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Sports legend Andy Robin, who introduced the world to Hercules the Bear, has been inducted into Scotland’s Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame.  The 81-year-old received the top honour on the steps of Perth’s City Hall, the scene of some of his biggest championship battles.  One of his most famous bouts in the Fair City was against America’s Harold Sakata, better known as Odd Job from the James Bond movie Goldfinger.

Robin, from Auchterarder, is the second to be installed on the hall of fame after Dundee’s George Kidd in 2015.

He said: “I really appreciate this honour, its great to get things like this. It means so much.”

Robin said his return to city hall brought back some precious memories. “I used to love being here. I remember the crowd chanting: Andy, Andy, Andy. It was just great.”

Wrestling historian Bradley Craig, who founded the hall of fame, said: “Andy makes a fantastic addition to our hall because he was completely different to George Kidd in every way.

“He was a power-based wrestler who had the most devastating move in wrestling history — the power lock.

“He won countless titles and travelled all over the world. Quite simply, he is one of the few remaining wrestlers of the golden era and its fantastic to be able to give him this award.”

As a young man Robin became a familiar face on the Highland Games circuit. He was crowned the World Cumberland Wrestling champ by the age of 20.

He went on an extensive two-and-a-half year tour of the North America and Canada before returning to Scotland where, in 1964, he secured the British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Championship.

His career flourished further thanks to being featuring in ITV’s massively popular World of Sport programme.

But a major turning point for Robin was when he took part in a novelty bout with Terrible Ted, an eight foot black bear. Robin won $1,000 for successfully spending 15 minutes in the ring with the animal.

It started an obsession with bears, which led to Robin and his wife Maggie adopting Hercules from the Kincraig Wildlife Park in 1975.

Read the rest of the article here.

Note:  Bradley Craig and Jeanie Clarke have bought banquet tickets for the 2017 CAC Reunion.  Jeanie is a valet and worked in the USWA, Memphis and later in WCW as Lady Blossom. She was also the former wife of Stone Cold Steve Austin

Bradley is a pro wrestling writer and historian, with several book publications in print. He also run The Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame for Scotland, and provided written material The British Wrestlers Reunion and other heritage sites. He has been involved in the business in backstage roles at various Scottish shows.