Robbie Ellis

Robbie Ellis
Birth name	Rob Elowitch
Born	April 8, 1943[1]
Residence	Portland, Maine[1]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Robbie Ellis
Billed height	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)[1]
Billed weight	180 lb (82 kg)[1]
Billed from	Portland, Maine
Trained by	Killer Kowalski Bill Graham[1]
Debut	1966[1]

Rob Elowitch (born April 8, 1943),^[1] 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^[2] 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.^[3]

As of 2000, he wrestles 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 63, he was the oldest wrestler on the roster.^[4]

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,^[5][6] 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.^[7]

In wrestling

• Finishing moves
  • Shiranui^[1]
  • Splash^[1]
• Signature moves
  • Flying headscissors^[1]
  • Plancha^[1]
  • Reverse DDT^[1]
• Nicknames
  • "The Sports Illustrated Legend"^[1]
  • "America's Sexiest Sexagenarian Superstud"^[1]
  • "Canvasman"^[1]

Championships and accomplishments

Ellis in 2010

• Coastal Pro Wrestling

• CPW Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[8]

• Eastern Wrestling Alliance

• EWA Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[8]

• Green Mountain Wrestling

• GMW World Lightweight Championship (2 times)^[8]

• International Championship Wrestling

• ICW Light Heavyweight Championship (3 times)^[1][8]

• 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)^[8]

• New England Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame

• Class of 2008
• Entertainer of the Year (2009)
• Lifetime Achievement Award (2010)

• New Wrestling Horizons

• NWH Cruiserweight Championship (1 time)^[9]

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated

• 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)^[8]

• Yankee Pro Wrestling

• YPW Lightweight Championship (1 time)

• Other titles

• AWA North Atlantic Cruiserweight Championship (7 times)
• NAWA Lightweight Championship (1 time)^[1]

References

General

• Weinstein, Joshua L. (March 17, 2003). "Bout for the Ages". Portland Herald Tribune. Retrieved April 3, 2007.
• Foster, Rick (May 2004). "Lords of the Ring". Silver City Bulletin. Retrieved April 3, 2007.
• Gill-Austern, Maggie (September 21, 2006). "63-year-old 'Superman'". Sun Journal. Retrieved April 3, 2007.

Specific

1. "Rob Ellis Profile". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved September 22, 2011.
2. "The Walter Mitty of the Mat". Sports Illustrated. December 3, 1985.
3. "Master of the Canvas". National Enquirer. December 18, 2006.
4. Spillane, Mike (January 2007). "The International Report". Pro Wrestling Illustrated (London Publishing Co.).
5. Bouchard, Stephanie (March 18, 2010). "Local Color: MJFF Opens". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved April 3, 2011.
6. Dodge, Matt (March 19, 2010). "Maine Jewish Film Festival Brings 22 Films to Town". Portland Daily Sun. Retrieved April 3, 2011.
7. Higham, Joshua (2014-05-04). "As Chikara returns this month, an update on everything going on". Pro Wrestling Insider. Retrieved 2014-05-05.
8. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
9. "Independent Wrestling Results - December 2005". onlineworldofwrestling.com. Retrieved 2008-07-04.

Further reading

• Hammer, Mike (June 15, 1985). "Does That Grappler Look a Bit Familiar?". Evening Express. Retrieved April 3, 2011.
• Kandarian, Paul E. (February 25, 1998). "From the canvas to the mat: Gallery owner gets in the ring as pro wrestler". Boston Globe. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
• Gomez, Cynthia (November 26, 1999). "Toiling on Canvas". The Standard-Times (New Bedford). Retrieved September 24, 2011.
• Quackenbush, Mike (May 2003). "From Bell To Bell". The Wrestler (London Publishing Co.).
• Huntley, Larry (January 1, 2008). "In the Ring: Robbie Ellis: A Maine Professional Wrestling Legend". Katahdin Press. Retrieved April 3, 2011.
• "Gaining Fame in Two Worlds". Maine Sunday Telegram. March 2, 2008.
• Spark, Debra (June 2009). "Wrestling With Style". Maine Home and Design. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
• "Going Strong Go". Portland Press Herald. March 18, 2010.
• Burnham, Emily (May 11, 2010). "A Double Life". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
• Carson, Danny (March 24, 2011). "Making it in the world of professional wrestling". New Brunswick Beacon. Retrieved April 3, 2011.

External links

• Robbie Ellis, Professional Wrestler, official website
• Chikara profile
• Canvasmanmovie.com, official website of the documentary "Canvasman: The Robbie Ellis Story"