Line #24 Wrestling/AntoninoRocca


1	[[quoteright:232:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/AntoninoRocca_bio_5715.png]]
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3	Trained by the Polish strongman Stanislaus Zbyszko in Argentina, Antonino Biasetton (13 April 1921 – 15 March 1977) was an [[UsefulNotes/{{Italy}} Italian]]-[[UsefulNotes/{{Argentina}} Argentinian]] {{Professional Wrestl\|ing}}er who competed from 1942-1976 as '''Antonino Rocca.''' He is best known for his work for the Capital Wrestling Corporation, which was the precursor to Wrestling/{{WWE}}. He was a major box office draw for the UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity territory. He also competed in UsefulNotes/{{Montreal}}, UsefulNotes/{{Ohio}}, Texas, Wrestling/NewJapanProWrestling and the World Wrestling Council in Puerto Rico, where he finished out his career. Among his in-ring achievements, he was a 1x World (Capitol) Tag Team Champion, a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/canada/qc/qc-world-h.html#iwa World (Montreal) Heavyweight Champion]], a 2x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tx/tx-h.html NWA Texas Heavyweight Champion]] and a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/pr/wwc/wwc-na-t.html WWC North American Tag Team Champion]].
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5	He was posthumously inducted into the Wrestling/WWEHallOfFame in 1995.
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7	!! "Argentinian Tropes":
8	* AgonyOfTheFeet: His lack of boots sometimes backfired on Rocca, such as when Karl Von Hess got out of a double leg lock by biting the side of Rocca's foot.
9	* AssKickingPose: Rocca would sometimes raise a leg and make a kicking motion in an attempt to intimidated or mislead his opponents.
10	* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: Inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1995.
11	* BashBrothers: With Jose Miguel Perez.
12	* CarpetOfVirility: Not as much as Miguel Perez, but Rocca still had a famously bushing chest. And to fan delight, Perez reduced his body hair to the amount Rocca had while they tagged together.
13	* CoolTeacher: He trained George Espada of the Silver Angels tag team.
14	* DefeatingTheUndefeatable: No one managed to take the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ny/capitol/ny-world-t.html World (Capitol) Tag Team Championship]] off of him and Jose Miguel Perez.
15	* DemotedToExtra: He eventually left New York after being kicked down the card in favor of Natural Guy Wrestling/BuddyRogers, who was then fed to Wrestling/BrunoSammartino.
16	* {{Face}}: The defining example of his era. His primary concern was entertaining the fans, and thus he would rarely try to win matches quickly and would often showboat. However, if the opponent insisted on being nasty Rocca would set about breaking their legs, faces and or backs to the best of his ability.
17	* HeroOfAnotherStory: His time in Wrestling/{{Rikidozan}}'s JWA while still taking bookings as a wrestler outside of Japan. He was the inspiration for Wrestling/AntonioInoki's ring name and also refereed for Wrestling/NewJapanProWrestling after it and Wrestling/AllJapanProWrestling split JWA in two between Inoki and Giant Baba.
18	* IHaveManyNames: He was sometimes introduced as "Argentina" Rocca.
19	* LegacyCharacter: Wrestling/AntonioInoki named himself for Rocca.
20	* MurderousThighs: He had a version of the victory roll that put his opponent on their back but landing with Rocca applying a read head scissors submission hold instead of a pin cover.
21	* RealMenWearPink: He loved {{Opera}} and reportedly could sing it as well. In turn Italian maestro Arturo Toscanin was not just a professional wrestling fan but a close personal friend of Rocca's.
22	* RedBaron: An announcer in Chicago tried to get "South American Cheetah" over.
23	* RetiredBadass: Even after he stopped wrestling he hung around the WWWF as a commentator and referee.
24	* SheFu: He could wrestle as well on his hands, knees, ass or elbows as well as he could simply standing. Usually his acrobatics transitioned into moves somehow, but sometimes Rocca would do cartwheels for no other reason than to show off.
25	* SignatureMove: He was know for applying an Indian death lock, and then doing a headstand while maintaining a knee spreader and kicking the opponent in the face upside down... or toe trusting them in the abdominal region rapidly as if he was riding a bicycle. A handstand head scissors take down was a favorite of his for opponents in the corner. He also had a standing cross legged ankle scissors around the head of an opponent on his back. Also, the classic airplane spin since Rocca did not get dizzy easily.
26	* SpotlightStealingSquad: He headlined every single main event in Madison Square garden for seven straight years, though he often shared the spotlight with other people. Probably justified, as he did bring wrestling back to the garden and was largely responsible for making the New York territory profitable again after Jack Pfefer had sabotaged it.
27	* StartMyOwn: The World Booking Office, his very own wrestling promotion that was propped up by Jim Crockett.
28	* TagTeam: His tag team with Miguel Perez is one of the top two contenders for the most successful one out of the United States, ever. No other team was a top draw for as long and none drew as much money in the United States. Wrestling/TheRoadWarriors are comparable, if one counts the money they drew overseas, but besides not all being in the US Hawk and Animal tagged with people besides each other like Wrestling/KensukeSasaki and Hawk had a single's run in Germany, so it's not fair to say Hawk and Animal drew it all as a tag team.
29	* TwoferTokenMinority: Italian-Argentinian
30	* UltimateShowdownOfUltimateDestiny: He starred in the comic book ''Downfall of Superman'' and was the cause of it, using his superior wrestling ability. [[spoiler: "Antonino" and "Superman" were actually other men in disguises]].
31	* UnderwearOfPower: Typically wrestled in black trunks
32	* UnnecessaryCombatRoll: Rocca would proceed his leg picks and take downs with several different rolls towards the opponent.

Context Wrestling / AntoninoRocca