Robert Teet

Teet was a fan of professional wrestling in the late 1980s, and expressed interest in participating in amateur wrestling. Growing up in River Rouge, Michigan, there weren't amateur wrestling clubs available. He finally had the chance to compete after his family moved to Brown City, Michigan during his freshman year in high school.[8] Teet won the team's "Rookie of the Year" award, was a part of the school's first team district championship during his sophomore season,[9] and qualified for the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) individual state championships his junior year.[10] By the end of his junior season, Teet became the first wrestler from Brown City to have more than thirty wins in a season and held the school record for pins in a season. Before the start of his senior year, Teet enrolled in Riverview Community High School.[10] MHSAA rules prohibited Teet from competition during the first semester, which resulted in Teet not getting enough matches to qualify for the post-season. He did not wrestle in college.[11]

Teet began his pro wrestling training with the National Wrestling Alliance-Great Lakes in 2000, making his debut in 2001 as Rick Solid.[1] He often teamed up with real-life best friend, Raymond Gold, as the team Solid Gold.[8] The duo won a pair of tag-team championships before Teet embarked a singles career. During his tenure as Rick Solid, Teet won the Underground Wrestling Alliance's Heavyweight and I-C Championship, the Livonia Entertainment Wrestling Championship, the Xtreme Boarder Wrestling Championship, and the Blue Water Championship Wrestling Cruiserweight Championship.[12] He won the BWCW Tag-Team Championship with Buddy Hanlon, and won the 2002 King of the North tournament. He also wrestled for Thunderzone Wrestling, Superior Wrestling Alliance, Independent Wrestling Revolution, Urban Wrestling Alliance, and Universal Wrestling Alliance. Other career highlights include a successful BWCW Cruiserweight title defense against Shark Boy[13] and an unsuccessful attempt at winning the X Division Championship in a match featuring then-X Division Champion Chris Sabin, Truth Martini and Buddy Hanlon.[14]

Teet took time away from professional wrestling in late 2003, to mourn the death of Raymond Gold.[8] He returned to the ring in the spring of 2005, eventually changing his name to Rob Clooney and teaming up with Deuce Diamond as the Motor City High Rollers.[1]

Anthony Gallton (left) vs Teet (right) at the 2010 USA World Team Trials

Teet left professional wrestling early in 2007 to compete in amateur wrestling. He competed weekly in local Amateur Athletic Union tournaments, winning the AAU-Michigan State Championship in folkstyle wrestling. He competed at the 2007 USA Wrestling Beach Wrestling National Championships in Rochester, New York, where he became an All American after placing third in the 150 pound weight class. The top three finish qualified him for the World Team Trials in the Lightweight division (187 pounds and lower), where he placed fourth to become an alternate for the 2007 U.S. Wrestling Team. During the Trials, he pinned 187 pound National Champion, Neil Cook, to earn a spot in the bronze medal match.[2]

Teet again won the AAU-Michigan State Championship in folkstyle in 2008, along with the Florida Ironman Championships. He finished in second place at the Beach Wrestling National Championships,[15] but failed to win a match during the World Team Trials. In 2009, Teet suffered an injury that kept him out for the year.[16]

He made a comeback in 2010 and placed second at the Beach Wrestling National Championships, and finished in 4th place at the World Team Trials to be named an alternate for the U.S. Team for the second time in his career.[10] United World Wrestling (then known as FILA) expanded the number of weight classes for Men from two to four in 2011. The United States selected their members for the 2011 Beach Wrestling U.S. Team, in which Teet was selected to represent the 154 pound (70 kg) weight class. During the World Championships, held in Batumi, Georgia, Teet wrestled American teammate Donovan DePatto for the silver medal. Teet lost the match, finishing 4th place in the competition to earn All World honors.[6] The match between Teet and DePatto marked them as the first two athletes from the western hemisphere to compete for a medal other than bronze at the Beach Wrestling World Championships.[11]

Teet has been involved in beach wrestling as an athlete, referee, coach, and tournament director.[17] Teet retired from amateur wrestling in 2013, but has on occasion entered beach wrestling competitions. He won the Michigan USA Wrestling State Championship in 2015 and 2017, and earned All American honors in beach wrestling and belt wrestling in 2018.[5][7]

Teet returned to the ring in 2013, and reformed the Motor City High Roller team with Deuce Diamond, until Deuce retired in early 2016. He has competed for Blue Water Championship Wrestling, Pro Wrestling All Stars, Pure Pro Wrestling, and Takedown Wrestling Alliance.[11][18] He reached the finals of the Raymond Gold 10 Year Memorial Tournament, losing to Breyer Wellington. He has teamed up with "The Maize Rage" Rampage in 2016, and the team known as All American Aggression won the TWA Tag-Team Championship near the end of the year[19] and held the titles for a 910-day reign.[20] He also started teaming with "Mr. Fitness" Slim Trimmons as Twinkie Power during the autumn of 2017.,[1] winning the BWCW Tag-Team of the Year award in 2018. Teet has also served as "Commissioner" in MPWA.[20]

Teet has written four editions of Hosting Beach Wrestling Events[21][22] and is a main contributor to SandWrestling.com.[11] Teet (as Rob Clooney) published a memoir titled Corporate Lunacy; Behind the Scenes of America's Worst Gas Station[23] (and a follow-up Revised Edition).[20] Teet (as Rob Clooney) made his fictional debut with Fast Cash in the summer of 2019.[24]

• Track Wrestling Database
• United World Wrestling Database

• Robert Teet's profile at Cagematch.net
• Rob Clooney on Facebook
• Rob Clooney on Twitter