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Wrestling history is peppered with landmark moments; events or people that seemed to change things forever. The emergence of Rollerball Mark Rocco was one such landmark. We had seen nothing like him before. Here was a man who was to challenge the accepted norms, crash through barriers and wrestle like we had seen no one wrestle before. A pioneer, an innovator, he learned from Britain’s best and took that knowledge to a new level. Enthusiast Main Mask commented, “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.” Frank Leonard agreed, “Greatest wrestler ever. Years ahead of his time, could work a crowd like no other and let’s not forget he could actually wrestle too.”Mark Rocco was born in May, 1951, Jonathan Mark Hussey, son of heavyweight wrestler Jim Hussey and his wife Lilian. We discover Hussey Junior making the press in 1961, aged just ten years old. Nothing to do with wrestling, The Cheshire Observer reported Mark coming second as a Best Rider in an equestrian competition at Norley Fete. Equestrian success continued as a senior until shortly before Mark embarked on a wrestling career.
Surprisingly Jim himself was not directly responsible for son Mark entering the professional ranks, in fact he was set against the idea. Long time friend Colin Joynson has told us that Jim was unaware that Mark was secretly being coached as a professional by a few of the Manchester lads, himself included.
Around 1970 Mark turned professional. We first come across Mark Rocco on 25th February, 1970 in Yardley, Birmingham, losing by two straight falls to his mentor Colin Joynson. As his first match was at Yardley, against Joynson, and with his dad on the bill this may well have been his professional debut. We didn’t see that match but later in the year did see him losing by the odd fall to Johnny Saint at Preston. Saint was the experienced wrestler, a rapidly rising star and we admit to seeing Rocco as nothing more than another aspiring youngster, albeit one with a touch of the arrogance of youth.
Initial impressions were quickly to change. Our next sighting, again Saint was in the opposite corner, was a very different affair. Any arrogance of youth was now backed up by what seemed like a decade of learning packed into little more than a year. The star quality was beginning to show as he went on to draw with the now well established Saint.
In the mid 1970s, shortly after the release of the film Rollerball plain old Mark Rocco was transformed into Rollerball Rocco. With half a dozen year’s experience in Britain and on the Continent he began to carve out the unique niche for which he is remembered.
Former wrestler Andy Bloomfield was also a fan, “Every bout was full of drama, absolute realism (no doubters ever in the crowd when Rocco was on). 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 unbelievability. 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. 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!”
Rollerball had it all. Wrestling skill, creativity, hard as nails and the killer instinct. A punishing forearm, a quick follow-up, a few dubious tactics, a minor explosion and Rollerball was on his way to his next success.
Even following the Rollerball transformation Mark was still paying his dues with a mixed bag of results. His reward came on 11th June 1977, when he defeated Bert Royal at Belle Vue, Manchester, to win the British Heavy Middleweight Championship. He held the title for fifteen months before losing it to Marty Jones, and re-gaining it again three months later. But as all pro wrestling fans understand success is not about winning belts, even though Mark went on to acclaim as world champion. His success transcended championship belts and trophies.
International success beyond Europe came with a visit to the United States in 1980 and, more memorably, to Japan in 1981. In Japan he is remembered as the masked Black Tiger and his feud with Tiger Mask, who wrestled in Britain as Sammy Lee. Mark Rocco made more visits to Japan in the 1980s.
In Britain during the 1980s he left Joint Promotions to work for independent promoters, most notably Orig Williams and All Star Promotions. On wrestling forums fans of the 1980s still recall his feuds with Dynamite Kid, Dave Finlay and Kendo Nagasaki. Heritage member Frank Leonard recalled, “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.” Rasit Huseyin told us: “Bouts between Rocco and Finlay probably would never have been televised, the violence in it was X-certificate!”
A heart condition forced Mark Rocco into retirement in 1991, following which he set up home in Tenerife.
Mark Rocco, born 11th May, 1951, died 31st July, 2020.
Memories of Rollerball
from The Norfolk Snake
Rocco was my favourite without a doubt. I saw him many times at Norwich or King’s Lynn from when he jumped ship to Brian Dixon’s promotion 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, and 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 Finlay etc. I think becoming involved even at the low level I achieved made me 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 anything unbelievable. 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 wasn’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 wasn’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 wasn’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.
Page added 31/07/2020
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