Theodore James Petty (September 1, 1953 – September 21, 2002) was an American professional wrestler better known as "Flyboy" Rocco Rock, one half of The Public Enemy.^[2]

[edit] Career

Ted Petty started wrestling in 1978 as The Cheetah Kid after graduating from Rutgers University with a degree in nutrition and a brief boxing career.^[2]

Petty wrestled in the National Wrestling Alliance in 1990, appearing at Starrcade as Colonel DeKlerk. Along with Sergeant Krueger, he represented South Africa in a tag team match, but the team lost to The Steiner Brothers.^[3]

In 1993, he used the name Rocco Rock and formed a tag team named The Public Enemy with Johnny Grunge, with a gimmick of inner city criminals, or "hoodies". The team first wrestled in the Universal Wrestling Federation and Extreme Championship Wrestling.^[1][2] In ECW, the team feuded with Terry Funk and The Gangstas and won the ECW Tag Team Championship four times.^[4] Petty's success in 1995 earned him his highest placement in the annual PWI 500, in which he was ranked #90.^[5]

In 1996, The Public Enemy signed with World Championship Wrestling, where they won the tag team titles and feuded with The Nasty Boys.^[2] They continued to use some of the "extreme" tactics that had made them famous in ECW, including the frequent use of tables in match.^[1]

They were briefly in the World Wrestling Federation in 1999 and competed in the short-lived Xtreme Wrestling Federation as the "South Philly Posse" with Jasmin St. Claire as their manager.^[2]

Petty was competing as a singles wrestler in the independents when he died of a heart attack on September 21, 2002.^[2]

Every year the IWA-Mid South professional wrestling promotion memorializes him by holding the Ted Petty Invitational tournament. Previous winners include A.J. Styles, Matt Sydal, Low Ki, and Mike Quackenbush.

[edit] In wrestling

• Finishing moves
  • Powerbomb, usually through a table^[1]

• Signature moves
  • Corner sitout powerbomb
  • Diving elbow drop
  • Diving leg drop
  • Diving splash
  • Front dropkick^[6]
  • Hip toss
  • Somersault senton, usually through a table^[7]
  • Spinebuster
  • Swinging neckbreaker

• With Johnny Grunge
  • Drive-By (Grunge throws Rock into an assisted somersault senton)^[8]

• Managers
  • Tod Gordon
  • Jazzy/Jasmin St. Clair
  • Kenny Casanova

• Nicknames
  • "Flyboy"^[1]

[edit] Championships and accomplishments

• Cauliflower Alley Club
  • Other honoree (1995)

• Eastern Championship Wrestling / Extreme Championship Wrestling
  • ECW World Tag Team Championship (4 times) - with Johnny Grunge
  • Hardcore Hall of Fame (2002)

• i-Generation Superstars of Wrestling
  • 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
• World
  • NWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Johnny Grunge
• National
  • NWA United States Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Johnny Grunge

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked him #457 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003^[9]

• Superstars of Wrestling
  • SOW Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Johnny Grunge

• Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling
  • TCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Johnny Grunge

• World Championship Wrestling
  • WCW World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Johnny Grunge

• Other titles
  • NWCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Johnny Grunge
  • Tri-State Brass Knuckles Championship (1 time)
  • WCCA Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • WWWC Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Professional wrestling portal

• Tribute Website