem getting your location. Antonino Buenaventura died on January 25, 1996. Rocca died on 15 March 1977 at Roosevelt Hospital in New York City after complications following a urinary infection. You can always change this later in your Account settings. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. In the late 1950s, Rocca formed a partnership with Puerto Rican Superstar Miguel Perez, and the duo became the first holders of the United States Tag Team Championship, the title that would eventually evolve into today's World Tag Team Championship. Other foes of Rocca, the likes of Johnny Valentine and Classy Freddie Blassie, fought not necessarily over titles, but rather pride and respect, not to mention the large payoffs each received after main-eventing with a superstar the caliber of Argentina Rocca. The reasons were simple. [citation needed]. They lost the titles to Higo Hamaguchi and Gordon Nelson on October 16. Sorry! In the United States, he began his career in Texas, but was quickly brought to New York in the late 1940s by Joseph "Toots" Mondt, the kingpin of wrestling in the Big Apple. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. In arenas like Madison Square Garden, he was such a big deal that his matches were always main events, even if the NWA World Champion was also competing on the card; the Argentine acrobat was the man the people came to see. January 16, 2023 Monday Night RAW results, IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, Appearances in Japan (late 1960s-early 1970s), Championship Wrestling From Florida alumni, Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame, World Wide Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Federation, CWC/WWWF International Heavyweight Championship, Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum, MAC World Heavyweight Championship (1 time). Antonino Biasetton Rocca in The Robesonian . There is no cause of death listed for Antonino. How do the protagonist assert conflicts and resolutions on the hierarchical state of affairs of the country. Antonino Rocca Also known as Antonio Rocca, Argentina Rocca. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. 15.03.1977 (at the age of 53) Cause of death: Nierenversagen Gender: male Height: 6' 0" (183 cm) Weight: 227 lbs (103 kg) Career Data Alter egos: Antonino Rocca a.k.a. Trained by the Polish strongman Stanislaus Zbyszko in Argentina, Antonino Biasetton (13 April 1921 15 March 1977) was an Italian-Argentinian Professional Wrestler who competed from 1942-1976 as Antonino Rocca. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from thestaff@tvtropes.org. Professional wrestling innovator. [citation needed], McMahon Sr. eventually took back the New York territory and built it by first featuring "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers and then, a few years later, the by-then charismatic Sammartino as its champion. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Born The Rocca Exercise Program will help everyone sleep better, eat more wisely, and resist disease. His funeral was attended by thousands and made front cover news of all NYC newspapers and of all of the sporting world. Antonino Rocca (born Antonino Biasetton, April 13, 1927 - March 15, 1977) was an Italian professional wrestler. He weighed 224 pounds and was one of several recognized heavyweight champions of the world during his career. Rocca was especially popular in the northeastern part of the country, where he was an ethnic, blue-collar hero to millions. [citation needed], Rocca was depicted wrestling Superman on the cover of the Superman No. Last edited on 22 December 2022, at 02:24, List of premature professional wrestling deaths, "Wrestlingdata.com - The World's Largest Wrestling Database", "All-South Wrestling Alliance Georgia Tag Team Title", "United States Tag Team Title (Capitol/WWWF)", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Argentina_Apollo&oldid=1128804068, ASWA Georgia Tag Team Championship (1 time, first) - with Dick Steinborn, NWA Southeastern Tag Team Championship (Georgia version) (1 time) - with, WWWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with, This page was last edited on 22 December 2022, at 02:24. History of Spies All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Black Inventors Online Museum He also competed in Montreal, Ohio, Texas, New Japan Pro-Wrestling and the World Wrestling Council in Puerto Rico, where he finished out his career. 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) 1976 155 (August 1962) comic book. Birthplace: Treviso, Italien. A spokesman for the Campbell Funeral Home said his body would be cremated. He was a huge draw for the WWWF throughout the 50s and early 60s and headlined madison square garden on many occassions. 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. Argentina Rocca Roles: Singles Wrestler Color Commentator Beginning of in-ring career: 1941 End of in-ring career: 1976 In-ring experience: Antonino Rocca Deceased Also known as Antonio Rocca, Argentina Rocca. They were never defeated after winning this title, but the appellation was abandoned after about five years. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. WWE history lists a tournament final to crown the first WWWF World Heavyweight Champion as Buddy Rogers over Rocca on 29 April 1963 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but this tournament is fictitious. He was best known for his gymnastics in the ring, performing such feats as climbing onto the ropes, performing a back aerial somersault into a roll, then using a handspring to return to his feet and to throw a savate kick to his opponent's midsection. His matches, often tagteam affairs with Miguel Perez of Puerto Rico, attracted sellout crowds, usually exceeding 20,000 at Madison Square Garden. His arsenal of aerial maneuvers would be considered amazing even by today's standards; back then, he was a legitimate phenomenon. Before it was ever known as WWE, Antonino Rocca was the top Superstar in the company. Drag images here or select from your computer for Antonino Argentina Rocca memorial. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. In the mid-1970s, he teamed up with Vince McMahon to handle the color commentary on the WWWF's weekly television show. Gender: male. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Height: 6' 0" (183 cm) Weight . Antonino Rocca Birthday and Date of Death. Watch every Premium Live Event and get unlimited access to WWE's premium content - available to you anywhere, anytime, on any device. [citation needed] In the early 1950s, he held two regionally recognized World Heavyweight Championships while still headlining nationwide, frequently in territories where other wrestlers were the recognized champions. Rocca became one of the most well-known wrestlers in America during the golden age of television. In 1959-60, Rocca worked with Kola Kwariani and under Jack Pfefer, took effective control of the Garden's wrestling office. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. A farmer has 19 sheep All but 7 die How many are left? 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. Wrestler Antonino Rocca applies a head scissors to Lord Leslie Carlton during match at Madison Square Garden. Maestro Arturo Toscanini, a wrestling fan, was good friends with Rocca. Antonino Rocca is sometimes left off lists of the greatest Superstars in WWE historysimply because he was around before the letters were. Try again later. After a demotion, and with the arrival of Buddy Rogers as the featured star at the Garden in 1961, within a few years Rocca left the WWWF and briefly set up a competing promotion (supported by Jim Crockett and others) based at the Sunnyside Arena in Queens, New York. If you could witness one event past, present, or future, what would it be? He refereed a number of matches for the Japan Prowrestling Association (JPA), and later followed Antonio Inoki to New Japan Pro Wrestling in 1972. Rocca had also been provided with new wrestler Bruno Sammartino as a tag team partner. He regularly earned more than $100,000 a year at his peak, and claimed in 1965 that he had never lost in 4,000 matches. Day of death: 15.03.1977 (at the age of 53) Cause of death: Nierenversagen. What equipment do you need to exercise with Rocca? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. We have set your language to Overview; Career; Titles; Matches; Match Statistics . Eventually, McMahon managed to convince Rocca to join his troupe full-time. Failed to report flower. Rocca was born Antonino Biasetton on April 13, 1921 in Treviso, Veneto, Italy and moved to Argentina in the years just prior to World War II. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. 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. Gender: male. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Name: Antonino Rocca Birth Date: 6 Jun 1871 Birth Place: Termini, Sicily, Italy Death Date: 21 Mar 1933 Death Place: Coal City, Grundy Co , Illinois Burial Date: 25 . 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