Américo Rocca
Javier Hernández Padilla (born September 22, 1952) is a semi-retired Mexican Luchador, or professional wrestler best known under the ring name Américo Rocca. Hernández also worked as the enmascarado (masked) Ponzoña from 1990 until 1994, and as Ninja Samurai for a brief time in 1994. Hernández is a former holder of the Mexican National Lightweight Championship and a three-time holder of both the Mexican National Welterweight Championship and the NWA World Welterweight Championship all promoted by the professional wrestling promotion Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre (EMLL).
| Américo Rocca | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Javier Hernández Padilla |
| Born | September 22, 1952[1] |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Américo Rocca Javier Rocca Ninja Samurai Ponzoña |
| Billed height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1] |
| Billed weight | 89 kg (196 lb)[1] |
| Trained by | Diablo Velazco[1] |
| Debut | January 15, 1975[1] |
Professional wrestling career
Hernández made his professional wrestling debut in 1975, using the ring name Xavier "Américo" Rocca, later shortened to just "Américo Rocca". Just over two years after his debut Rocca defeated Flama Azul to win the Mexican National Lightweight Championship; he held the title for 82 days before losing it back to Flama Azul.[2] On February 2, 1978, Rocca won the Mexican National Welterweight Championship from Kung Fu, holding it for 435 days before losing it to Lizmark.[3] The following year, on April 30, 1979, Rocca won the NWA World Welterweight Championship from Mano Negra. Rocca made several successful title defenses in the following 264 days before losing the title to Kato Kung Lee on January 19, 1980.[4] Just under two months later he won the Mexican Welterweight title once more, defeating Lizmark to regain the title. His second Mexican Welterweight title run lasted 217 days before he lost the championship to Franco Columbo on November 1, 1980.[3] On July 18, 1982, Rocca defeated La Fiera to win his second NWA World Welterweight Championship. After a reign lasting 558 days, he lost it to Mocho Cota.[4] On March 29, 1985, Rocca won his third and final Mexican National Welterweight Championship by beating El Talisman for the championship. His final title reign lasted 156 days before he lost it to El Dandy.[3] On February 11, 1986, Rocca won his last major title when he gained a measure of revenge against El Dandy by defeating him for the NWA World Welterweight Championship. His last title reign would also be his longest, lasting 606 days, before Solar II defeated him for the championship on June 30, 1988.[4]
In 1990 Rocca adopted a new ring persona, Ponzoña (Spanish for "Poison"), a character used by Antonio Peña's father in the 1960s and brought back with Peña's permission.[5] Hernández worked as the masked Ponzoña until 1994, after which he resumed working as Américo Rocca on the Mexican independent circuit. In recent years Hernández sons have begun wrestling as well under the names Américo Rocca, Jr. and Xavier Rocca.[6]
Championships and accomplishments
- Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre
- Occidente Championships
- Local championships
- Sinaloa Welterweight Championship (1 time)
- Arena Azteca Budokan Welterweight Championship (1 time)
Luchas de Apuestas record
| Winner (wager) | Loser (wager) | Location | Event | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Américo Rocca (hair) | Black Killer (hair) | Guadalajara, Jalisco | Live event | N/A | |
| Pepe Aguayo (hair) | Américo Rocca (hair) | Guadalajara, Jalisco | Live event | N/A | |
| Lizmark (mask) | Américo Rocca (hair) | N/A | Live event | N/A | |
| Talismán (mask) | Américo Rocca (hair) | Mexico City | Live event | N/A | |
| Gran Cochisse (hair) | Americo Rocca (hair) | Mexico City | EMLL 46th Anniversary Show | September 21, 1979 | [8] |
| Américo Rocca and Divino Roy (hair) | Gran Cochisse and Águila India (hair) | Mexico City | 25. Aniversario de Arena México | April 3, 1981 | [9][10] |
| Espectro Jr. (mask) and Américo Rocca (hair) | Alfil (mask) and Cachorro Mendoza (hair) | Mexico City | Live event | December 4, 1981 | |
| Américo Rocca and Gran Cochisse (hair) | Comando Ruso I and Comando Ruso II (hair) | Mexico City | Live event | July 17, 1984 | |
| Talismán (mask) | Américo Rocca (hair) | Mexico City | Live event | October 26, 1984 | |
| Ringo Mendoza, Américo Rocca and Tony Salazar (hair) | Los Misioneros de la Muerte (hair) (El Signo, El Texano and Negro Navarro) | Mexico City | EMLL 53rd Anniversary Show | September 19, 1986 | [1][8] |
| Américo Rocca (hair) | Talismán (hair) | Mexico City | Live event | 1987 | [1] |
| Americo Rocca, Chamaco Valaguez and Javier Llanes (hair) | Los Destructores (hair) (Emilio Charles, Jr., Tony Arce and Vulcano) | Mexico City | Live event | July 31, 1987 | |
| Rangers del Norte (hair) | Américo Rocca and Chamaco Valaguez (hair) | N/A | Live event | 1990 | |
| Javier Llanes (hair) | Americo Rocca (hair) | Mexico City | Live event | September 2, 1990 | |
| Américo Rocca (hair) | Kung Fu (hair) | Mexico City | Live event | May 8, 1994 | [1] |
| El Cafre (hair) | Américo Rocca (hair) | Mexico City | Live event | June 12, 1994 | |
| Javier Cruz (hair) | Americo Rocca (hair) | Mexico City | Live event | October 14, 1994 | |
| Américo Rocca (hair) | Reyes Veloz (hair) | Mexico City | Live event | July 25, 1995 | [1] |
| Américo Rocca (hair) | Ringo Mendoza (hair) | Mexico City | Live event | February 16, 1996 | [1] |
| Américo Rocca (hair) | Kid Guzmán (hair) | Mexico City | Live event | April 27, 1999 | [1] |
| Ricky Marvin (hair) | Américo Rocca (hair) | Mexico City | Live event | May 27, 2001 | |
| Javier Cruz (hair) | Americo Rocca (hair) | Guadalajara, Jalisco | Live event | May 5, 2002 | |
| Javier Cruz (hair) | Americo Rocca (hair) | Guadalajara, Jalisco | Live event | January 2003 | |
| Américo Rocca (hair) | Dimensión (mask) | Guadalajara, Jalisco | Live event | July 6, 2003 | |
| Américo Rocca (hair) | Dimensión (hair) | Guadalajara, Jalisco | Live event | August 24, 2003 | |
| Bestia Salvaje (hair) | Americo Rocca (hair) | Guadalajara, Jalisco | Live event | February 11, 2007 |
References
- "Grandes Figuras de la Lucha Libre". Américo Rocca (in Spanish). Portales, Mexico. November 2008. p. 33. 17.
- Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2000). "Mexico: National Lightweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 393. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2000). "Mexico: National Welterweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 392. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2006). "Mexico: EMLL NWA Welterweight Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. p. 390. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- "Enciclopedia de las Mascaras". Ponzoña (in Spanish). Mexico City, Mexico. September 2007. p. 57. Tomo III.
- Madigan, Dan (2007). "A family affair". Mondo Lucha a Go-Go: the bizarre and honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling. HarperCollins Publishers. pp. 128–132. ISBN 978-0-06-085583-3.
- "Los Reyes de Mexico: La Historia de Los Campeonatos Nacionales". Lucha 2000 (in Spanish). December 20, 2004. Especial 21.
- Ruiz Glez, Alex (September 7, 2010). "CMLL: 79 historias, 79 Aniversario, las 79 luchas estelares". Súper Luchas (in Spanish). Retrieved October 20, 2012.
- Centela, Trddy (April 4, 2015). "En un día como hoy… 1981: Sangriento choque Villano III-Kuniaki Kobayashi — Águila India y Gran Cochisse, rapados". Súper Luchas (in Spanish). Retrieved April 4, 2015.
- Lucha 2000 Staff (April 2006). "Arena México: 50 anos de Lucha Libre". Lucha 2000 (in Spanish). Especial 28.