Bruno Sammartino & Vince McMahon

Originally Posted by whiteyford Not every guy in the HOF is a main event guy, Koko was a draw, both in the WWF and the territories.

Yeah I know not all of them are main eventers, but I just can't think of one match that I was really looking forward to when it comes to Koko. I can think of something I wanted to see from everyone else in the HOF not in the celeb wing.

Brush me up on some great Koko moments and memories since I'm not well versed on him.

[whiteyford]

Originally Posted by Alvin Hobbs I can think of something I wanted to see from everyone else in the HOF not in the celeb wing.

James Dudley, "Baron" Mikel Scicluna and Antonino Rocca. You can think of something you wanted to see from those three HOF inductees but not Koko?

[DaveBrawl]

Originally Posted by whiteyford Antonino Rocca

I don't know what it is about him but my Dad, who hates wrestling, brings up Rocca every so often like I would Bret Hart. Just for the backbreaker alone. It just seems to fascinate him.

Don't have the heart to show him Lex Luger and the rack.

[Seth82]

Originally Posted by whiteyford James Dudley, "Baron" Mikel Scicluna and Antonino Rocca. You can think of something you wanted to see from those three HOF inductees but not Koko?

http://www.wwe.com/superstars/antoninorocca

Rocca is/was a legend in the biz.

He was a huge star for the old Capitol Wrestling Corporation - the precursor to WWE/WWF/WWWF.



Before it was ever known as WWE, Antonino Rocca was the top Superstar in the company. Back then, it was simply the Capitol Wrestling Corporation, and Rocca was the star of the show, drawing packed houses throughout the Northeast for Vincent J. McMahon.

The reasons were simple. He was the most dynamic performer the business had ever seen up to that point. His arsenal of aerial maneuvers would be considered amazing even by today's standards; back then, he was a legitimate phenomenon. Hurricanranas, flying dropkicks, victory rolls and flying body presses dazzled 1950s audiences used to seeing athletes who almost never left their feet. His signature move, the Argentine Backbreaker (known to newer fans as the Human Torture Rack) also brought crowds to a frenzy.

The ethnic factor also played a big part. Rocca was of Italian heritage and hailed from Latin America, making him a drawing card for two of the New York area's largest populations. His fan following was passionate, as is evidenced by the famous riot that erupted at Madison Square Garden on a night in 1957 when Rocca was busted open by Dick the Bruiser.

Rocca began his career as a teenager, training under the legendary Stanislaus Zbyszko. In the United States, he began his career in Texas, but was quickly brought to New York in the late 1940s by Joseph "Toots" Mondt, the kingpin of wrestling in the Big Apple. Mondt shared Rocca with other promoters in the region, including a newcomer from Washington, D.C. named Vincent J. McMahon. Eventually, McMahon managed to convince Rocca to join his troupe full-time. This, along with his use of television, allowed McMahon to gain enough leverage to become the major player in the territory.

Although Rocca never held a World Championship, it really didn't matter. In arenas like Madison Square Garden, he was such a big deal that his matches were always main events, even if the NWA World Champion was also competing on the card; the Argentine acrobat was the man the people came to see. During this period, only Gorgeous George was a bigger star, and on the East Coast Rocca was the uncontested king.

[whiteyford]

Originally Posted by Seth82 Rocca is/was a legend in the biz.

I wasn't disputing that, simply asking why three, largely unknown names to modern fans were more recognizable and deserving of a place than Koko, who was a draw in the 80s on a national/global level rather than a regional one. Ignoring the fact entirely that it's based on who they want in rather than who is most deserving of course.