Man Believed To Be World's Oldest Living Pro Wrestler Actually Passed Away In 2018

Cowboy Bob Ellis - who was believed to be the world's oldest living professional wrestler - actually passed away seven years ago, it has been revealed. Ellis's passing was confirmed by his great-granddaughter.

Ellis passed away on December 21, 2018 in Ardmore, Oklahoma at 89 years old.

Jim Cornette reacted to Ellis' death, tweeting: "Seriously, we've heard for years he was alive, but nobody's seen him in decades, and now we find out a major f*****g star in wrestling died 8 years ago--during the internet era--and nobody knew? Was he in the Federal Witness program??"

Dave Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that Ellis' passing went unreported as he had cut off ties from pro wrestling.

"One of the reasons why his death was not known was because he basically broke off ties with everyone in wrestling. I mean, nobody talked about him, he never went to Cauliflower Alley, he never kept up with a lot of the guys. He was considered something of a recluse later," Meltzer said.

Born in 1929, Bob Ellis later served in the Korean War as a paratrooper, making 53 jumps during the conflict. He became a pro wrestler in 1957 and wrestled across the United States in National Wrestling Alliance territories which included matches against the likes of Buddy Rogers, Angelo Poffo, The Sheik, The Iron Sheik, Killer Kowalski, Dick The Bruiser, and Fritz Von Erich.

Ellis' legacy in pro wrestling remains to this day as the inventor of the Bulldog and the first man to ever reverse the figure-four leglock. Ellis had his last professional wrestling match in 1978.

Following the end of his career, Bob Ellis was indicted by a federal grand jury in 1983 over race-fixing.