During the early 1950s, he held two regionally-recognized versions of professional-wrestling's world heavyweight singles-championship while he still headlined nationwide which was frequently in territories where other wrestlers were the recognized champs. In 1949, he competed for the New York City-area territory owned by Joseph Raymond "Toots" Mondt and the Johnston family of promoters and was considered to be the box-office draw that helped bring wrestling back to Madison Square Garden, on a regular basis, for the first time since 1938. In 1957, during a match against Dick the Bruiser, a riot erupted at Madison Square Garden when Rocca was busted open by Dick the Bruiser.