To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. It will open the lungs, strengthen and steady the heartbeat, tighten the skin, and improve over-all appearance. During this period, only Gorgeous George was a bigger star, and on the East Coast Rocca was the uncontested king. Rocca had also been provided with new wrestler, Bruno Sammartino as a partner and second-banana in tag-team matches. 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. Birthday: April 23, 1928 Date of Death: May 15, 1977 Age at Death: 49. In 1963, the Capitol (CWC) promotion may have left the NWA when it was renamed the World Wide Wrestling Federation. Just a few months in his stint in the CWC, he teamed up with Johnny Valentine to win the WWWF United States Tag Team Championship from the team of the Fabulous Kangaroos(AL Costello and Roy Hefferman). Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. Antonino Rocca is a member of the following lists: 1921 births, 1977 deaths and 1927 births. Search above to list available cemeteries. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. His legendary tag team with Miguel Perez was a main-event duo that drew truly impressive numbers throughout the Northeast and, in particular, New Yorks Madison Square Garden. What is the exposition of the blanket by Floyd dell? He was a huge draw for the WWWF throughout the 50s and early 60s and headlined madison square garden on many occassions. Day of death: 15.03.1977 (at the age of 53) Cause of death: Nierenversagen. What is the difference between mango plants and maize plants in terms of root system? Continue Learning about General Arts & Entertainment. 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. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. He was born in Traviso, Italy, near Venice, but grew up in Rosario, Argentina, where he became notable as a rugby player at 15. Antonino Rocca: def. If you could witness one event past, present, or future, what would it be? He had been trained by the legendary legitimate-wrestler and former world's heavyweight champion Stanislaus Zbyszko in Argentina. 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. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? Treviso, Italy Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. They captured the defunct WWC North American Tag Team Championship on 11 September 1976 by defeating Los Infernos. In the mid-1970s, he teamed up with Vince McMahon to handle the color commentary on the WWWF's weekly television show. He tag teamed with partner Miguel Prez. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. . They were never defeated after winning this title, but the appellation was abandoned after about five years. The Death of Argintina Rocca: March 15, 1977: Antonino Rocca passed away.. Antonino Rocca was an accomplished singer and music lover he was also an avid cigar smoker.. Antonino Rocca was inducted into the World Wrestling Federation Hall of Fame His wife gave an emotional acceptance speech.. Antonino Rocca was famous for stating "I . 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. 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. He began his career as a professional wrestler in 1942 and by incorporating some of the techniques he acquired as an acrobat and soccer player in Argentina with the traditional pro wrestling of the day . Watch every Premium Live Event and get unlimited access to WWE's premium content - available to you anywhere, anytime, on any device. Rocca was of Italian heritage and hailed from Latin America, making him a drawing card for two of the New York area's largest populations. Antonino Rocca would have been 53 years old at the time of death or 92 years old today. Click to reveal At the centre of the city is the beautiful Piazza del Duomo . He also had a successful tag team career, forming a popular tandem with Miguel Perez. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. 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. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? Black Inventors Online Museum For instance, one of Roccas favorite spots was to slap his opponent in the face, only instead of using his hands, he would give them a humiliating flurry of smacks to the jaw using his bare feet. To use this feature, use a newer browser. Ring names 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. Browse 25 antonino rocca stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. View Source Share Save to Suggest Edits Memorial Photos Flowers Cloudflare Ray ID: 78b99aa02da12d52 [citation needed], In 1963, the CWC left the NWA when it was renamed the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF). Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. Login to add information, pictures and relationships, join in discussions and get credit for your contributions. Professional Wrestling Online Museum, Copyright 2020 Adscape International, LLC - All Rights Reserved, Dr. George Zahorian Convicted Of Selling Steroids To WWF Wrestlers. He also possessed Argentine citizenship. 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). The action you just performed triggered the security solution. He is best known for his work for the Capital Wrestling Corporation, which was the precursor to WWE. Additionally, Rocca would often tie his opponent up in pretzel holds, to the delight of his fans, of which there were legions. Antonino Rocca Argentina Rocca Rocca had also been provided with new wrestler Bruno Sammartino as a tag team partner. A native of Italy whose adopted country was Argentina, Rocca died at Roosevelt Hospital of undetermined causes. Antonino died on March 15, 1977, at Roosevelt Hospital in New York City after complications following an infection. What is the average 40 yard dash time for a 11 year old boy? Help us build our profile of Angelino Rocca! Although Rocca never held a World Championship, it really didn't matter. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. 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. He had been trained by former World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion Stanislaus Zbyszko in Argentina. Antonino Rocca (born Antonino Biasetton; 13 April 1921 15 March 1977) was an Italian Argentine professional wrestler. A teacher walks into the Classroom and says If only Yesterday was Tomorrow Today would have been a Saturday Which Day did the Teacher make this Statement? Commentary Career; Ratings; Comments; Personal Data. Retired But due to the confines of the time limit curfew, the title did not change hands. A native of Italy whose adopted . Antonino Rocca is sometimes left off lists of the greatest Superstars in WWE historysimply because he was around before the letters were. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. Considering the fame he enjoyed and the length of his time at the top, Rocca actually won very few championships during his career, relatively speaking. Burial / Funeral Heritage Ethnicity & Lineage What is Antonino's ethnicity and where did his parents, grandparents & great-grandparents come from? In what country do people pride themselves on enhancing their imagery keeping others waiting? 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. the young. Antonino,RoccaAntonino,Rocca,born,Antonino,Biasetton,,April,13,,1927,-,March,15,,1977,was,an,Italian,professional,wrestlerRocca,was,a,popular,fan,favorite,an. Since the offices money came primarily from Roccas bookings, it meant his partners were getting 75% of everything he earned.. Argentina Rocca Roles: Singles Wrestler Color Commentator Beginning of in-ring career: 1941 End of in-ring career: 1976 In-ring experience: 35 years 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. 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. History of Spies 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. He eventually had to retire due to injuries from his explosive wrestling style. 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. Nothing, really, 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) . TVTropes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. 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. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. Antonio Rocca a.k.a. Antonio Rocca a.k.a. Rocca later formed a tag team with Jose Miguel Prez in 1957. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Failed to delete memorial. Before it was ever known as WWE, Antonino Rocca was the top Superstar in the company. But Rocca was the first major Superstar promoted by the McMahon family, and no such list would be complete without him. Debut They captured the defunct WWC North American Tag Team Championship on September 11, 1976 by defeating Los Infernos. March 15, 1977 (aged49) In the mid-1970s, he teamed up with Vince McMahon to handle the color commentary on the WWWF's weekly television show. Try again later. 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. Together, they captured the NWA World Tag Team Championship, which was the top tag team title used in the CWC, and like so many other titles, was a regional one. 224 lbs (102 kg) 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. [citation needed], 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 owned Rocca's exclusive contract. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. Professional wrestling innovator. Apollo and Martinez lost the match and Apollo retired shortly afterwards. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. You can always change this later in your Account settings. He died in March 1993 at age 66. Death. During his professional wrestling career, he was known for his unique, acrobatic, off-the-ground, flying wrestling style. 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. Gender: male. Birthplace: Treviso, Italien. 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. Argentina Rocca Roles: Singles Wrestler Color Commentator Beginning of in-ring career: 1941 End of in-ring career: 1976 In-ring experience: Before it was ever known as WWE, Antonino Rocca was the top Superstar in the company. 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. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Anyone can read what you share. 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 49th50th Street location, drawing 21,950 fans in a singles match against an obscure wrestler named "The Amazing Zuma", also known as "Argentina Zuma", on 2 January 1960, as reported in The New York Times. [citation needed]. 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. [7], Maestro Arturo Toscanini, a professional wrestling fan, was good friends with Rocca. Rocca died on 15 March 1977 at Roosevelt Hospital in New York City after complications following a urinary infection. He was recruited at the University of Rosario and was a star player for three years before drifting into pro wrestling. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. A professional wrestling fan, was good friends with Rocca account to continue memorials or famous will... Or other problems ; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions ; Comments ; Personal Data ;. 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