Bob Orton
Bob Orton | |
---|---|
Birth name | Robert Keith Orton |
Born | Kansas City, Missouri,U.S. | July 21, 1925
Died | July 16, 2006 Las Vegas, Nevada,U.S. | (aged 80)
Spouse(s) |
Rita Orton (m.1950) |
Children | 3; includingBob Jr.andBarry |
Relatives | Randy Orton(grandson) |
Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name(s) | Bob Orton Bob Orton Sr. El Lobo Rocky Fitzpatrick The Zodiak |
Billed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
Billed weight | 245 lb (111 kg) |
Billed from | Kansas City, Missouri |
Debut | 1947 |
Retired | 1981 |
Robert Keith Orton Sr.(July 21, 1925 – July 16, 2006) was an Americanprofessional wrestler.The patriarch of the Orton wrestling family, his two sonsBob Orton Jr.andBarry Orton,and grandsonRandy Orton,have all wrestled professionally. To distinguish between him and his son, he is also known asBob Orton Sr.Bob Orton Sr. was often referred to by his nickname "The Big O".
Professional wrestling career
[edit]Orton was a two-time holder of the Florida version of theNWA World Tag Team Championshipwithtag teampartnerEddie Grahamin 1966.[1]He also innovated the pedigree as he captured several othertitlesin variousNational Wrestling Alliance's (NWA) territories with it, including theFloridaandGeorgiaversions of the NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship, as well as theNWA Florida Tag Team Championship(withBob Orton Jr.) inFlorida Championship Wrestlingand theNWA United States Heavyweight ChampionshipinCentral States Wrestling.[1]He also competed in theAmerican Wrestling Association(AWA), where he would also gain championship success.[1]In 1961, Orton competed for the then NWA Capitol Wrestling Federation (nowWWE) teaming with "Nature Boy"Buddy Rogers.
Orton eventually leftCapitol Wrestling Corporationin 1962, by competing in other NWA territories. In 1968, Orton returned to Capitol Wrestling Corporation renamed asWorld Wide Wrestling Federation(WWWF), often using thering nameRocky Fitzpatrick. In September 1968, as "Cowboy" Rocky Fitzpatrick, he was number one challenger toWWWF World Heavyweight ChampionBruno Sammartino,losing to Sammartino at Madison Square Garden. He fought Sammartino in other northeastern cities as well. In the summer of 1969, Orton wrestled in the Ohio Sports Classics Promotion. During the rest of his career, he worked in Kansas City, St. Louis, California and Florida. He retired in 1981 and spent the last years of his life living inLas Vegas, Nevada.
Personal life
[edit]Orton married his wife Rita on January 22, 1950. Together they had three children:Bob Jr.,Barry,and Rhonda. Bob Jr.'s son,Randy Orton,is also a professional wrestler.
Orton andAndré the Giantwere good friends for many years.[2]
Death
[edit]Orton died inLas Vegas, Nevadaon July 16, 2006, at the age of 80, five days short of his 81th birthday, following multipleheart attacks.[2]His grandson stated "He had a heart attack at home, and they took him to the hospital where he had another more severe heart attack, he had an eight hour surgery that gave him a 20 percent chance to survive; he did, but about 10 hours after the surgery he passed away."[3]He was cremated and had his ashes scattered onMount Charleston,Nevada in April 2007.
Championships and accomplishments
[edit]- American Wrestling Association
- Cauliflower Alley Club
- Family Award (2005) – withBarry OrtonandBob Orton Jr.[4]
- Central States Wrestling
- Championship Wrestling from Florida
- NWA Florida Tag Team Championship(3 times) – with Dennis Hall (1),Hiro Matsuda(1), andBob Orton Jr.(1)
- NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Florida version)(6 times)
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Florida version)(2 times) – withEddie Graham
- Mid-South Sports
- NWA Big Time Wrestling
- NWA Western States Sports
- NWA Southwest Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship(1 time)
- St. Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Class of 2019
- Worldwide Wrestling Associates
References
[edit]- ^abcRoyal Duncan & Gary Will (2006).Wrestling Title Histories(4th ed.). Archeus Communications.ISBN0-9698161-5-4.
- ^abBrady, Hicks. "2006: The year in wrestling".PWI Presents: 2007 Wrestling Almanak and book of facts.Kappa Publications. p. 23. 2007 Edition.
- ^"Bob Orton, Sr. passes away".WWE.RetrievedApril 13,2021.
- ^"Honorees".Cauliflower Alley Club.Archived fromthe originalon July 6, 2022.RetrievedSeptember 27,2020.
- ^Royal Duncan and Gary Will (2006). "(Kansas and Western Missouri) West Missouri: North American Tag Team Title".Wrestling Title Histories.Archeus Communications. p. 253.ISBN0-9698161-5-4.
- ^"NWA North American Tag Team Title (Central States version)".wrestling-titles.RetrievedMarch 24,2015.
External links
[edit]- Bob Orton's profile atCagematch.net ,Wrestlingdata ,Internet Wrestling Database
- 1929 births
- 2006 deaths
- American male professional wrestlers
- People from Kansas City, Kansas
- Professional wrestlers from Kansas
- Sportspeople from Kansas City, Kansas
- Stampede Wrestling alumni
- 20th-century male professional wrestlers
- NWA Florida Tag Team Champions
- NWA Southern Heavyweight Champions (Florida version)
- NWA World Tag Team Champions (Florida version)