Américo Rocca
Birth nameJavier Hernández Padilla
Born (1952-09-22) September 22, 1952[1]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Américo Rocca
Javier Rocca
Ninja Samurai
Ponzoña
Billed height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Billed weight89 kg (196 lb)[1]
Trained byDiablo Velazco[1]
DebutJanuary 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 Empresa 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, 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

Luchas de Apuestas record

Winner (wager) Loser (wager) Location Event Date Notes
Américo Rocca (hair)Black Killer (hair)Guadalajara, JaliscoLive eventN/A 
Pepe Aguayo (hair)Américo Rocca (hair)Guadalajara, JaliscoLive eventN/A 
Lizmark (mask)Américo Rocca (hair)N/ALive eventN/A 
Talismán (mask)Américo Rocca (hair)Mexico CityLive eventN/A 
Gran Cochisse (hair)Americo Rocca (hair)Mexico CityEMLL 46th Anniversary ShowSeptember 21, 1979[8]
Américo Rocca and Divino Roy (hair)Gran Cochisse and Águila India (hair)Mexico City25. Aniversario de Arena MéxicoApril 3, 1981[9][10]
Espectro Jr. (mask) and Américo Rocca (hair)Alfil (mask) and Cachorro Mendoza (hair)Mexico CityLive eventDecember 4, 1981 
Américo Rocca and Gran Cochisse (hair)Comando Ruso I and Comando Ruso II (hair)Mexico CityLive eventJuly 17, 1984 
Talismán (mask)Américo Rocca (hair)Mexico CityLive eventOctober 26, 1984 
Ringo Mendoza, Américo Rocca and Tony Salazar (hair)Los Misioneros de la Muerte (hair)
(El Signo, El Texano and Negro Navarro)		Mexico CityEMLL 53rd Anniversary ShowSeptember 19, 1986[1][8]
Américo Rocca (hair)Talismán (hair)Mexico CityLive event1987[1]
Americo Rocca, Chamaco Valaguez and Javier Llanes (hair)Los Destructores (hair)
(Emilio Charles, Jr., Tony Arce and Vulcano)		Mexico CityLive eventJuly 31, 1987 
Rangers del Norte (hair)Américo Rocca and Chamaco Valaguez (hair)N/ALive event1990 
Javier Llanes (hair)Americo Rocca (hair)Mexico CityLive eventSeptember 2, 1990 
Américo Rocca (hair)Kung Fu (hair)Mexico CityLive eventMay 8, 1994[1]
El Cafre (hair)Américo Rocca (hair)Mexico CityLive eventJune 12, 1994 
Javier Cruz (hair)Americo Rocca (hair)Mexico CityLive eventOctober 14, 1994 
Américo Rocca (hair)Reyes Veloz (hair)Mexico CityLive eventJuly 25, 1995[1]
Américo Rocca (hair)Ringo Mendoza (hair)Mexico CityLive eventFebruary 16, 1996[1]
Américo Rocca (hair)Kid Guzmán (hair)Mexico CityLive eventApril 27, 1999[1]
Ricky Marvin (hair)Américo Rocca (hair)Mexico CityLive eventMay 27, 2001 
Javier Cruz (hair)Americo Rocca (hair)Guadalajara, JaliscoLive eventMay 5, 2002 
Javier Cruz (hair)Americo Rocca (hair)Guadalajara, JaliscoLive eventJanuary 2003 
Américo Rocca (hair)Dimensión (mask)Guadalajara, JaliscoLive eventJuly 6, 2003 
Américo Rocca (hair)Dimensión (hair)Guadalajara, JaliscoLive eventAugust 24, 2003 
Bestia Salvaje (hair)Americo Rocca (hair)Guadalajara, JaliscoLive eventFebruary 11, 2007 

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Grandes Figuras de la Lucha Libre". Américo Rocca (in Spanish). Portales, Mexico. November 2008. p. 33. 17.
  2. 1 2 Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2000). "Mexico: National Lightweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 393. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2000). "Mexico: National Welterweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 392. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  4. 1 2 3 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.
  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. HarperCollins Publishers. 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. 1 2 Ruiz Glez, Alex (September 7, 2010). "CMLL: 79 historias, 79 Aniversario, las 79 luchas estelares". Súper Luchas (in Spanish). Retrieved October 20, 2012.
  9. ↑ 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.
  10. ↑ Lucha 2000 Staff (April 2006). "Arena México: 50 anos de Lucha Libre". Lucha 2000 (in Spanish). Especial 28.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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