Javier Hernández Padilla (born September 22, 1952) is a semi-retired Mexican ''

Luchador ''Lucha libre'' (, meaning "freestyle wrestling" or literally translated as "free fight") is the term for the style of professional wrestling originating in Mexico. Since its introduction to Mexico in the early 20th century, it has develope ...

'', or

professional wrestler Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...

best known under the

ring name A ring name is a type of stage name or nickname 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 ...

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 The Mexican National Lightweight Championship (''Campeonato Nacional de Peso Ligero'' in Spanish) is a Mexican professional wrestling singles championship created and sanctioned by ''Comisión de Box y Lucha Libre Mexico D.F.'' ("the Mexico City ...

and a three-time holder of both the

Mexican National Welterweight Championship The Mexican National Welterweight Championship (''Campeonato Nacional Peso Welter'' in Spanish) is a Mexican professional wrestling championship created and sanctioned by Comisión de Box y Lucha Libre Mexico D.F. (the Mexico City Boxing and Wres ...

and the

NWA World Welterweight Championship The NWA World Welterweight Championship () is an inactive professional wrestling championship governed by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and most recently promoted by NWA Mexico. The championship was originally created in 1946 by the Mexica ...

all promoted by the

professional wrestling promotion A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. "Promotion" also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event. Within ...

Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre Co., Ltd. (CMLL; , "World Wrestling Council") is a ''lucha libre'' professional wrestling promotion based in Mexico City. The promotion was previously known as (EMLL) (''Mexican Wrestling Enterprise''). Founded in 1933, it is the oldest profe ...

(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

; he held the title for 82 days before losing it back to ''Flama Azul''. On February 2, 1978, Rocca won the

from

Kung Fu Chinese martial arts, commonly referred to with umbrella terms Kung fu (term), kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (sport), wushu (), are Styles of Chinese martial arts, multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater Ch ...

, holding it for 435 days before losing it to

Lizmark Juan Baños (December 18, 1950 – December 16, 2015) was a Mexican '' luchador enmascarado'', or masked professional wrestler better known by the ring name Lizmark. The name was taken from the German battleship Bismarck. He was a multiple-time ...

. The following year, on April 30, 1979, Rocca won the

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. 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 Javier Esparza Coronado (born August 11, 1953) is a Mexican retired ''Luchador'', or professional wrestler, currently working as a match maker for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). Esparza is best known under the ring name Franco Columbo, a ...

on November 1, 1980. On July 18, 1982, Rocca defeated

La Fiera Arturo Casco Hernández (March 17, 1961 – September 12, 2010) was a Mexican '' luchador'', or professional wrestler, best known under the ring name La Fiera, which is Spanish for "The Wild Beast". Hernández was a second-generation wrestler, ...

to win his second NWA World Welterweight Championship. After a reign lasting 558 days, he lost it to Mocho Cota. 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. 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. In 1990 Rocca adopted a new ring persona, ''Ponzoña'' (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

for "Poison"), a character used by

Antonio Peña Antonio Hipolito Peña Herrada (June 13, 1951 – October 5, 2006) was a Mexican professional wrestling promoter who founded the Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA) promotion in 1992. Peña's promotion reached its height of popularit ...

's father in the 1960s and brought back with Peña's permission. Hernández worked as the masked Ponzoña until 1994, after which he resumed working as Américo Rocca on the Mexican

independent circuit In professional wrestling, the independent circuit (often shortened to the indie circuit or the indies) is the collective name of independently owned promotions which are deemed to be smaller and more regionalized than major national promotions. ...

. In recent years Hernández sons have begun wrestling as well under the names Américo Rocca, Jr. and Xavier Rocca.

Championships and accomplishments

( 3 times) **

( 3 times) *Occidente Championships **Occidente Welterweight Championship (1 time) **Occidente Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *Local championships **Sinaloa Welterweight Championship (1 time) **Arena Azteca Budokan Welterweight Championship (1 time)

''Luchas de Apuestas'' record

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rocca, Americo 1952 births Living people Mexican male professional wrestlers 20th-century male professional wrestlers 20th-century Mexican professional wrestlers 21st-century male professional wrestlers 21st-century Mexican professional wrestlers Mexican National Welterweight Champions NWA World Welterweight Champions Mexican National Lightweight Champions