The Rocca Exercise Program will help everyone sleep better, eat more wisely, and resist disease. [citation needed], In 1963, the CWC left the NWA when it was renamed the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF). Day of death: 15.03.1977 (at the age of 53) Cause of death: Nierenversagen. Drag images here or select from your computer for Antonino Argentina Rocca memorial. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. He wrestled extensively for Capital Wrestling Corporation the precursor to WWWF. Rocca was a popular face and in some cities with both Italian American and especially Hispanic audiences, his following was exceptionally large and loyal. 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. He weighed 224 pounds and was one of several recognized heavyweight champions of the world during his career. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. By the time WWE was created as an independent entity outside the NWA in 1963, Rocca had already given way to Bruno Sammartino as the company's top Superstar. 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. A spokesman for the Campbell Funeral Home said his body would be cremated. Rocca was involved as a wrestler, but also as a referee in Japan during these years. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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 WWE). This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Weight Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. https://www.nytimes.com/1977/03/16/archives/antonino-rocca-49-star-wrestler.html. Commentary Career; Ratings; Comments; Personal Data. 155 (August 1962) comic book. 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. He is best known for his work for the Capital Wrestling Corporation, which was the precursor to WWE. This page was last edited on 15 November 2020, at 08:41. Antonino Rocca, a worldfamous barefooted wrestler who claimed the secret of life would enable him to live to 150 years of age, died last night at 49. Try again later. But Rocca was the first major Superstar promoted by the McMahon family, and no such list would be complete without him. 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. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. It will open the lungs, strengthen and steady the heartbeat, tighten the skin, and improve over-all appearance. Innovated the "high-flying" style of wrestling with his dropkicks and flying body presses, and was recognized as world heavyweight champion by the MAC in Montreal and the AWA in Ohio in the early 1950s. This biographical article relating to professional wrestling is a stub. Rocca was a popular face and in some cities with both Italian American and especially Hispanic audiences, his following was exceptionally large and loyal. Suggested that ashes may be interred at Beth Israel Cemetery in Woodbridge, NJ. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. Maestro Arturo Toscanini, a wrestling fan, was good friends with Rocca. Antonino Rocca would have been 53 years old at the time of death or 92 years old today. At the centre of the city is the beautiful Piazza del Duomo . This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Year should not be greater than current year. 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. What is the exposition of the blanket by Floyd dell? Among his in-ring achievements, he was a 1x World (Capitol) Tag Team Champion, a 1x World (Montreal) Heavyweight Champion, a 2x NWA Texas Heavyweight Champion and a 1x WWC North American Tag Team Champion. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. His arsenal of aerial maneuvers would be considered amazing even by today's standards; back then, he was a legitimate phenomenon. April 13, 1927(1927-04-13) document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The Top Ten in All Areas of Pro Wrestling, The Longest Running Pro Wrestling Columnist, Dave Meltzer, Mike Mooneyham, Steve Yohe, Tim Hornbaker, Greg Oliver, Bill Apter, Karl Stern, Scott Teal, wrestlingclassics.com, wwe.com, kayfabememories.com, wrestling-titles.com, The Lapsed Fan podcast, 6:05 Superpodcast, Great Black Heroes Try again later. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. Since the offices money came primarily from Roccas bookings, it meant his partners were getting 75% of everything he earned.. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. In his autobiography Hooker: An Authentic Wrestlers Adventures Inside the Bizarre World of Professional Wrestling, Lou Thesz wrote about Rocca, saying, The picture really came into focus when I learned his deal with the New York thieves (Vincent J. McMahon, Toots Mondt and Kola Kwariani) gave Rocca 25% of the office. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Rocca was posthumously inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame in 1995 and the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame the following year in 1996. 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). He also possessed Argentine citizenship. Rocca formed a tag team with Miguel Prez in 1957 and they were hugely successful as such. Login to add information, pictures and relationships, join in discussions and get credit for your contributions. Live Death Statistics Worldwide and The United States. Garden Gayeties. Anyone can read what you share. All structured data from the file namespace is available under the. 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. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. Rocca slept 10 to 12 hours a day regularly, but on occasion was known to sleep 42 consecutive hours before a match. They captured the defunct WWC North American Tag Team Championship on 11 September 1976 by defeating Los Infernos. The 1976 horror film Alice, Sweet Alice, featuring child actress Brooke Shields, includes Rocca in a bit part. Additionally, Rocca would often tie his opponent up in pretzel holds, to the delight of his fans, of which there were legions. Cloudflare Ray ID: 78b99aa02da12d52 Rocca was involved as a professional wrestler, but also as a referee in Japan during the late 1960s and early 1970s. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Rocca was especially popular in the northeastern part of the country, where he was an ethnic, blue-collar hero to millions. Watch every Premium Live Event and enjoy some of your favorite WWE content on Shahid. Antonino Rocca Also known as Antonio Rocca, Argentina Rocca Overview Career Titles Matches Match Statistics Tournaments Tag Teams & Stables Entourage Awards Movies Commentary Career Ratings Comments Matches Displaying items 1 to 100 of total 1224 items that match the search parameters. Antonino Rocca (born Antonino Biasetton, April 13, 1927 - March 15, 1977) was an Italian professional wrestler. 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. 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. Search above to list available cemeteries. In 1959-60, Rocca worked with Kola Kwariani and under Jack Pfefer, took effective control of the Garden's wrestling office. 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. In the mid-1970s, he teamed up with Vince McMahon to handle the color commentary on the WWWF's weekly television show. In 1963, the Capitol (CWC) promotion may have left the NWA when it was renamed the World Wide Wrestling Federation. There was a problem getting your location. 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. Please try again later. The team of Rocca & Perez won Capital Sports version of the NWA World Tag Team championship in 1957 and, nearly twenty years later, reformed their pairing in Puerto Rico to capture the World Wrestling Council North American Tag Team championship by defeating The Infernos on September 11, 1976. The ethnic factor also played a big part. Antonino Rocca 1956.jpg 569 681; 99 KB. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. He was born in Traviso, Italy, near Venice, but grew up in Rosario, Argentina, where he became notable as a rugby player at 15. Birthplace: Treviso, Italien. Whom life had made ugly in the story of dodong and teang? Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Thanks for your help! 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. Not only was the spot entertaining, it (along with his exemplary dropkick) also showcased the tremendous balance and coordination he acquired prior to entering the squared circle. Antonino Rocca (born Antonino Biasetton, April 13, 1927 - March 15, 1977) was an Italian professional wrestler. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. A native of Italy whose adopted . He was a huge draw for the WWWF throughout the 50s and early 60s and headlined madison square garden on many occassions. Treviso, Provincia di Treviso, Veneto, Italy, New York, New York County (Manhattan), New York, USA. Argentina Rocca Roles: Singles Wrestler Color Commentator Beginning of in-ring career: 1941 End of in-ring career: 1976 In-ring experience: 35 years Continue Learning about General Arts & Entertainment. 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 (CWC, now WWE). Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? Contribute Who is Angelino Rocca dating? Rogers was neither the athlete that Rocca was, nor a technician on the level of Lou Thesz. He also enjoyed a lengthy reign as the International Heavyweight champion as well as two runs with the NWA Texas championship. This account has been disabled. As successful as he may have been inside the ring, though, Rocca did not always make the best business decisions outside of it. His matches, often tagteam affairs with Miguel Perez of Puerto Rico, attracted sellout crowds, usually exceeding 20,000 at Madison Square Garden. Failed to report flower. Oops, we were unable to send the email. 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. [4], As a soccer and rugby player when he moved to Argentina before World War II, Rocca was known for his unique, acrobatic, off-the-ground, flying wrestling style. Oops, something didn't work. Gender: male. 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. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? The legendary veteran had an announcing style that was all his own, to say the least, and, for better or worse, his unique commentary added greatly to the popular programs. Antonio Rocca a.k.a. They captured the defunct WWC North American Tag Team Championship on September 11, 1976 by defeating Los Infernos. Failed to delete memorial. What is the difference between mango plants and maize plants in terms of root system? He also possessed Argentine citizenship. Retired You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. His funeral was attended by thousands and made the front page of all NYC newspapers. 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. Antonino Rocca is sometimes left off lists of the greatest Superstars in WWE historysimply because he was around before the letters were. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Before it was ever known as WWE, Antonino Rocca was the top Superstar in the company. Perez was videotaped with his original belt from that title in a 1987 30th anniversary tribute, after Rocca's death. Records may include photos, original documents, family history, relatives, specific dates, locations and full names. The promotion ultimately failed, however, with the new decade of the 1970s, Rocca eventually returned to Capital Sports and teamed with a young Vince McMahon Jr. as a color commentator on the WWWFs Championship Wrestling and All-Star Wrestling television programs. We know that Antonino La Rocca had been residing in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York 11214. Antonino was 49 years old at the time of death. This browser does not support getting your location. He made his debut against Jack Vancy on a house show in New York City under Capital Wrestling corporation. This, along with his use of television, allowed McMahon to gain enough leverage to become the major player in the territory. Antonino Biasetton: Date of death: 15 March 1977 New York City: Place of burial: unknown value; Work period (start) 1942; Country of citizenship: Italy (1946-1977) . To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. Watch every Premium Live Event and get unlimited access to WWE's premium content - available to you anywhere, anytime, on any device. He passed away due to a urinary tract infection and was survived by three children. 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. They were never defeated after winning this title, but the appellation was abandoned after about five years. Brooklyn, Kings County, New York 11214 . Antonino died on March 15, 1977, at Roosevelt Hospital in New York City after complications following an infection. March 15, 1977 (aged49) He was a major box office draw for the New York City territory. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. He had a love for opera and was apparently described as having an excellent - if . Eventually, after leaving the promotion, Rocca even helped run a short-lived opposition group to McMahons powerful WWWF, presenting cards at the Sunnyside Gardens in Queens, N.Y. What is the birth name of Angelino 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; ; 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. 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