2021/08/16
Welcome to AustralianWrestling.org!
The website devoted to preserving the history of Australian wrestling.
We're in the process of renovating and moving some things around so some things may look a little strange but the aim is to minimise disruption.
This website was designed in 2012 with a scope of covering present and past wrestling in Australia.
The scope will change to prioritise the older stuff and make that a bit more accessible.
Thank you for your patience.
I also have another website (with my good buddy Greg) The Wrestling Roadshow which has more of a global scope. We have a podcast by the same name too and discuss all sorts of wrestling.
-CD
Argentina Rocca
Name: - Antonino “Argentina” Rocca
Height: - 6'0” (183cm)
Weight: - 220lb (100kg)
Born: - April 13, 1927
From: - Treviso, Italy
Trained by: - Stanislaus Zbyszko
Debut: - 1948
Retired: - 1976
Died: - March 15, 1977 (complications after surgery)
Finisher: - Argentine backbreaker
Toured Australia: - 1961
Rocca is generally credited, along with Gorgeous George, with making TV wrestling one of the most popular programs in the 50s. His high-flying style and fast-paced matches hadn't really been seen before, and made wrestling 'mainstream-friendly'. He's also credited with popularising wrestling in New York after a lull.
Toured the world constantly, with and without his regular partner, Miguel Perez. Appeared in Australia in 1961, wrestling such men as Leo Garibaldi and Clyde Steeves. Spent a lot of time in Japan in 60s and 70s, appearing occasionally as a wrestler, but mainly as a referee. Made a return to fulltime wrestling in Puerto Rico in 1973, once again teaming with Perez. Was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1995.
Titles held: - (Montreal) AWA World Hwt, (Ohio) AWA World Hwt, Texas Hwt (2), WWWF International Hwt, (New York) NWA World Tag (w/ Miguel Perez), (New York) NWA US Tag (w/ Miguel Perez), WWC North American Tag (w/ Miguel Perez)
Argentina Rocca v Johnny Valentine, 1959
Credit: Mark Dalgleish, Wikipedia, WrestlingClassics.com
Photo credit: pwhf.org
