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Roop's extensive wrestling career earns him spot in Hall of Fame

Posted: Aug 14th 2017 By: James L. Edwards III - LansingStateJournal.com

Years passed before Robert Roop took wrestling seriously.

Roop was a massive eight-grade student — carrying roughly 220 pounds on his young frame — when his physical education teacher introduced him to the sport. Roop went to East Lansing High School and became another body for the wrestling program.

From freshman to junior year, it wasn't unusual for Roop to lose matches. He doesn't remember winning his freshman season. His senior year, however, was perfection.

In 1960, his final season with the Trojans, Roop went on to go 27-0 and win a state championship as a heavyweight. It led to college wrestling at Michigan State, briefly, and Southern Illinois. A career as an amateur wrestler eventually turned into a professional wrestling career, and it's all led to Roop being one of nine athletes to be inducted into the Greater Lansing Area Sports Hall of Fame on Thursday.

"There are cliques in high school and middle school, and I really didn't have one (before sports)," Roop said. "I was from a middle-class family. ... Being an athlete gave me an identity.

"The year's before (my senior year) I wasn't dedicated. On the weekend's, I would go out with my buddies and we would drink beer — I don't remember if I was smoking cigarettes or not, but I might have been. ... My senior year I got serious."

Success on the football field and in the wrestling room at East Lansing High School led Roop to MSU to play both, but he ended up leaving during his sophomore year for a three-year stint in the Army.

In 1964, while based in Alaska, Roop had a tryout for the U.S. All-Army wrestling team. He was recommended for the team, despite his state title from East Lansing being his only standout accomplishment.

It was during this period that had several battles with Jim Raschke, who, in 1963, became the second American wrestler ever to win a medal in the Greco-Roman at the World Championships. Roop said his work with Raschke elevated his abilities on the mat.

At a tournament around this time, Roop went on to wrestle Larry Kristoff, a two-time heavyweight champion at Southern Illinois, and lost 1-0. Roop said it was Kristoff's closest match to date.

The bout earned him a scholarship to join the Salukis' program.

"Afterwards, his coach came up to me and shook my hand," Roop recalls. "He said, 'Who are you? I've never heard of you. Where did you wrestle?' I told him I wrestled at East Lansing High School. He said, 'Do you want a scholarship?' I said, 'Yes,' and he wrote his phone number down.

"He got me out of the Army three months early. Our total conversation wasn't more than 30 seconds. That was the recruitment."

After an impressive amateur career, Roop spent 18 years as a professional. He wrestled in 13 different countries and won multiple individual tag-team titles in various organizations.

Roop was inducted into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2006. He went in the same year as famed wrestler Bret Hart.

"I traveled the world. That's why I got into it, I wanted to travel," Roop said. "I made five tours in Japan, three tours in Australia — I was almost there a year total.

"I loved it."