4 Rebels Who Revolutionized Professional Wrestling

Description

These four wrestlers collectively helped professional wrestling in the late ’70s and early ’80s transition from a more plodding mat style to a more fast-paced form by creating a hybrid of Lucha libre, Japanese, and English ring styles and bringing them to North American audiences. These are your favorite wrestlers’ favorite wrestlers, and this is a tribute to them. Wrestlers Who Revolutionized Professional Wrestling It’s a breezy September evening in New York City, and there is a buzz in the air. A burgeoning East Coast-based professional wrestling promotion is hosting one of their biggest shows of the year at the then "Mecca of Sports" Madison Square Garden. Fans would pack the 18,000 plus seat arena nearly to capacity on this Monday evening to watch large, bare-chested grapplers climb into a ring and do battle. Names like Andre The Giant, Pat Patterson, Bob Backlund, and Chief Jay Strongbow were all prominently featured on the card. They would play a hand in gaining the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) its early notoriety. During this period, the in-ring action spectators were primarily treated to was trash-talking, followed by body slams, foreign objects to the cranium, and the occasional suplex (if you were really lucky). But unbeknownst to many in attendance that evening and thousands of other fans who could not attend, the "sport" of professional wrestling was about to be forever revolutionized, and this revolution would get its start across the pond in England. 1. Mark “Rollerball” Rocco – The Original Black Tiger Mark Rocco was a fourth-generation British wrestler. Although his father was against his son becoming a professional wrestler — he would go as far as having Mark banned from his gym in Manchester, England — Rocco would "learn the ropes" from many veterans from the age of 16 while his father was out on tour. Before long, he would be touring as far away as France, Japan, and eventually North America.