Theodore James Petty (September 1, 1953 – September 21, 2002) was an American

professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...

, better known by the

ring name A ring name is a type of stage name used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons, or project ...

"Flyboy" Rocco Rock. Rock is best known for his appearances in Eastern Championship Wrestling / Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW),

World Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling, Inc. (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of Nati ...

(WCW), and the

World Wrestling Federation World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and var ...

(WWF) alongside Johnny Grunge as the Public Enemy. He was a four-time ECW (World) Tag Team Champion, a one-time WCW World Tag Team Champion. and a one-time NWA World Tag Team Champion.

Professional wrestling career

Early career (1978–1993)

Ted Petty was born on September 1, 1953. He graduated from

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was ...

with a degree in

nutrition Nutrition is the biochemical and physiological process by which an organism uses food to support its life. It provides organisms with nutrients, which can be metabolized to create energy and chemical structures. Failure to obtain sufficient ...

. Following a brief boxing career, Petty trained as a professional wrestler under Afa Anoa'i. He debuted in 1978 under the

"Cheetah Kid". Petty worked as enhancement talent (a jobber) in the

American Wrestling Association The American Wrestling Association (AWA) was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 until 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo. The territory was originally part ...

from 1985 to 1988. In March 1990, Petty toured Japan with

New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo. Founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, the promotion was sold to Yuke's, who later sold it to Bushiroad in 2012. TV Asahi and Amuse, Inc. own minority sha ...

as part of its "Big Fight Series". During the tour, he teamed with

Pegasus Kid Christopher Michael Benoit (; May 21, 1967 – June 24, 2007) was a Canadian professional wrestler. He worked for various pro-wrestling promotions during his 22-year career including most notably the World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling ...

and faced opponents such as Jushin Thunder Liger, Takashi Iizuka, and Kengo Kimura. Upon returning to the United States, he wrestled for the Philadelphia-based Tri-State Wrestling Alliance, winning its Brass Knuckles Championship. In June 1990, he began appearing with

, initially as "Cheetah Kid", then as "Mario Savoldi", then finally as the faux-South African "Colonel DeKlerk". As "Colonel DeKlerk", Petty teamed with Sergeant Krueger to defeat the Beast and Kaluha at Clash of the Champions XIII in November 1990, then teamed with Krueger in a loss to the Steiner Brothers at Starrcade '90: Collision Course in December 1990. In March 1991, Petty appeared with the Universal Wrestling Federation, taking part in a taping for the '' Fury Hour'' television show. In June 1992, Petty toured Japan with W*ING, competing in a tournament for the W*ING World Junior Heavyweight Championship. In January 1993, Petty wrestled two matches for the

as "Cheetah Kid". Later that month, he wrestled two matches for

as "the Executioner", including a bout against 2 Cold Scorpio that aired on '' WCW WorldWide''. In April and June 1993, Petty toured Austria and Germany with the World Wrestlings Superstars promotion.

Eastern Championship Wrestling / Extreme Championship Wrestling (1993–1996)

In September 1993, Petty (as "Rocco Rock") and Johnny Grunge began wrestling regularly for the

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

-based promotion Eastern Championship Wrestling (ECW) as the Public Enemy. They made their debut at UltraClash, defeating Ian Rotten and Jason Knight. At NWA Bloodfest the following month, they defeated the Bad Breed and Badd Company in a

triangle A triangle is a polygon with three edges and three vertices. It is one of the basic shapes in geometry. A triangle with vertices ''A'', ''B'', and ''C'' is denoted \triangle ABC. In Euclidean geometry, any three points, when non- colline ...

cage match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

. Over the following months, they feuded with Badd Company, defeating them in a "

South Philly South Philadelphia, nicknamed South Philly, is the section of Philadelphia bounded by South Street to the north, the Delaware River to the east and south and the Schuylkill River to the west.November to Remember. At Holiday Hell: the Body Count in December 1993, Pat Tanaka (one-half of Badd Company) defeated Rock in a "Body Count" match, marking the end of the feud. At The Night the Line Was Crossed in February 1994, the Public Enemy defeated the Bruise Brothers in a "no rules" match. On March 6, 1994, they defeated Kevin Sullivan and the Tazmaniac to win the ECW Tag Team Championship. At

Ultimate Jeopardy Ultimate Jeopardy was a professional wrestling event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). The event took place in 1994, 1996 and 1997. The 1995 event was scheduled for November 23, but was cancelled. The planned main event for that ...

in March 1994, the Public Enemy teamed with Shane Douglas and Mr. Hughes to face Sullivan, the Tazmaniac, Road Warrior Hawk, and ECW Heavyweight Champion

Terry Funk Terrence Funk (born June 30, 1944) is an American retired professional wrestler, rapper, disc jockey and actor. Funk is known for the longevity of his career – which spanned more than 50 years and included multiple short-lived retirements – ...

in an " Ultimate Jeopardy steel cage match". Each participant had a stipulation which would be implemented if they were defeated; if the Public Enemy were defeated, they would be forced to stop teaming together. Douglas won the bout for his team by pinning Funk. At When Worlds Collide in May 1994, the Public Enemy again teamed with Douglas and Hughes, losing to J. T. Smith and the Bruise Brothers in a handicap elimination match. At the same event, the Public Enemy attacked Terry Funk after being paid by

Paul E. Dangerously Paul Heyman (born September 11, 1965) is an American professional wrestling manager, former promoter, photographer, and executive. He is currently signed to WWE, appearing on the SmackDown brand as manager for Undisputed WWE Universal Heavyweight ...

(the

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activitie ...

of Funk's rival Sabu), causing Funk to declare he would get revenge on the Public Enemy. At

Hostile City Showdown Hostile City Showdown was a professional wrestling supercard event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling HHG Corporation, doing business as Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), was a professional wrestling promotion and media compan ...

in June 1994, the Public Enemy wrestled Terry Funk and his brother Dory Funk Jr. to a no contest. At Heat Wave: the Battle for the Future in July 1994, the Public Enemy defeated the Funk brothers in a barbed wire match. At Hardcore Heaven in August 1994, the Public Enemy successfully defended their titles against

the Bad Breed The Bad Breed was the professional wrestling tag team of Axl Rotten with his storyline brother/real life protégé Ian Rotten. The team achieved their greatest fame in the Philadelphia professional wrestling promotion Extreme Championship Wres ...

. Later that evening, the Public Enemy interfered in the main event bout between Terry Funk and Cactus Jack. As the four men brawled, Funk called for a fan to toss him a

steel chair A folding chair is a type of folding furniture, a light, portable chair that folds flat or to a smaller size, and can be stored in a stack, in a row, or on a cart. It can be combined with a folding table. Uses Folding chairs are generally used ...

. This resulted in multiple fans hurtling chairs into the ring, with Rock and Grunge being buried under a large pile of steel chairs. The Public Enemy's first reign as ECW Tag Team Champions ended the following month at the NWA World Title Tournament event, where Cactus Jack and

Mikey Whipwreck John Michael Watson (born June 4, 1973), better known by his ring name Mikey Whipwreck, is an American semi-retired professional wrestler working for All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a trainer, and global ambassador. He is best known for his career w ...

(substituting for Terry Funk, who had temporarily departed the promotion) defeated them in an upset. Around this time, Eastern Championship Wrestling was rebranded "Extreme Championship Wrestling". In August 1994, Rock (as "the Cheetah Kid") wrestled two matches for the World Wrestlings Superstars promotion in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

, Austria. Back in ECW, the Public Enemy continued their feud with Cactus Jack and Whipwreck, culminating in a Brawl Game match at November to Remember where they regained the titles (now known as the ECW World Tag Team Championship). For the remainder of the year, they successfully defended the titles against challengers including Cactus Jack and Whipwreck; the Bad Breed; and 2 Cold Scorpio and Ron Simmons. The Public Enemy's second reign as ECW World Tag Team Champions ran until February 1995, where they lost to Sabu and the Tazmaniac at

Double Tables Double Tables was a professional wrestling supercard event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). It took place on February 4, 1995 from the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The commentator for the event was Joey Styles. T ...

. In March 1995, they made a short tour of Japan with

Wrestling International New Generations Wrestling International New Generations (W*ING) was a Japanese professional wrestling promotion specialized in deathmatches. History After leaving Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling in the summer of 1991, Kazuyoshi Osako and Kiyoshi "Mickey" Ibara ...

. In April 1995 at

Three Way Dance Three Way Dance was a professional wrestling live event produced by Eastern Championship Wrestling (ECW) on April 8, 1995. The event was held in the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States. It was a "double header" event with ...

, the Public Enemy won the ECW World Tag Team Championship for a third time, defeating

Chris Benoit Christopher Michael Benoit (; May 21, 1967 – June 24, 2007) was a Canadian professional wrestler. He worked for various pro-wrestling promotions during his 22-year career including most notably the World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestlin ...

and Dean Malenko and Rick Steiner (substituting for Sabu) and the Tazmaniac in a

three way dance Three Way Dance was a professional wrestling live event produced by Eastern Championship Wrestling (ECW) on April 8, 1995. The event was held in the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States. It was a "double header" event with ...

. Immediately following their victory, the Public Enemy were attacked by the Pitbulls, beginning a feud between the two teams. At

later that month, the Public Enemy defeated the Pitbulls to retain their titles. Over the following months, the Public Enemy defended their titles against the Pitbulls in a series of matches, including dog collar matches and baseball bat matches. Their reign finally ended in July 1995 at Mountain Top Madness when they lost to

Raven A raven is any of several larger-bodied bird species of the genus '' Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between " crows" and "ravens", common names which are assigne ...

and

Stevie Richards Michael Stephen Manna (born October 9, 1971), better known by his ring name Stevie Richards, is an American professional wrestler. Over the course of his career, Richards has performed for major professional wrestling promotions including Easte ...

following interference from the Gangstas ( Mustafa and New Jack). The Public Enemy subsequently began feuding with the Gangstas, losing to them in a cage match at

Heat Wave A heat wave, or heatwave, is a period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity, especially in oceanic climate countries. While definitions vary, a heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the ...

in July 1995 and in a stretcher match at Wrestlepalooza. At Gangstas Paradise in September 1995, the Public Enemy teamed with Mikey Whipwreck to defeat 2 Cold Scorpio (substituting for Mustafa), New Jack, and the Sandman. In October 1995, the Public Enemy defeated Raven and Stevie Richards and the Gangstas in a three way dance to win their fourth and final ECW World Tag Team Championship. Their reign ended later than month when 2 Cold Scorpio defeated Rock in a bout where Scorpio's ECW World Television Championship and the Public Enemy's ECW World Tag Team Championship were both on the line. In November 1995 at November to Remember, the Public Enemy unsuccessfully challenged 2 Cold Scorpio and the Sandman for the ECW World Tag Team Championship. The following day, the Public Enemy wrestled a dark match for the

at its Survivor Series

pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program g ...

, unsuccessfully challenging

The Smoking Gunns The Smoking Gunns were a professional wrestling tag team of kayfabe brothers Billy Gunn (Monty Sopp) and Bart Gunn (Mike Polchlopek). They portrayed cowboys in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1993 to 1996. As a team, the Smoking Gunns ...

for the

WWF World Tag Team Championship The World Tag Team Championship was the original professional wrestling world tag team championship in the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) promotion, and the promotion's third tag team championship overall. Originally established by the then- ...

. At December to Dismember in December 1995, the Public Enemy teamed with the Pitbulls and Tommy Dreamer to defeat Raven, Stevie Richards,

the Eliminators The Eliminators were a professional wrestling tag team that consisted of Perry Saturn and John Kronus who were best known for their time in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) between 1995 and 1997. History Formation While working as the m ...

, and the Heavenly Bodies in an Ultimate Jeopardy steel cage match (with a stipulation that if the Public Enemy were defeated they would need to wrestle one another). At Holiday Hell later that month, the Public Enemy lost to the Gangstas. In January 1996 at House Party, the Public Enemy made their final appearance with ECW before leaving to join World Championship Wrestling, defeating the Gangstas in the main event. '' Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' ranked Rock #90 in the 1995 PWI 500 (an index of the world's top 500 wrestlers) - his highest ever placing.

World Championship Wrestling (1996–1998)

At the outset of 1996, the Public Enemy signed with

(WCW). They debuted on the January 15, 1996 episode of '' WCW Monday Nitro'', defeating the

American Males The American Males were a professional wrestling tag team in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) composed of Marcus Bagwell and Scotty Riggs. Their gimmick was of two "pretty boys" who were fond of their own bodies and popular with women. Riggs ...

. Soon after arriving, they began a long-running feud with the Nasty Boys. At

Clash of the Champions XXXII ''Clash of the Champions'' is an American series of professional wrestling television specials that were produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP) in conjunction with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). T ...

, the two teams wrestled one another to a double disqualification. At

SuperBrawl VI SuperBrawl VI was the sixth SuperBrawl professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW). The event took place on February 11, 1996, from the Bayfront Arena in St. Petersburg, Florida. The main eve ...

in February 1996, the Nasty Boys defeated the Public Enemy in a falls count anywhere match. At Bash at the Beach in July 1996, the Nasty Boys defeated the Public Enemy in a dog collar match. On the September 23, 1996 episode of ''WCW Monday Nitro'', the Public Enemy defeated Harlem Heat to win the

WCW World Tag Team Championship The WCW World Tag Team Championship (previously NWA (Mid-Atlantic) World Tag Team Championship) was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and later the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) ...

. Their reign lasted until the October 1, 1996 episode of '' WCW Saturday Night'', where Harlem Heat regained the titles. The Public Enemy continued to compete in WCW's tag team division for the remainder of the year. In December 1996, they took part in WCW's "Christmas Brawl" tour of Germany. In early 1997, the Public Enemy had a series of matches against the

Faces of Fear The Faces of Fear was a professional wrestling tag team of The Barbarian and Meng in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) that existed between 1996 and 1999. The two were first paired together in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) as part of Th ...

and Harlem Heat, culminating in a triangle match at

SuperBrawl VII SuperBrawl VII was the seventh SuperBrawl professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW). The event took place on February 23, 1997 from the Cow Palace in Uncensored in March 1997, Harlem Heat defeated the Public Enemy. At Spring Stampede in April 1997, the Public Enemy defeated Jeff Jarrett and Steve McMichael. At

Slamboree Slamboree was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event from World Championship Wrestling (WCW) held from 1993 through 2000. It was originally billed as "A Legends' Reunion" because many retired legends from Jim Crockett Promotions attende ...

in May 1997, the Public Enemy defeated Harlem Heat in a dark match. For the remainder of the year, the Public Enemy faced teams such as Harlem Heat; the Faces of Fear; the Steiner Brothers;

High Voltage High voltage electricity refers to electrical potential large enough to cause injury or damage. In certain industries, ''high voltage'' refers to voltage above a certain threshold. Equipment and conductors that carry high voltage warrant sp ...

. At World War 3 in November 1997, Rock competed in the titular three ring battle royal which was won by

Scott Hall Scott Oliver Hall (October 20, 1958 – March 14, 2022) was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his tenures with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) under his real name and under the ring name the Diamond Studd and with the ...

. Throughout 1998, the Public Enemy continued to wrestle on '' WCW WorldWide'', '' WCW Pro'', ''WCW Saturday Night'', and ''WCW Monday Nitro'', facing tams such as the Outsiders; the Armstrongs ( Scott Armstrong and Steve Armstrong); Disorderly Conduct ( Mean Mike and Tough Tom); High Voltage; and the Barbarian and Hugh Morrus. In July 1998, they began a short feud with the Dancing Fools that culminated in a street fight at Road Wild in August 1998 that was won by the Public Enemy. The Public Enemy left WCW in September 1998. They spent the next few months wrestling for the

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

-based Championship Wrestling promotion, facing the Bushwhackers in a series of matches.

World Wrestling Federation (1999)

The Public Enemy signed with the

in early 1999. They were not accepted "backstage" by veteran WWF wrestlers and backstage personnel due to animosity over the fact that The Public Enemy chose WCW over the WWF when the two companies were pursuing the tag team in late 1995. Rocco Rock was also forced to change his name and go by the shortened name "Flyboy Rocco", in order not to "cause confusion" with The Rock. They made their WWF debut on the February 22, 1999, episode of '' Raw is War'', defeating

The Brood ''The Brood'' is a 1979 Canadian psychological body horror film written and directed by David Cronenberg and starring Oliver Reed, Samantha Eggar, and Art Hindle. Its plot follows a man and his mentally ill ex-wife, who has been sequestered by ...

by disqualification. On the March 2, 1999, episode of ''

Sunday Night Heat ''WWE Heat'' (formerly known as ''Sunday Night Heat'' and also known as ''Heat'') is an American professional wrestling television program that was produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and aired from August 2, 1998 to May 30, 2008. Ori ...

'' in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

, the Public Enemy lost to the

Acolytes An acolyte is an assistant or follower assisting the celebrant in a religious service or procession. In many Christian denominations, an acolyte is anyone performing ceremonial duties such as lighting altar candles. In others, the term is used ...

in a

squash match Professional wrestling has accrued a considerable amount of jargon throughout its existence. Much of it stems from the industry's origins in the days of carnivals and circuses. In the past, professional wrestlers used such terms in the presence o ...

. In 2013, John "Bradshaw" Layfield elaborated that much of the animosity was due to them being brought into the company by Terry Taylor, who had his own backstage issues with much of the wrestlers, including the Acolytes. They had also desired to change the planned finish of the squash match, which involved them being driven through tables by the Acolytes. The Acolytes were instructed only to ensure that they go through with the planned finish of the match, leading to the match to be turned into a legitimate shoot, with The Acolytes dominating Public Enemy for the entirety of the four-minute match. Following the Public Enemy's subsequent release, the APA claimed that they "ran The Public Enemy out" of the WWF. They said they could do the same to another famous ECW tag team (the Dudley Boyz); after the Dudley Boyz succeeded in the feud, it was commonly referred to as "Passing the Acolyte Test" since the Dudley Boyz did get

over Over may refer to: Places *Over, Cambridgeshire, England * Over, Cheshire, England * Over, South Gloucestershire, England *Over, Tewkesbury, near Gloucester, England **Over Bridge * Over, Seevetal, Germany Music Albums * ''Over'' (album), by P ...

after a feud with the APA while The Public Enemy failed. The Public Enemy would wrestle a final time on March 30, 1999, in a match taped for '' Shotgun Saturday Night'', losing to the Hardy Boys via disqualification. The match was aired on television on April 10, 1999. Shortly after airing, both members of Public Enemy were released in mid-April, along with "Dr Death." Steve Williams (who main-evented that same episode), Bart Gunn, and LOD 2000.

World Championship Wrestling (1999)

After leaving the WWF, the Public Enemy returned to WCW in July 1999 at the Bash at the Beach pay-per-view, taking part in the "Junkyard Hardcore Invitational" that was won by Fit Finlay. Over the following weeks, the Public Enemy wrestled in the tag team division, facing teams such as the

Insane Clown Posse Insane Clown Posse, often abbreviated as ICP, is an American hip hop duo. Formed in Detroit in 1989 as a gangsta rap group, ICP's best known lineup consists of rappers Violent J (Joseph Bruce) and Shaggy 2 Dope (originally 2 Dope; Joseph Utsl ...

;

and Perry Saturn; and

Barry Windham Barry Clinton Windham (born July 4, 1960) is an American retired professional wrestler. The son of wrestler Blackjack Mulligan, he is best known for his appearances with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW). ...

and Curt Hennig. On the August 5, 1999 episode of '' WCW Thunder'', Rock lost to Goldberg. They made their final appearance with WCW on the August 19, 1999 episode of ''WCW Thunder'', losing to

Sid Vicious John Simon Ritchie (10 May 1957 – 2 February 1979), better known by his stage name Sid Vicious, was an English musician, best known as the bassist for the punk rock band Sex Pistols. Despite dying in 1979 at age 21, he remains an icon of the ...

in a handicap match.

Late career (1999–2002)

Rocco Rock in March 2002 After leaving WCW in late-1999, the Public Enemy began wrestling on the

independent circuit In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indie circuit is the collective noun, collective name of independent professional wrestling promotions which are smaller than major televised promotions. It is roughly analogous to a minor lea ...

. In June 1999, they briefly held the NWA World Tag Team Championship. From December 1999 to May 2000, they appeared with Xtreme Pro Wrestling. In July and August 2000, they wrestled in

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

and

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...

for the Australian

i-Generation Superstars of Wrestling i-Generation Wrestling Superstars of Wrestling was a small series of professional wrestling shows in 2000. The roster consisted of wrestlers who had previously achieved fame in other promotions. The tour promoted a World Championship, an Internat ...

promotion, briefly holding the i-Generation Tag Team Championship on two occasions. In November 2001, Rock and Grunge (as the "South Philly Posse") took part in television tapings for the X Wrestling Federation in

Orlando, Florida Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures re ...

. In May 2002, Rock and Grunge began appearing with the Philadelphia-based Pro-Pain Pro-Wrestling promotion.

Death

Petty died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

on September 21, 2002, while en route to a Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling show where he was scheduled to wrestle against Gary Wolfe in a match for the promotion's heavyweight title. His family maintained that Petty never used drugs but that his death was caused by a congenital heart defect that runs in his family. Every year, the IWA-Mid South

professional wrestling promotion A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling that has little relationship to the rules of the amateur olympic form. "Promotion" also describes a role which entails mana ...

memorializes him by holding the Ted Petty Invitational tournament. Previous winners include A. J. Styles, Matt Sydal, Low Ki, and Mike Quackenbush.

Championships and accomplishments

* Cauliflower Alley Club **Other honoree (

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The Great Hanshin earthquake str ...

) * Eastern Championship Wrestling / Extreme Championship Wrestling ** ECW (World) Tag Team Championship ( 4 times) – with Johnny Grunge *

Hardcore Hall of Fame 2300 Arena is a multipurpose indoor arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania used primarily for professional wrestling, boxing, mixed martial arts, and concert events. Originally known as Viking Hall, the venue has since been named Alhambra Arena, The ...

**Class of 2002 *

** i-Generation Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Johnny Grunge * Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South ** IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Championship ( 1 time) *Main Event Championship Wrestling **MECW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Johnny Grunge *

National Wrestling Alliance The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is an American professional wrestling promotion and former professional wrestling governing body operated by its parent company Lightning One, Inc. Founded in 1948, the NWA began as a governing body for a ...

** NWA World Tag Team Championship ( 1 time) – with Johnny Grunge * NWA New Jersey **

NWA United States Tag Team Championship The NWA United States Tag Team Championship is a name used for several secondary tag team championship used by various National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) members since 1958. There are eleven different versions of the NWA United States Tag Team Champ ...

( 1 time) – with Johnny Grunge * New England Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame **Class of 2010 *New-Wave Championship Wrestling **NWCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Johnny Grunge *'' Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' **Ranked No. 457 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the ''PWI Years'' in 2003 *Superstars of Wrestling **SOW Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Johnny Grunge *

Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling was a Southeastern independent professional wrestling promotion based in Marietta, Georgia. It was founded by retired wrestler and former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Dusty Rhodes in 2000 and, during its three ...

TCW Tag Team Championship The TCW Tag Team Championship was the primary professional wrestling tag team title of Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling. It was originally won by Scott Anton and Erik Watts who defeated Glacier and Jorge Estrada, coincidentally opponents for t ...

(1 time) – with Johnny Grunge * Tri-State Wrestling Alliance **TWA Brass Knuckles Championship (1 time) *Universal Wrestling Alliance **UWA Heavyweight Championship (2 times) **UWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Johnny Grunge *Universal Wrestling Association **UWA Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *

( 1 time) – with Johnny Grunge *Other promotions **IPW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Johnny Grunge **MCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Johnny Grunge **WCCA Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time) **WWWC Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rock, Rocco 1953 births 2002 deaths American male boxers American male professional wrestlers Boxers from New Jersey ECW World Tag Team Champions NWA World Tag Team Champions People from Woodbridge Township, New Jersey Professional wrestlers from New Jersey Rutgers University alumni Sportspeople from Middlesex County, New Jersey WCW World Tag Team Champions