A native of Italy whose adopted country was Argentina, Rocca died at Roosevelt Hospital of undetermined causes. Apollo and Martinez lost the match and Apollo retired shortly afterwards. 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. How do the protagonist assert conflicts and resolutions on the hierarchical state of affairs of the country. Gender: male. Professional Wrestling Online Museum, Copyright 2020 Adscape International, LLC - All Rights Reserved, Dr. George Zahorian Convicted Of Selling Steroids To WWF Wrestlers. There was an error deleting this problem. Death. See the article in its original context from. A farmer has 19 sheep All but 7 die How many are left? 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 provided color commentary on WWF Championship Wrestling and All-Star Wrestling from 1972-76,[6] a role later filled by Sammartino. Before it was ever known as WWE, Antonino Rocca was the top Superstar in the company. 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. Specifically: Ashes kept by family, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/29542038/antonino-rocca. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Antonino Rocca died on March 15, 1977 at the age of 53. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Although Rocca never held a World Championship, it really didn't matter. Back then, it was simply the Capitol Wrestling Corporation, and Rocca was the star of the show, drawing packed houses throughout the Northeast for Vincent J. McMahon. Death Place Continue Learning about General Arts & Entertainment. 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. Watch every Premium Live Event and get unlimited access to WWE's premium content - available to you anywhere, anytime, on any device. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. English Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. Treviso, Italy "Antonino" and "Superman" were actually other men in disguises, The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny. He passed away due to a urinary tract infection and was survived by three children. Rocca died on 15 March 1977 at Roosevelt Hospital in New York City after complications following a urinary infection. 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 Council in Puerto Rico with partner Miguel Prez. Antonio Rocca a.k.a. 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. Oops, we were unable to send the email. He was recruited at the University of Rosario and was a star player for three years before drifting into pro wrestling. His arsenal of aerial maneuvers would be considered amazing even by today's standards; back then, he was a legitimate phenomenon. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. The two, along with their heel opponents, drew large crowds to Madison Square Garden on a regular basis. Please enter your email and password to sign in. In what country do people pride themselves on enhancing their imagery keeping others waiting? 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. Merchandise Rocca had an uninterrupted seven-year run of headlining or co-headlining every main-event at the Garden. 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. 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. Oops, something didn't work. Make sure that the file is a photo. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. [citation needed]. Additionally, Rocca would often tie his opponent up in pretzel holds, to the delight of his fans, of which there were legions. He was shown wrestling Superman on the cover of issue #155 in 1962. During his professional wrestling career, he was known for his unique, acrobatic, off-the-ground, flying wrestling style. Antonino Rocca is sometimes left off lists of the greatest Superstars in WWE historysimply because he was around before the letters were. Although many of his contemporaries viewed Rocca as a top attraction but a subpar wrestler, he was not only an exciting, fresh performer to fans of his era, he also showed that a wrestler could be very funny, yet still have the public take him seriously. 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. Perhaps more importantly, Rocca was a main-event challenger against numerous legendary World champions, and was a major factor in some of the biggest crowds wrestling had ever drawn at that point in history. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Year should not be greater than current year. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. You can always change this later in your Account settings. 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. Black Inventors Online Museum Antonino Rocca would have been 53 years old at the time of death or 92 years old today. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? 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. 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. If you could witness one event past, present, or future, what would it be? Browse 25 antonino rocca stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. His matches, often tagteam affairs with Miguel Perez of Puerto Rico, attracted sellout crowds, usually exceeding 20,000 at Madison Square Garden. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. 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. As successful as he may have been inside the ring, though, Rocca did not always make the best business decisions outside of it. A native of Italy whose adopted . Burial / Funeral Heritage Ethnicity & Lineage What is Antonino's ethnicity and where did his parents, grandparents & great-grandparents come from? Media in category "Antonino Rocca" The following 3 files are in this category, out of 3 total. In the 1970s, he returned to WWE as an announcer, calling the action with a very young Vincent K. McMahon. [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. At the height of his fame, Argentina Rocca was one of the most recognizable sports figures in any sport, not just pro wrestling. This is a carousel with slides. ; 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. Rocca was involved as a wrestler, but also as a referee in Japan during these years. Thanks for your help! April 13, 1927(1927-04-13) Include gps location with grave photos where possible. He tag teamed with partner Miguel Prez. Commentary Career; Ratings; Comments; Personal Data. Antonino Argentina Rocca is one of the most influential performers that the sport of professional wrestling has ever known and a legitimate trailblazer in the genre of the high flying wrestler. He was later inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame Class of 1995. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. cemeteries found in will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Antonino Rocca: def. Suggested that ashes may be interred at Beth Israel Cemetery in Woodbridge, NJ. Argentina Rocca Roles: Singles Wrestler Color Commentator Beginning of in-ring career: 1941 End of in-ring career: 1976 In-ring experience: 35 years Great Female Inventors Contribute Who is Angelino Rocca dating? He had his last match in 1975 when he teamed up with Luiz Martinez, to challenge the IWA world tagteam champions The Mongols (Geeto and Bolo Mongol) for the championship. He was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as a member of the class of 1995 and the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 1996. But Argentina Rocca, a household name due to his exposure on national television, enjoyed immense notoriety and popularity all across the country. During this period, only Gorgeous George was a bigger star, and on the East Coast Rocca was the uncontested king. Performance & security by Cloudflare. They were never defeated after winning this title, but the appellation was abandoned after about five years. He was born in Traviso, Italy, near Venice, but grew up in Rosario, Argentina, where he became notable as a rugby player at 15. Career. 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 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). Summary . Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? Trainer Your Scrapbook is currently empty. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Login to add information, pictures and relationships, join in discussions and get credit for your contributions. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. Antonino (who also went by the name Antonio) Rocca was also a key figure during the explosion of popularity that wrestling enjoyed following the advent of television and he was a true Golden Age legend that influenced generations of wrestlers to come. Vincent Denigris (1938 - August 1984) was an Argentine professional wrestler better known by his ring name Vicente Denigris or Argentina Apollo (often Vittorio Argentina Apollo ). Stemming from complications related to a urinary infection, Antonino Argentina Rocca passed away unexpectedly on March 15, 1977 at the age of 55. The ethnic factor also played a big part. Wrestling / Antonino Rocca 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. 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. He was a huge draw for the WWWF throughout the 50s and early 60s and headlined madison square garden on many occassions. The 1976 horror film Alice, Sweet Alice, featuring child actress Brooke Shields, includes Rocca in a bit part. 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). There is a problem with your email/password. 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 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. Day of death: 15.03.1977 (at the age of 53) Cause of death: Nierenversagen. Plus, get every WWE Premium Live Event, your favorite shows, new movies, live sports, and more. Bronko Lubich: 2 Out of 3 Falls "Undisputed Finale" To show more matches, change the "Results per Page" value above. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) This account has been disabled. Antonino Rocca had been one of Capitol's top stars throughout its earliest years, but the group now put its fortunes in the hands of "The Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. Try again later. Rocca slept 10 to 12 hours a day regularly, but on occasion was known to sleep 42 consecutive hours before a match. 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. 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. Antonino Rocca was born on April 23, 1928 and died on May 15, 1977. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. 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. What equipment do you need to exercise with Rocca? Antonino Rocca Also known as Antonio Rocca, Argentina Rocca. Black History Moments Birthplace: Treviso, Italien. Rocca died on March 15, 1977, at Roosevelt Hospital in New York City after complications following an infection. This, along with his use of television, allowed McMahon to gain enough leverage to become the major player in the territory. [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. Antonio Rocca a.k.a. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. [8], Rocca died on 15 March 1977 at Roosevelt Hospital in New York City after complications following a urinary infection. 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. He is survived by his second wife, Joyce, and his children, Mark, Eric and Natella. Live sports, and his children, Mark, Eric and Natella Timess print archive before! Later in your account settings link to activate your account and early 60s and headlined Madison Garden! 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