Rocco Rock
Theodore James Petty was an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name "Flyboy" Rocco Rock. Rock is best known for his appearances in Eastern Championship Wrestling / Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling, and the World Wrestling Federation alongside Johnny Grunge as the Public Enemy during the 1990s. 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.
Early life
Petty was born on September 1, 1953. Raised in Middlesex, New Jersey, he attended Middlesex High School, where he competed in baseball, football and wrestling. He graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in nutrition. while attending Rutgers, he took part in collegiate wrestling. He went on to have a brief boxing career.Professional wrestling career
Early career (1978–1993)
Following his boxing career, Petty trained as a professional wrestler under Afa Anoa'i. He debuted in 1978, working on the independent circuit in the northeastern United States as the masked "Cheetah Kid".Petty worked in the American Wrestling Association from 1985 to 1988.
In March 1990, Petty toured Japan with New Japan Pro-Wrestling as part of its "Big Fight Series". During the tour, he teamed with Pegasus Kid 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 World Championship Wrestling, 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. After both he and Jimmy Backlund finished the tournament with three points, they faced one another in a deciding match that was won by Backlund.
In January 1993, Petty wrestled two matches for the World Wrestling Federation as "Cheetah Kid"; the second of them was a dark match at the first ever Monday Night Raw taping. Later that month, he wrestled two matches for World Championship Wrestling 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 and Johnny Grunge began wrestling regularly for the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based promotion Eastern Championship Wrestling 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 cage match. Over the following months, they feuded with Badd Company, defeating them in a "South Philly Hood" match at November to Remember. At Holiday Hell: the Body Count in December 1993, Pat Tanaka 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 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 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, causing Funk to declare he would get revenge on the Public Enemy. At Hostile City Showdown in June 1994, the Public Enemy wrestled Terry Funk and his brother Dory Funk Jr. to a no contest. At Heatwave '94: 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. 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. 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 defeated them in an upset. Around this time, Eastern Championship Wrestling was rebranded "Extreme Championship Wrestling". In August 1994, Rock wrestled two matches for the World Wrestlings Superstars promotion in Vienna, 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. 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. In March 1995, they made a short tour of Japan with Wrestling International New Generations, where they primarily faced the Pitbulls is a series of gimmick matches. In April 1995 at Three Way Dance, the Public Enemy won the ECW World Tag Team Championship for a third time, defeating Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko and Rick Steiner and the Tazmaniac in a three way dance. Immediately following their victory, the Public Enemy were attacked by the Pitbulls, beginning a feud between the two teams. At Hostile City Showdown 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 and Stevie Richards following interference from the Gangstas.
The Public Enemy subsequently began feuding with the Gangstas, losing to them in a cage match at Heat Wave 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, New Jack, and the Sandman. In October 1995 at South Philly Jam, 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 that 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 World Wrestling Federation at its Survivor Series pay-per-view, unsuccessfully challenging The Smoking Gunns for the WWF World Tag Team Championship.
At December to Dismember in December 1995, the Public Enemy teamed with the Pitbulls and Tommy Dreamer to defeat Raven, Stevie Richards, the Eliminators, and the Heavenly Bodies in an Ultimate Jeopardy steel cage match. 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 - his highest ever placing.
World Championship Wrestling (1996–1998)
By late-1995, both WCW and the WWF were courting the Public Enemy. 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. Soon after arriving, they began a long-running feud with the Nasty Boys. At Clash of the Champions XXXII, the two teams wrestled one another to a double disqualification. At SuperBrawl VI 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. 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 and Harlem Heat, culminating in a triangle match at SuperBrawl VII that was won by the Public Enemy. At 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 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. At World War 3 in November 1997, Rock competed in the titular three ring battle royal which was won by Scott Hall.
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 ; Disorderly Conduct ; 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-based Championship Wrestling promotion, facing the Bushwhackers in a series of matches.