Robert Ellis (born March 15, 1929), is an American retired

professional wrestler Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...

. He wrestled under the

ring name A ring name is a type of stage name or nickname used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons ...

, 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 Champion in Indianapolis. He is known as the inventor of the

bulldog The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is a stocky, muscular dog of medium size, with a large head, thick folds of skin around the face and shoulders and a rel ...

and as of 2024 is the oldest-living former professional wrestler in the world.

Early life

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 The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

as a

paratrooper A paratrooper or military parachutist is a soldier trained to conduct military operations by parachuting directly into an area of operations, usually as part of a large airborne forces unit. Traditionally paratroopers fight only as light infa ...

, making 53 jumps during the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

. In 1954, he briefly was signed to the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

. Ellis owned several gyms in

San Angelo, Texas San Angelo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Tom Green County, Texas, United States. Its location is in the Concho Valley, a region of West Texas between the Permian Basin (North America), Permian Basin to the northwest, Chihuahuan Desert ...

Professional wrestling career

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 The NWA Central States championship was reactivated in 2002 seeing Shane Somers defeat. 7'1 Butch McClain becoming the 1st champion since 1989 & youngest at 19 years of age. Title history {{Professional wrestling title history middle {{BundleEn ...

defeating

Bob Geigel Robert Frederick Geigel (October 1, 1924 – October 30, 2014) was an American professional wrestling promoter and professional wrestler. He operated the Kansas City, Missouri-based Heart of America Sports Attractions promotion from 1963 to 19 ...

. 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 William Fritz Afflis Jr. (June 27, 1929 – November 10, 1991) was an American professional wrestler, promoter, and National Football League player, better known by his ring name, Dick the Bruiser. During his NFL days he played four seasons with ...

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 The World Wrestling All-Stars (WWA) World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in World Wrestling All-Stars. It was the primary championship in the WWA. The title was sanctioned by WWA as their wor ...

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 Wladek Kowalski (born Edward Władysław Spulnik; October 13, 1926 – August 30, 2008) was a Canadian professional wrestler, known by his ring name Killer Kowalski. Kowalski wrestled for numerous promotions during his career, including the ...

. 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 Capitol Wrestling Corporation (CWC) was an American sports promotion company. Run by Vincent J. McMahon from the 1950s until the 1980s, the company was originally a professional wrestling and boxing promotion and later became the holding company ...

. In 1973, he defeated Baron Von Raschke for

the Indianapolis version where he held it for nearly a year dropping it to

Jimmy Valiant James Harold Fanning (born August 6, 1942) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name "Handsome" Jimmy Valiant. Early life Fanning was born in Tullahoma, Tennessee as the youngest of five children of James and Effie Fann ...

. He won the title for the second time defeating Valiant four months later. Then dropped the title to

Ox Baker Douglas Baker (April 19, 1934 – October 20, 2014), known professionally as Ox Baker, was an American professional wrestler and actor. He was famous for his distinctive eyebrows and finishing move, the Professional wrestling attacks#Heart punch ...

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 was a professional wrestling promotion in Japan from 1966 to 1981. Founded by Isao Yoshihara, it was affiliated with the American Wrestling Association in the United States and also had tie-ins with promotions in Canada and Europe. In 1972, it ...

in Japan. In the early 1980s, Ellis retired from the ring. After a brief stint as a

professional wrestling promoter A promoter works with event production and entertainment industries to promote their productions, including in music and sports. Promoters are individuals or organizations engaged in the business of marketing and promoting live, or pay-per-view ...

he left the industry altogether.

Professional wrestling style and persona

Ellis' signature move was the

."Cowboy" Bob Ellis profile, from LegacyOfWrestling.com
/ref>

Championships and accomplishments

*American Wrestling Alliance **AWA Indiana United States Heavyweight Championship (2 times) *

American Wrestling Association The American Wrestling Association (AWA) was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 until 1991. It was founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo. The promotion was born out of the Minneapolis ...

AWA Midwest Heavyweight Championship The AWA Midwest Heavyweight Championship was a title in the late 1960s and early 1970s in the American Wrestling Association. It was primarily defended in the Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city i ...

(3 times) **

AWA Midwest Tag Team Championship The AWA Midwest Tag Team Championship was a title in the American Wrestling Association from 1967 until 1971. It was for mid-level wrestlers and was mostly defended in the Omaha, Nebraska area. Title history See also *American Wrestling Asso ...

( 3 times) – with Stan Pulaski (1), Alberto Torres (1) and Jerry Miller (1) *Arizona Athletic Association Inc. **United States Heavyweight Championship * Big Time Wrestling ** NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (''Detroit version'') ( 1 time) *

Capitol Wrestling Corporation Capitol Wrestling Corporation (CWC) was an American sports promotion company. Run by Vincent J. McMahon from the 1950s until the 1980s, the company was originally a professional wrestling and boxing promotion and later became the holding company ...

** NWA United States Tag Team Championship ''(Northeast version)'' ( 1 time) – with Johnny Valentine *

Cauliflower Alley Club The Cauliflower Alley Club is a non-profit fraternal organization, which includes a newsletter and website, comprising both retired and active professional wrestlers and boxers in North America. Established in 1965 by Mike Mazurki and Art Ab ...

**Other honoree (

1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...

) *

Championship Wrestling from Florida Championship Wrestling from Florida (CWF) was the corporate and brand name of the Tampa, Florida professional wrestling promotion, wrestling office existing from 1961, when Eddie Graham first bought into the promotion, until 1987, when it close ...

NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Florida version) The Florida version of the NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship was the major singles professional wrestling championship in the National Wrestling Alliance's Florida territory, Championship Wrestling Florida. It existed from 1962 until 1987, w ...

(1 time) ** NWA United States Tag Team Championship ''(Florida version)'' ( 1 time) – with

Ray Gunkel Raymond Fred Gunkel (February 16, 1924 - August 1, 1972) was an American amateur and professional wrestler and promoter in the state of Georgia. Gunkel was a two-time AAU national champion and, as a professional, a three-time NWA Texas Heavywei ...

** NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (Florida version) (1 time) with Don Curtis *

Central States Wrestling Heart of America Sports Attractions, Inc., operating as the Midwest Wrestling Association, Central States Wrestling and the World Wrestling Alliance, was an American professional wrestling promotion that ran shows mainly in Kansas, Missouri, Nebr ...

( 2 times) ** NWA North American Tag Team Championship ''(Central States version)'' ( 2 times) – with

Archie Gouldie Archibald Edward Gouldie (November 22, 1936 – January 23, 2016) was a Canadian professional wrestler. He wrestled for Stampede Wrestling for decades as Archie "The Stomper" Gouldie, with the nickname coming from the wrestler's reputation o ...

(1), The Viking (1) *

Continental Wrestling Association Continental Wrestling Association (later the Championship Wrestling Association) was a wrestling promotion managed by Jerry Jarrett. The CWA was the name of the "governing body" for the Championship Wrestling, Inc. promotion which was usually ...

AWA Southern Tag Team Championship The AWA Southern Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling tag team title in the Tennessee area from the 1940s through the late 1980s. It was originally named the NWA Southern Tag Team Championship ''(Mid-America version)'' from its ince ...

( 1 time) - with

Jimmy Garvin James Williams (born September 25, 1952) is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Jimmy Garvin. A member of the Fabulous Freebirds, Garvin is best known for his appearances with promotions including the America ...

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling Jim Crockett Promotions, at times branded as Eastern States Championship Wrestling and Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, is a family-owned professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. Founded in ...

** NWA Atlantic Coast Tag Team Championship ( 1 time) - with Johnny Weaver * North American Wrestling Alliance / Worldwide Wrestling Associates / NWA Hollywood Wrestling ** WWA World Tag Team Championship ( 1 time) - with

Édouard Carpentier Édouard Ignacz Weiczorkiewicz (July 17, 1926 – October 30, 2010) was a French and Canadian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, gymnast, and member of the French Resistance during World War II, known by his ring name, Édouard Carpent ...

NWA San Francisco NWA San Francisco was a professional wrestling promotion headquartered in San Francisco, California in the United States. Founded in 1935 by "The Utica Panther" Joe Malcewicz (1897–1962), the promotion joined the National Wrestling Alliance in ...

** NWA United States Heavyweight Championship * St. Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame ** Class of 2010 *

World Championship Wrestling (Australia) World Championship Wrestling was an Australian professional wrestling promotion that ran from 1964 until 1978. History The promotion gained publicity through television programs on the Nine Network, which were presented at noon on Saturdays an ...

** IWA World Heavyweight Championship (Australia) *

World Wrestling Association The World Wrestling Association (WWA) (Asociación Mundial de Lucha Libre in Spanish language, Spanish) is a lucha libre promotion based in the Tijuana-area of Mexico. It was founded in 1986 by Benjamin Mora Jr.. It featured some of Mexico's best ...

( 2 times) *

World Wrestling Council The World Wrestling Council (WWC; Spanish: "Consejo Mundial de Lucha") is a professional wrestling promotion based in Puerto Rico. It was originally established as Capitol Sports Promotions in 1973 by Carlos Colón, Victor Jovica, and Goril ...

** WWC North American Heavyweight Championship (1 time) ** WWC North American Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Carlos Colon

References

External links

*
The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: Heroes and IconsLegends of Pro Wrestling:150 Years of Headlocks, Body Slams, and Piledrivers
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ellis, Bob 1929 births 20th-century male professional wrestlers 20th-century American professional wrestlers American male professional wrestlers American military personnel of the Korean War Living people McMurry University alumni Paratroopers Professional wrestlers from Texas