Américo Rocca

Américo Rocca
Birth name Javier Hernández Padilla
Born September 22, 1952[1]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s) Américo 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]

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 Empressa Mexicana de Lucha Libre (EMLL).

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, 1970, Rocca won the NWA World Welterweight Championship from Mano Negra. Rocca made several successful titl 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]

In wrestling

Championships and accomplishments

Lucha de Apuesta record

Wager Winner Loser Location Date Notes
Hair Américo Rocca Black Killer Guadalajara, Jalisco Unknown  
Hair Pepe Aguayo Américo Rocca Guadalajara, Jalisco Unknown  
Hair Lizmark Américo Rocca Unknown Unknown  
Hair Talismán Américo Rocca Mexico City, Mexico Unknown  
Hair Gran Cochisse Americo Rocca Mexico City, Mexico September 21, 1979  
Hairs Américo Rocca and Divino Roy Gran Cochisse and Águila India Mexico City, Mexico April 3, 1981 [8]
Mask/Hair Espectro Jr. and Américo Rocca Alfil and Cachorro Mendoza Mexico City, Mexico December 4, 1981  
Hairs Américo Rocca and Gran Cochisse Comando Ruso I and Comando Ruso II Mexico City, Mexico July 17, 1984  
Hair Talismán Américo Rocca Mexico City, Mexico October 26, 1984  
Hair Ringo Mendoza, Américo Rocca and Tony Salazar El Signo, El Texano and Negro Navarro Mexico City, Mexico September 19, 1986 [1]
Hair Américo Rocca Talismán Mexico City, Mexico 1987 [1]
Hairs Americo Rocca, Chamaco Valaguez and Javier Llanes Emilio Charles, Jr., Tony Arce and Vulcano Mexico City, Mexico July 31, 1987  
Hairs Rangers del Norte Américo Rocca and Chamaco Valaguez Unknown 1990  
Hair Javier Llanes Americo Rocca Mexico City, Mexico September 2, 1990  
Hair Américo Rocca Kung Fu Mexico City, Mexico May 8, 1994 [1]
Hair El Cafre Américo Rocca Mexico City, Mexico June 12, 1994  
Hair Javier Cruz Americo Rocca Mexico City, Mexico October 14, 1994  
Hair Américo Rocca Reyes Veloz Mexico City, Mexico July 25, 1995 [1]
Hair Américo Rocca Ringo Mendoza Mexico City, Mexico February 16, 1996 [1]
Hair Américo Rocca Kid Guzmán Mexico City, Mexico April 27, 1999 [1]
Hair Ricky Marvin Américo Rocca Mexico City, Mexico May 27, 2001  
Hair Javier Cruz Americo Rocca Guadalajara, Jalisco May 5, 2002  
Hair Javier Cruz Americo Rocca Guadalajara, Jalisco January 2003  
Mask Américo Rocca Dimensión Guadalajara, Jalisco July 6, 2003  
Hair Américo Rocca Dimensión Guadalajara, Jalisco August 24, 2003  
Hair Bestia Salvaje Americo Rocca Guadalajara, Jalisco February 11, 2007  

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 1.11 1.12 "Grandes Figuras de la Lucha Libre". Américo Rocca (in Spanish) (Portales, Mexico). November 2008. p. 33. 17.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2000). "Mexico: National Lightweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 393. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2000). "Mexico: National Welterweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 392. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 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.
  5. ↑ "Enciclopedia de las Mascaras". Ponzoña (in Spanish) (Mexico City, Mexico). September 2007. p. 57. Tomo III.
  6. ↑ Madigan, Dan (2007). "A family affair". Mondo Lucha a Go-Go: the bizarre and honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling. HarperColins Publisher. pp. 128–132. ISBN 978-0-06-085583-3.
  7. ↑ "Los Reyes de Mexico: La Historia de Los Campeonatos Nacionales". Lucha 2000 (in Spanish). December 20, 2004. Especial 21.
  8. ↑ Centela, Trddy (April 4, 2015). "En un día como hoy… 1981: Sangriento choque Villano III-Kuniaki Kobayashi — Águila India y Gran Cochisse, rapados" (in Spanish). SuperLuchas Magazine. Retrieved April 4, 2015.