| Cowboy Bob Ellis | |||||||||
| Birth Name: | Robert Ellis | ||||||||
| Names: | Bob Ellis Bob Elliott | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in | ||||||||
| Weight: | 235 lb | ||||||||
| Birth Date: | 15 March 1929[1] | ||||||||
| Birth Place: | Tom Green County, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||
| Alma Mater: | McMurry College | ||||||||
| Trainer: | Sandor Szabo | ||||||||
| Debut: | 1957 | ||||||||
| Retired: | 1980 | ||||||||
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Robert Ellis (born March 15, 1929), is an American retired professional wrestler. He wrestled under the ring name, Cowboy Bob Ellis for over 20 years in various wrestling promotions in the States, Canada and Australia. He was a two-time WWA World Heavyweight Championship in Indianapolis.[2] He is known as the inventor of the bulldog.[3]
Ellis played high school football. He went on to attend McMurry College where he again played football. Ellis served three years in the United States Army as a paratrooper, making 53 jumps during the Korean War. In 1954, he briefly was signed to the Philadelphia Eagles. Ellis owned several gyms in San Angelo, Texas.
Ellis was trained to wrestle by Sandor Szabo. Ellis made his professional wrestling debut in Denver, Colorado in 1957. He initially wrestled as "Bob Elliott" before becoming "Cowboy" Bob Ellis.
On November 28, 1958 Ellis won his first title the NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship defeating Bob Geigel. Ellis held the title for over a year until January 22, 1960. In 1960, he would go to Detroit where he defeated Dick the Bruiser for the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Detroit version). He dropped the belt back to Dick the Bruiser.
In 1962, he teamed with Johnny Valentine in New York to win the NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Northeast version) defeating the Fabulous Kangaroos. They dropped the titles to Buddy Rogers and Johnny Barend. That same year, Ellis feuded with NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion Buddy Rogers in main events unsuccessfully winning the tile.
On September 10, 1964, he defeated The Destroyer to win the WWA World Heavyweight Championship in Los Angeles. He dropped the title back to the Destroyer two months later.
In 1965 he toured Australia where he feuded with Killer Kowalski. In 1969, he won the IWA World Heavyweight Championship (Australia) where he defeated Skull Murphy and held the title for a week. He dropped it to Killer Karl Kox.
In 1970, he returned to New York this time for World Wide Wrestling Federation.
In 1973, he defeated Baron Von Raschke for WWA World Heavyweight Championship the Indianapolis version where he held it for nearly a year dropping it to Jimmy Valiant. He won the title for the second time defeating Valiant four months later. Then dropped the title to Ox Baker in August 1974.
On February 21, 1976 he won the WWC North American Heavyweight Championship defeating Carlos Colon. He dropped the title back to Colon on April 17.
In 1977, Ellis made his debut for International Wrestling Enterprise in Japan.
In the early 1980s, Ellis retired from the ring. After a brief stint as a professional wrestling promoter he left the industry altogether.
Ellis' signature move was the bulldog.[4]