Robin Reed

While still attending Oregon State, Reed participated in the Pacific Northwest Olympic team trials. He entered the 145.5, 158.5, 174.0, and 192.0 pound weight classes, winning at each weight class. At the Olympics, he entered the 134.5 pound weight class (the second lowest) and pinned all of his opponents, including fellow Oregon State teammate Chester Newton in the finals. It was widely established that Reed had the ability to pin every member of U.S. Olympic team, including team members who won gold at 191 pounds and heavyweight.^[2]

Prior to the 1924 Olympic competition, Reed was hitch-hiking from his home in Oregon to New York City, in route to join the U.S. Olympic team. Reed stopped at Iowa State University and asked the coach if he could work out when it came time practice. When the coach refused, Reed asked if he first pinned every member of the wrestling team, could he then work out with the team. The coach agreed, and Reed proceeded to pin each Iowa State wrestler prior to practice and earned his workout. At the 1924 Paris Olympics, Reed who only weighed around 135 lbs., bet he could pin Harry Steel, the American heavyweight gold medalist, and did so five times within fifteen minutes.^[3] It is widely believed that if the rules had permitted it, Reed could have won the gold medal in every weight class.

Upon his return from the Olympics, Reed retired from his amateur wrestling career having never lost a match, a feat matched only by Japan's Osamu Watanabe. While still a student, he became coach of the Oregon State wrestling team, and led them to win the national AAU championship in 1926, Oregon State's first team national championship in any sport.

In late 1926, he began competing on the professional wrestling circuit, a career he would follow for 10 years. He trained with other feared wrestlers such as Martin Burns and John Pesek, who helped refine his submission skills.^[4] He notably lost against Pesek in a private workout match. Reed reportedly took Pesek down before Pesek overwhelmed Reed with his larger size and aggressive catch wrestling skills.^[5] Reed's greatest accomplishment in pro wrestling was winning the World Welterweight Championship.^[6]

In 1936, he went into the real estate business following his career in professional wrestling. In December 1936, Reed survived a suicide attempt following a lawsuit from his ex-wife.^[7] Reed resided off the Oregon coast the remainder of his life. In 1971, Reed finished up his college degree at the age of 72. He died in 1978 at the age of 79.

He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 1978, the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame inaugural class in 1980, and the Oregon State University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1988.^[8]

1. ^ Robin Reed, distinguished member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame
2. ^ Oregon State Wrestling History Archived July 21, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, page 11