Robbie Ellis
{{Short description|American professional wrestler (born 1943)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox professional wrestler
|name = Robbie Ellis
|birthname = Rob Elowitch
|image = Robbie Ellis.jpg
|caption =
|names = Robbie Ellis
|height = {{height|ft=5|in=7}}
|weight = {{convert|180|lb|kg|abbr=on}}
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|mf=yes|1943|4|8}}
|birth_place =
|billed = Portland, Maine
|trainer = Killer Kowalski
Bill Graham
|retired = March 22, 2013
}}
Rob Elowitch (born April 8, 1943),{{cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/r/robbie-ellis.html|title=Rob Ellis Profile|accessdate=September 22, 2011|publisher=Online World of Wrestling}} better known by his ring name, Robbie Ellis, is an American professional wrestler who has competed in New England and Mid-Atlantic independent circuit as well as international promotions in Europe. The co-owner of the prestigious Barridoff Galleries, he was the subject of a Sports Illustrated article{{cite news |title=The Walter Mitty of the Mat |newspaper=Sports Illustrated |date=December 3, 1985}} as well as considerable television and press coverage from World News Tonight, The Today Show, The Osgood File, The MacNeil/Lehrer News Hour, Time and Again, and MTV's True Life and the National Enquirer.{{cite news |title=Master of the Canvas |newspaper=National Enquirer |date=December 18, 2006}}
In 2000 he started wrestling for Chikara, Innovative Hybrid Wrestling, Showcase Pro Wrestling, No Limit Pro Wrestling, Pro Wrestling America, Pro Wrestling Revolution, Independent Wrestling Entertainment, New England Championship Wrestling, as the grandfather of wrestler Ryan Matthews, and the Millennium Wrestling Federation. From January to November 2007, he went on tour with Italian Championship Wrestling. At age 64, he was the oldest wrestler on the roster.{{cite journal |author=Spillane, Mike |date=January 2007 |title=The International Report |journal=Pro Wrestling Illustrated |publisher=London Publishing Co.|url=http://www.robbieellis.com/images/pwi.jpg }}
He is the subject of a feature-length documentary Canvasman: The Robbie Ellis Story directed by Gary Robinov. In 2010, it was an official selection of the Maine Jewish Film Festival,{{cite news |title=Local Color: MJFF Opens |author=Bouchard, Stephanie |url=http://www.robbieellis.com/images/in_the_press/2010_03_18/go_pph_spread.jpg |newspaper=Portland Press Herald |date=March 18, 2010 |accessdate=April 3, 2011}}{{cite news |title=Maine Jewish Film Festival Brings 22 Films to Town |author=Dodge, Matt |url=http://www.robbieellis.com/images/in_the_press/2010_03_19/portland_daily_sun.jpg |newspaper=Portland Daily Sun |date=March 19, 2010 |accessdate=April 3, 2011}} Atlantic City Film and Music Festival, Camden International Film Festival, South Dakota Film Festival, and Cape Ann Film Festivals; and, during 2011, the San Diego and Toronto Jewish Film Festivals, Lewiston Auburn Film Festival, and Portsmouth (NH) Film Festival among others. On May 12, 2011, it was screened on the Maine Public Broadcasting Network preceded by a half hour interview.
In 2014, Ellis returned to Chikara as the promotion's new storyline owner.{{cite web | url = http://www.pwinsider.com/article/85413/as-chikara-returns-this-month-an-update-on-everything-going-on.html?p=1 | title = As Chikara returns this month, an update on everything going on | last=Higham | first=Joshua | date=2014-05-04 | accessdate=2014-05-05 | work=Pro Wrestling Insider}}
Championships and accomplishments
- Coastal Pro Wrestling
:*CPW Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Eastern Wrestling Alliance
:*EWA Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Green Mountain Wrestling
:*GMW World Lightweight Championship (2 times)
:*ICW Light Heavyweight Championship (3 times){{cite book | author=Royal Duncan & Gary Will | title=Wrestling Title Histories | publisher=Archeus Communications | year=2000|edition=4th | isbn=0-9698161-5-4 }}
- Independent Wrestling Entertainment
:*IWE International Championship (1 time)
- New England Independent
:*Personality of the Year (2005)
- New England Pro Wrestling
:*NEPW Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
:*Class of 2008
:*Entertainer of the Year (2009)
:*Lifetime Achievement Award (2010)
- New Wrestling Horizons
:*NWH Cruiserweight Championship (1 time){{cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/other/2005-12.html | title=Independent Wrestling Results - December 2005 | accessdate=2008-07-04|publisher=onlineworldofwrestling.com}}
:*PWI ranked him #441 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI 500 in 1991 and similar for several other years through 2008
- Ringside Wrestling / World Independent Wrestling
:*Ringside Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
:*YPW Lightweight Championship (1 time)
- Other titles
:*AWA North Atlantic Cruiserweight Championship (7 times)
References
{{Refbegin}}
;General
- {{cite news |title=Bout for the Ages |author=Weinstein, Joshua L. |url=http://www.robbieellis.com/herald.html |newspaper=Portland Herald Tribune |date=March 17, 2003 |accessdate=April 3, 2007}}
- {{cite news |title=Lords of the Ring |author=Foster, Rick |url=http://www.robbieellis.com/taunton/ |newspaper=Silver City Bulletin |date=May 2004 |accessdate=April 3, 2007}}
- {{cite news |title=63-year-old 'Superman' |author=Gill-Austern, Maggie |url=http://www.robbieellis.com/images/sj_sept.jpg |newspaper=Sun Journal |date=September 21, 2006 |accessdate=April 3, 2007}}
;Specific
{{Refend}}
{{Reflist}}
Further reading
- {{cite news |title=Does That Grappler Look a Bit Familiar? |author=Hammer, Mike |url=http://www.robbieellis.com/images/in_the_press/1985_06_15/evening_express.jpg |newspaper=Evening Express |date=June 15, 1985 |accessdate=April 3, 2011}}
- {{cite news |title=From the canvas to the mat: Gallery owner gets in the ring as pro wrestler |author=Kandarian, Paul E. |url=http://www.robbieellis.com/globe.html |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=February 25, 1998 |accessdate=September 24, 2011}}
- {{cite news |title=Toiling on Canvas |author=Gomez, Cynthia |url=http://www.robbieellis.com/newbedford.html |newspaper=The Standard-Times (New Bedford) |date=November 26, 1999 |accessdate=September 24, 2011}}
- {{cite journal |author=Quackenbush, Mike |author-link=Mike Quackenbush |date=May 2003 |title=From Bell To Bell |journal=The Wrestler |publisher=London Publishing Co. |url=http://www.robbieellis.com/wrestler.html }}
- {{cite news |title=In the Ring: Robbie Ellis: A Maine Professional Wrestling Legend |author=Huntley, Larry |url=http://www.robbieellis.com/images/in_the_press/2008_01_01/katahdin.jpg |newspaper=Katahdin Press |date=January 1, 2008 |accessdate=April 3, 2011}}
- {{cite news |title=Gaining Fame in Two Worlds |newspaper=Maine Sunday Telegram |date=March 2, 2008}}
- {{cite news |title=Wrestling With Style |author=Spark, Debra |url=http://www.robbieellis.com/mhd2/ |newspaper=Maine Home and Design |date=June 2009 |accessdate=September 9, 2010}}
- {{cite news |title=Going Strong Go |newspaper=Portland Press Herald |date=March 18, 2010}}
- {{cite news |title=A Double Life |author=Burnham, Emily |url=http://www.robbieellis.com/images/canvasman_bdn.jpg |newspaper=Bangor Daily News |date=May 11, 2010 |accessdate=September 9, 2010}}
- {{cite news |title=Making it in the world of professional wrestling |author=Carson, Danny |url=http://www.robbieellis.com/beacon/ |newspaper=New Brunswick Beacon |date=March 24, 2011 |accessdate=April 3, 2011}}
External links
{{Commons}}
- [http://www.robbieellis.com/ Robbie Ellis, Professional Wrestler], official website
- {{Chikara profile|robbie-ellis|Robbie Ellis}}
- [http://www.canvasmanmovie.com Canvasmanmovie.com], official website of the documentary "Canvasman: The Robbie Ellis Story"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ellis, Rob}}
Category:American male professional wrestlers
Category:Sportspeople from Portland, Maine
Category:Professional wrestlers from Maine
Category:20th-century male professional wrestlers
Category:20th-century American professional wrestlers
Category:21st-century male professional wrestlers
Category:21st-century American professional wrestlers