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International Wrestling Institute to honor Bob Roop among others

Posted: Jul 13th 2006 By: mikeiles

NEWTON, Iowa ? They won?t put you in the head lock.

Time is running out to visit the International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Newton. The institute will pack its bags after nine years, eight operational, in the town north of Knoxville and head for Waterloo at the end of the summer.

This weekend, as with every second week in July, the IWIM will host its annual induction ceremonies. Inductees to the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Hall of Fame include Bret Hart, Larry Hennig, Bob Roop, Dory Funk, Sr., Mike DiBiase and Tom Jenkins.

The institute was started in 1998 by Executive Director Mike Chapman. Chapman spent 35 years in the newspaper business, where he has published many articles, books and magazines throughout his career. Originally from Waterloo, he started the institute in Newton while serving as publisher for the Newton Daily News.

The institute actually houses three halls of fame. Other than the Tragos/Thesz Hall, there is the Glen Brand Iowa Hall of Fame and the AAU Hall of Fame. It is a non-profit organization and this weekend?s events are the organization's biggest fund raisers.

?I never thought it?d get this big,? Chapman said.

The weekend begins with a celebrity golf tournament at noon. On Saturday, the museum opens at 9 a.m. with the inductions starting at 11 a.m. Several wrestler-authors will take part in a book signing at 1 p.m. Those scheduled to take part in the signing are eight-time world champion Harley Race, Terry Funk, Ted DiBiase, Jim Melby and Chapman. A banquet is scheduled for 7 p.m. that evening.

Race has previously been inducted into the hall of fame. He now runs a wrestling school in Kansas City. Friday night, four of his wrestlers, including Ted DiBiase?s sons, will perform in a professional wrestling show at the National Guard Armory in Newton.

Race is scheduled to make an appearance at the show himself, along with Ted DiBiase, Larry Hennig and Terry Funk. The show is being promoted by Impact Pro Wrestling and is independent of the museum.

In the 1950s, Race said his family got their first television. The shows from St. Joseph, Mo., came through the television and enticed the young future ?King.?

?I told my parents that?s what I?m going to do,? Race said. At age 15, he was a professional wrestler.

Even though he has been in the business for over 40 years, Race is still just as excited about being part of the show as he always was. He said the best memory he has through those years was when he won the world title for the first time.

?One through eight was great, but you can?t get anywhere if you don?t get number one,? Race said.

The IWIM will close its doors in Newton on Aug. 31 and reopen in Waterloo on Jan. 2, 2007. It opens at 10 a.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. on Saturday. For more information on its events, visit www.wrestlingmuseum. org.

Doors open for the IPW show at 6:30 p.m. For more information on that, visit www.impactprowrestling.com. More information on Harley Race can be found at www.harleyrace.com.