The Word LEGEND is bandied about all the time in Sporting Circles these days!-but in the
Case of MARK ROCCO- It is an Understatement!
Not merely just a Fantastic Wrestler with a superb array of Wrestling Moves-ROCCO pretty
much single-handedly 'Revolutionised Wrestling in the 1970's/1980's in this Country!
Bringing High Energy and Excitement to our Rings coupled with a new Aggressive and Hard
Hitting Style ROCCO Transformed Wrestling and Turbo-Charged a Fading and Waning Sport
into a Reborn FightFest of Must-See Combat!
Pioneering High Risk Moves-Acrobatic Skills and 100 m.p.h.Total Action-This Super Fit and
Superb Athlete could 'take it' as well as 'dish it out'
Like NAGASAKI before him in the 1960's-many of his Matches were pulled from T.V.-
deemed too Violent and Explosive!
My Support Material for this Topic begins with the Mini-Poster/Flyer for probably his FIRST
EVER Bout on his Birthday-MAY 11TH 1970 against STEVE BEST at BRADFORD'S
ST.GEORGES HALL!-and ends with the Programme for one of his LAST EVER Bouts
Partnering BOMBER PAT ROACH at NOTTINGHAM on 30TH NOVEMBER 1990-against
KENDO NAGASAKI/ROCK'N'ROLL EXPRESS!
His Career spanned exactly 20 Years-20 Very Memorable Years!-Early on he adopted the
Names of ROLLERBALL and MEAN MACHINE-See my 2 Rare mid '70's BELLE VUE
Programmes which I attended- and he soon embarked on Rivalries!
ROCCO'S first Target was BERT ROYAL'S HEAVY-MIDDLEWEIGHT BELT which he first
Won in 1976!-Wrestlers like ROYAL couldn't live with the MEAN MACHINE!-Very few could
keep up with him-One who could was MARTY JONES-and in the latter half of this Decade
these Two had some Epic Battles-still there to Watch on You Tube!-The War with JONES
Spilled over into the 1980's-with many Title Matches-see the Posters for these!!
Other Notable 'Enemies' at the Time were DYNAMITE KID and KUNG FU!
Then in 1982-ROCCO went to JAPAN and adopted a New MASKED Persona Wrestling as
BLACK TIGER in a Series of Feud Matches against TIGER MASK and Others!
In All ROCCO Wrestled 38 Times in JAPAN!-See Article on Title Match with TIGER MASK!
Returning to our Shores a New Rival Targeted ROCCO-and a Grudge Series began against
FIT FINLAY-Another Great Wrestler-See Posters! Also in the late '80's ROCCO very
Successfully Teamed up with KENDO NAGASAKI!-This Alliance went Spectacularly wrong
in a Match against DAVE TAYLOR/IRONFIST when ROCCO attempted to save KENDO
from being UNMASKED but ended up assisting when Drop-Kicked backwards with the
MASK still in his hands!-A Furious NAGASAKI blamed ROCCO and another WAR started
that lasted 2 Years and was pretty Vicious!-See Programme Article!
Sadly and unexpectedly this Great Wrestling Career was suddenly Halted for good at
WORTHING in early 1991 when ROCCO collapsed in the Dressing Room after a Bout against FIT FINLAY!-His Heart was found to be only functioning at 30%!
My Top Accolade as the BEST Wrestler-outside HEAVYWEIGHT- during these two Decades
goes to MARK ROLLERBALL ROCCO!-A Total Wrestler-He had Everything going for him
and was also a Top Champion!-So ends my Tribute to the MEAN MACHINE!
MAIN MASK
Love him, or loath him Rollerball Rocco has been there at the top with the best. And he’s certainly got the T Shirt! He had so much energy in the ring, and to his credit executed amazing aerial moves.
I’ve heard Mark’s not too well right now. I wish him a speedy recover. What a wrestler!
Rocco, Jones, Finlay and Dynamite Kid pretty much invented the modern style of wrestling, in my opinion. Any match involving any combination of the above was never a dull moment.
It’s true to say that indeed Mark Rollerball Rocco, changed British professional wrestling for good. At first, I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt about that. I remember Rollerball’s inimitable ring style, and the great Mick McManus saying famously, that you never fell asleep or read the paper while Rocco was on. How true, a nice complement from Mick. When interviewed, Rollerball came across as a genuinely nice guy who did a great deal for British professional wrestling.
A great post Norfolk Snake. It's good to see you back, you've been away for far too long. Keep on posting.
My memories of Mark Rocco ...
The corner post padding being ripped away before the bout had even started.
Nagasaki throwing him out of the ring only for Mark to return armed with the timekeepers bell as a weapon which Kendo took from him and hit him over the head with it, the result was nasty head wound which poured blood.
A set of knuckle dusters he smuggled into the ring being used on a dazed looking Pete Roberts.
His water bottle being used as a weapon
Deciding he'd had enough of Bert Royal slapping his face and giving Bert one back that nearly took his head off.
Being posted frontways, putting his leg out to stop impact, totally missing and hence crushing his wedding tackle (this one once resulted in a nasty accident which left him hanging upside down suspended by the tendon in his leg attached to a piece of metal that held the ring together. OUCH!)
The upside down postings
A bout with Kendo in Croydon that started in the ring and finished out in the booking hall.
Being posted frontways, putting his leg out to stop impact totally missing and hence crushing his wedding tackle (this one once resulted in a nasty accident which left him hanging upside down suspended by the tendon in his leg attached to a piece of metal that held the ring together. OUCH!)
Not ever remembering a Rocco bout that was boring or without incident.
Watching him sometimes keep it clean for a round or two and noticing how well he could actually wrestle.
His ability to read a crowd and turn a night at the wrestling to absolute Mayhem!
Meeting him at The royal Albert hall and finding a mild mannered, humble and friendly guy.
And those are just some of the reasons (for me) he was the greatest ever wrestler.
Rocco was my favourite without a doubt. I saw him many times form when he jumped ship to Brian Dixon's promotion at either Norwich or King's Lynn. He was always superb in the fact that anything could happen and it usually did....opponents that I can recall included Steve McHoy, Kung Fu, Count Bartelli, Marty Jones, Chic Cullen, Danny Collins, Kendo Nagasaki, Tony St.Clair, Fuji Yamada, Clive Myers, Pat Barrett and Fit Finlay. Every bout was full of drama, absolute realism (no doubters ever in the crowd when Rocco was on or no one wishing to join in outside with him as was often the case with villains at both venues). The bout we all wanted to see was Rocco v Finlay, it was a great match up , but I don't know, it lacked some of the dynamism and 'theatre' of many of the other match ups. Nagasaki was the same. I guess with the other opponents it was good v evil and a clear cut sense of hatred directed at Rocco which I always thought made him thrive even more. Rocco v Cullen was always one of my favourite match ups, whilst Danny Collins and Rocco was great too (as of course was Marty Jones). Yamada v Rocco was truly vicious at King's Lynn as was Barrett v Rocco at Norwich. I still can't believe to this day the punishment they gave each other. Sadly when I myself became involved with wrestling I gave up keeping results of the bouts I saw, but I was still just as much enthralled watching Rocco and Finaly etc. I think becoming involved even at the low level I achieved made you appreciate how talented performers and genuinely tough these characters were. Rocco was a great technical wrestler, a brawler second to none and someone who never showed a hint of unreliability or unbelievedness. The only time I ever saw him drop his tough ring persona was at King's Lynn. It was Rocco v Cullen - Rocco did his usual trick with the corner padding and sent Cullen heading for the post. The second in the meantime jumped up and tried to reposition the pad just as Cullen's foot caught him full in the chest as he attempted to avoid the exposed post. The second took the full impact in his chest for real and sailed through the air and landed in a heap at ringside. Eventually the bout came to a close as everyone realised he was n't going to get up and it was clearly for real. Both Rocco and Cullen showed genuine concern as the second was finally stretchered off. It might have sounded like a planned WWE type stunt but the reality was that it was n't. Thankfully after a few weeks the said second returned.....no real harm done !
Another interesting King's Lynn night was a 4 man KO tournament - Danny Collins v Rocco, Steve Regal v Finlay and then Finlay v Rocco as the final - total value for money. Regal was n't at his peak then and got flattened to a point by Finlay, but not as much as the punter who jumped into the ring and thumped Finlay in the eye as he had Regal in a headlock. All hell broke lose and needless to say, Finlay pulverised him with two punches (and he was a big bastard!), then finished Regal off and then went onto to have an immense match with Rocco which he also won. I saw Finlay and Rocco battle it out at Norwich too, which again I think Finlay won....I will cherish those moments of wrestling at King's Lynn and Norwich for ever - the heat was unbelievable as were the crowds. It always saddens me when I watch modern wrestling - no real heat, no believable wrestling and no sense of real hatred and feuding that got the best out of the wrestlers and made us all wanting to go back week after week. If I go to a show these days, it is very much that - a show. Thinking back to Rocco, Murphy, Quinn, etc it never seemed anything but a real fight whilst the technical wrestlers were first class wrestlers who we all totally believed without any sense of doubt of the realism. Because so much of it was ! Happy days !
Black Tiger = Rollerball Rocco Tiger Mask = Sammy Lee
Jushin Liger= Fuji Yamada
(Rocco and Sammy were later replaced by the late Eddie Guerreo and the late Mitsuharu Misawa. Yamada has always been Liger.)
I thought Mark was Tiger Mask. No? I'm confused now lol Good job I didn't go to watch, Id have cheered the wrong wrestler!
Interesting pictures of Tiger Mask above but it isn't Rocco, you'll never see Mark without a vest. There was a reason for that which most will probably know and wouldn't be fair to discuss on a public forum. But it sure ain't Mark
Anyone who wants more insight into Mark Rocco should get a copy of the DVD called A visit to Rocco's lair. its a one and a half hour interview filmed at his home in Spain and great entertainment.
The Rocco vs Jones bouts were intense, absolute barnstorming bouts from start to finish
My guess would be Finlay was heel. Rocco was also feuding with Marty Jones at the time and it we Rocco we cheered for with Jones playing the heel.
Adrian, That would be great. I've tried everywhere but no luck, I'm more than happy to pay. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
I'd give my right nut to have seen a Rocco v Finley bout but sadly I don't think any were ever recorded. How did they play it out? which one was the heel? Anyone know?
Rocco was a great wrestler, and way ahead of his time in many respects. Whilst it's true that he did become a Big Daddy fall guy, he doesn't seem to have stuck around in this role for as long as some. I do wonder if he went along with it on the assumption that the Shirley roadshow would burn itself out within a couple of years, and, once he sensed that it was here to stay, he moved onto All Star and other international stuff. I think his last World Of Sport appearance on a Joint Promotions bill was in 1982 or thereabouts.
I remember seeing his name on a poster in a chip shop in a coastal holiday camp. I thought he had long since retired, ignorant as i was of Allstar at the time. I remember him fighting Marty Jones in the late 80's and it didn't lack any intensity. He gave is all despite age or schedule a real star.
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