Robert Gibson (wrestler)

Robert Gibson
Gibson in May 2014
Birth name Ruben Gibson
Born (1958-07-19) July 19, 1958
Pensacola, Florida
Spouse(s) Tammy McMaster
(engaged)
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s) Robert Fuller Jr.
Robert Gibson
Billed height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Billed weight 224 lb (102 kg)
Trained by Rick Gibson
Debut 1977

Robert Gibson (born Ruben Gibson, July 19, 1958) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known as one-half of the tag team known as The Rock 'n' Roll Express, with Ricky Morton. He has competed in singles competition also, since he has won various singles championships throughout his career.

In February, 2017, it was announced that the Rock 'n' Roll Express would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in the class of 2017. On March 31, 2017, in Orlando, Florida, the duo accepted this honor. The ceremony was held the Friday night prior to Wrestlemania 33.

Professional wrestling career

Early career

Gibson started wrestling as Robert Gibson in 1977. His first match was against Eddie Sullivan. He was trained by his brother Ricky Gibson and teamed with Ricky in the southern independents.

The Rock 'N Roll Express

Gibson at an autograph signing in 1991

In 1983, he formed the Rock 'N Roll Express with Ricky Morton. They feuded with The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton and Dennis Condrey) in the USWA/CWA, and the feud carried over into the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA)'s Jim Crockett Promotions in 1985. They won the NWA Tag Title four times while there and feuded with the Four Horsemen, Ivan and Nikita Koloff, and the team of Rick Rude and Manny Fernandez. Even though he and Morton were of similar build and wrestled a similar style, Gibson was always booked as the stronger and more powerful of the two.

Gibson was injured in 1990 and when he returned to World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1991, Morton turned on him to join The York Foundation. They feuded and Gibson teamed with Tom Zenk, but had no success and soon left WCW. He rejoined Morton in Smoky Mountain Wrestling (SMW) and they feuded with the Heavenly Bodies led by Jim Cornette. Shortly before SMW's demise, Gibson turned heel and joined "Cornette's Army".

The team came back briefly First in the USWA then WCW in 1996. In 1998, they were part of the "NWA" angle in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) for a brief period. The Rock n' Roll express were awarded the NWA tag team championships before losing them to the Headbangers a month later.

Their last run in a big federation was with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling when they were part of Vince Russo's Sports Entertainment Xtreme faction.

Later career

Gibson in 2013

He also appeared at one Wrestle Birmingham show in 2002 as "Robert Fuller Jr.", pretending to be the son of veteran wrestler Robert Fuller, a gimmick also used by other wrestlers.

In late 2003/2004, Robert along with Ricky Morton, joined the newly formed "Original" Big Time Wrestling, under the banner of the All World Wrestling League.

From 2007 to 2009, he worked for Ultimate Wrestling, a promotion in his home town of Pensacola, Florida, where he was one half of the first ever Ultimate Wrestling Tag-team Champions with Bobby Doll. In September 2010 he returned to Ultimate Wrestling.

In 2014, The Rock-n-Roll Express was still wrestling on the independent circuit.[1]

In 2016, The Rock N' Roll Express made a special appearance as part of TNA's weekly televised program Impact Wrestling's Total Nonstop Deletion episode, where they took part in the Tag Team Apocalypto match along with other tag teams.

In February 2017, WWE played a video package of the Rock n' Roll Express and the announcement of their hall of fame induction set for pre-WrestleMania.[2]

Personal life

Gibson has acknowledged during a fund raising event at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf [3] that he is a hearing child of deaf parents. He knows sign language and often speaks with his hands in the ring before his matches.

On September 15, 2006, his brother, Ricky Gibson, died. Robert's mother and father are also deceased. The WWE acknowledged the legends death on WWE.com[4]

Robert is engaged to Tami McMaster.

He is part owner of Zeke's Deep Sea Fishing tours in Orange Beach, Alabama.[5]

The Rock & Roll Express

Championships and accomplishments

1One of their reigns began in Memphis, Tennessee, though the records are unclear as to which promotion they were wrestling for. Another reign began with them being awarded the title, though it is not revealed where they were awarded nor which promotion they were wrestling for at the time.

References

  1. ↑ Varsallone, Jim (September 24, 2014). "PRO WRESTLING: (Part 1) Rock-n-Roll Express Robert Gibson, Ricky Morton in Miami for Ronin debut". Miami Herald. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Rock 'n' Roll Express to enter WWE Hall of Fame". www.wwe.com. Retrieved 2017-03-05.
  3. ↑ "Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf (WPSD)". www.wpsd.org. Retrieved 2017-03-05.
  4. ↑ "Reflections on the late wrestling legend, Ricky Gibson". www.wwe.com. Retrieved 2017-03-05.
  5. ↑ "Gulf Shores Alabama - Orange Beach - Alabama Gulf Coast Vacations". www.gulfshores.com. Retrieved 2017-03-05.
  6. ↑ "Gerweck.net - Rock N Roll Express Continue to Win Tag Team Titles". www.gerweck.net.
  7. ↑ http://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=146275
  8. 1 2 Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  9. ↑ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Top 500 Wrestlers of the PWI Years". Wrestling Information Archive. Archived from the original on 2008-06-16. Retrieved 2010-09-15.
  10. ↑ "Traditional Championship Wrestling Tag Team Title". Wrestling-Titles.com. Retrieved 2014-04-24.
  11. ↑ https://www.cagematch.net//?id=5&nr=3434
  12. ↑ Meltzer, Dave (November 24, 2014). "Nov. 24, 2014 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Annual Hall of Fame issue! Plus tons of news from all over the world including MMA triple-header Saturday". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California: 1. ISSN 1083-9593.
  13. ↑ "The Rock 'n' Roll Express to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame". WWE. Retrieved 2017-02-06.
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