Where Wrestling's Regional History Lives!
 |
|
You are here: Home>Regional Territories>CWF>#13
|
Where Wrestling's Regional History Lives! |
|
|||||
|
Bob Roop, The
Ortons, and the - Barry Rose Bob Roop, a great professional wrestler with outstanding amateur credentials, will go down as one of Florida wrestling's finest heels. Roop attended Southern Illinois University-Carbondale from 1965-69, majoring in political science, and was a collegiate wrestling standout with a win-loss record of 66-18, including a 16-3 record during his senior year. Roop didn't wrestle during the 1966-67 season as he prepared for the 1968 Mexico City Olympics to compete in the Greco-Roman heavyweight division, a team that was coached by amateur wrestling legend Henry Wittenberg. Roop, weighing 270 pounds, and another SIU product, Larry Kristoff were the two heavyweights representing the U. S. Roop finished in seventh place, losing to Anatoli Roschin of Russia. Roop made his professional wrestling debut in Florida in 1969 as the "All-American." He quickly adjusted to the different style of working as a pro wrestler, and became a favorite of CWF promoter Eddie Graham. Roop won the Southern Tag Team Titles with veteran worker Buddy Fuller in February of 1970, then defeated Dale Lewis in June of 1971 to win the Florida Brass Knuckles Title, and Ole Anderson to capture the Florida Television Title in December of 1971. He was also a former Florida Tag Team Champion, capturing the belts with Professor Boris Malenko in May of 1972. Roop was a young, clean-cut, handsome babyface in a territory already loaded with the likes of Jack Brisco and Mike Graham. He had won numerous Championships while wrestling for CWF, but never the state's biggest prize, the Florida Heavyweight Championship. By late 1974, Roop had pushed aside the adoration of the fans as well as mid-card status. He was now a full-fledged main event heel, under the guidance of his manager, "Playboy" Gary Hart, and a charter member of "Hart's Army," the top heel group in the state. The turn proved to be successful for the former Olympian, as Roop captured the Florida Heavyweight title in July 1975, defeating Cowboy Bill Watts on the Championship Wrestling From Florida television program. Bob Orton, Jr. was a familiar name to mat fans in the Sunshine State. Orton, Jr. had been around Florida wrestling rings since the early 1970s, first working as a referee, because promoter Eddie Graham had deemed him too small to compete. By 1972, after extensive training from Graham, Jack Brisco, and Hiro Matsuda, Orton, Jr. made his pro debut. Veteran journeyman George McCreary got a rare win on September 2 in Lakeland, Florida, defeating Orton, Jr. in the opening match. Orton Jr. would wrestle in Florida, on and off, for a couple of years, before settling in Georgia and becoming one of the territory's top heels. Orton, Jr., along with partner Dick Slater, held the Georgia and U.S. Tag Titles in 1975, and formed one of the great teams in wrestling history. But, by December 1975, Orton, Jr. returned to Florida, where he formed an alliance with Bob Roop, and the two men proceeded to rule the state's wrestling rings. More...
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
