Who is Len Rossi

Len Rossi lives in Nolensville, Tennessee, outside of Nashville, where he enjoys life with his family. Len currently owns and operates Len Rossi's Health Foods & Massage Therapy in Brentwood, Tennessee, after a successful pro wrestling career. Len's wrestling career spanned over 25 years during which he captured, among others, the World Tag Team and Mid American Tag Team crowns.

Len 'Rossi' Rositano was born in Utica, NY in 1929 to Italian immigrants. Len's father, Joseph Rositano, moved to America before World War 1 at 17 years old. Joseph served in the US Army in WW1 and settled in Utica, NY selling produce and operating a slaughterhouse. Len worked with his father while he was a teenager.

Len Rossi became interested in bodybuilding after seeing legendary bodybuilders John Grimeck and Mile Steinborn, among others, at age 14. Being from a poor upbringing, Len fashioned weights out of scrap iron bars and cement-filled coffee cans. Len made his presence known at the YMCA were he won sever amateur weightlifting titles. An older coach, Eddie Zisk, noticed Len and invited him to try out of his wrestling team. In a challenge match, the smaller Zisk at 140 lbs., embarrassed the young Len Rossi, a bulkier 210 lbs., by completely dominating the teenager on the mat. This enchanted the young Rossi to wrestling which has lasted the rest of his life.

By the time he was 21, Len Rossi became one of the youngest wrestlers to turn professional. He traveled all over the United States and Canada during the 1950's building a good reputation. Len also took time off to serve his country in the US Army. By 1958, Len attracted the eye of Tennessee wrestling promoter Nick Gulas. Nick was building one of the largest wrestling territories in the U.S. Len Rossi soon became one of the biggest wrestling stars in the South and was recognized nationwide - traveling up 100,000 miles a year on the wrestling circuit.

During his amazing career, Len captured the World Tag Team, Mid-America Tag Team, and Tri-State Tag Team titles. Len also became the Southern Junior Heavyweight Champion and remained undefeated for seven (7) consecutive years as Champion - a feat never before, nor since, accomplished. Along with his tag-team partner, Bearcat Brown, Len integrated the sport of professional wrestling for the first time in the segregated deep south. The Rossi/Brown tag-team sold out the Birmingham, Alabama Boutwell Auditorium every Monday night for three (3) solid years (52 weeks a year) - never before/since done.

Len Rossi made history and gained media attention when he challenged Mohammed Ali to a boxer vs. wrestler match. Ali never accepted the challenge. After viewing the Ali-Inoki farce, Len said, "I never intended to stay on my back for the entire bout like Inoki did. I intended to go in to win, not fool around. I had many matches like this in my career and I never lost one time. I would have beaten him and I sincerely believe Ali would be afraid to accept a shooting challenge."

In 1974, an automobile accident, near Jackson, Tennessee, ended the career of Len Rossi. The bones in his feet, ankles, and right elbow were shattered. As Len began the long and difficult journey, he was set back with severe depression and alcohol abuse. Len ended up back in the hospital with severe diverticulitis of the colon, needing radical surgery.

Then, a man walked into his hospital room and gave him a book that changed his life. Len said the book was "all bout fiber and colon health, which was unheard of in the '70s. And honest to God, it was like God hit me in the head with a hammer and woke me up. Rossi gave up alcohol and learned everything he could about natural healing and began his fight to regain his health.

After gaining his health, Len Rossi was financially strapped from not being able to wrestle. In the late 1970's, Len announced that he would make a comeback in wrestling with his son, Joe, who was now tag-teaming with Bearcat Brown. Len began training seven days a week with Joe, along with his natural health regimes. Soon, Nashville sportswriter Max York ran a feature in the Tennessean on Len's progress. Also, Nick Gulas began receiving inquires about the Rossi's and offered Len a deal. That began, what York described, the most amazing and successful comebacks in the history of wrestling. Len Rossi was filling up arenas again, along with Joe, as the only father/son wresting team in the US. During Joe's own career, he, like his dad, challenged boxer Larry Holmes to a boxer vs. wrestler match. Holmes, like Ali, also declined.

After generating income again, Len and his wife Lee purchased a small health food store (300 sq. ft. including the office) in Brentwood, TN, a small town outside Nashville, which soon became Len Rossi's Health Food. Lee worked night and day to establish the business while Len wrestled at night. The store soon began selling its own brand of supplements called "Len Rossi's Prime of Life".

Len then enrolled in Naturopathy school and eventually earned an ND degree from Brantridge Forest School. He then enrolled in the industry's supported nutrition school and earned a degree as a Certified Nutritionist (CN) from the accredited National Institute of Nutritional Education. He also became a certified reflexologist from the International Institute of Reflexology. Len earned his LMT designation (licensed massage therapist) from the state of Tennessee.

Among his notable accomplishments, Len received a proclamation from Nashville Mayor Richard Fulton for his contributions to the sport of wrestling and promoting public awareness of nutrition and healthy lifestyles. He became an honorary staff member of the Governor of Alabama , received an official certificate of recognition for his public service to the National Nutritional Foods Association, and was awarded the Brentwood, TN Chamber of Commerce's Customer Service Champion Award for business service excellence.

As a tribute for his long and successful career in wrestling, Len was also inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2004.

Now, Len Rossi's Health Foods & Massage Therapy offers rows and rows of vitamins, supplements, herbs, and minerals. In addition, Len offers massage therapy and holistic health counseling. A huge selection of vinyl records, from the Grateful Dead to Elvis, crowd a small room tucked away in the back of the store.

Len still comes to work every day eager to help people find the relief they are looking for. "It's the greatest feeling in the world when you know you've been able to help someone. I know, because I've been there myself."