Rob Russen discovered the world of professional wrestling when he was a young boy.

"My father and grandfather used to sit in front of the TV and watch it on Saturday mornings," Russen said. "It got engrained in my psyche."

It never left.

The 58-year-old Butler native wound up bucking three generations of family tradition that involved harness racing in Butler, Mercer and Greenville to enter the music and entertainment business.

He is now working with former WWE wrestler Diamond Dallas Page and fellow promoter Bill Apter in producing the first WrestleReunion fan convention in Tampa, Fla., Jan. 28 through 30.

More than 85 former pro wrestling stars will be on hand for the event, which is available to fans for $249.

"This is the biggest event of its kind," Russen said. "Pro wrestling fans have a passion like I've never seen anywhere in entertainment.

"It's the cowboys vs. the Indians, white hat vs. black hat, good guy vs. bad guy. The roles are clear in pro wrestling, and people eat it up. I know fans who have a satellite just so they can watch 62 hours of wrestling a week."

Among wrestling's big names who are scheduled to appear include: Bruno Sammartino, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Dusty Rhodes, Mick Foley, Terry Funk, Wendi Richter, Kevin Von Erich, Ricky Steamboat and Superstar Billy Graham.

"I've sold tickets in 32 states and nine foreign countries for this," Russen said. "We'll sell it out. People are choosing this event over Wrestlemania, and that's the ultimate compliment in my eyes."

The WrestleReunion features a live pro wrestling card and question and answer sessions with numerous former wrestlers.

"Wrestling fans always want to get behind the scenes, learn what these guys are really like and what the business is really like," Russen said. "Nobody has to sell professional wrestling. It sells itself."

Russen has been a manager, agent, and producer and has worked for a record company. He was even part of a rock band called Negative Space that broke up in 1972.

"I found out five years ago our music was still big in Europe," Russen said. "Jimmy Hendrix, Eric Clapton and me. … I wonder why my bank roll doesn't reflect that?"

Russen was 7 when his family moved to Florida. His work has carried him around the world three times since he first got involved with pro wrestling in 1976.

Russen had wrestled in high school and had a cousin - Rodney Wentling of Greenville - win a state championship.

"It's always been in my blood," Russen said. "One of the body guards who used to be with my music act had interest in breaking into pro wrestling. The WWF was playing in Philadelphia and we went there to inquire about it.

"We went back by the locker room area - and were promptly removed from the locker room area. That's when I figured if we can't become part of the WWF, we'll form our own outfit."

Russen went on to form the National Wrestling Federation in Cherry Hill, N.J., and was named Independent Promoter of the Year three successive years.

He went on to work for Vern Gagne and the AWA, spent a year with the IWA - for which he negotiated a national television contract - and worked for Ted Turner and WCW.

"Ted Turner asked me if I could convince Hulk Hogan to join WCW," Russen recalled. "He said if I could get Hogan to come to his office, he'd put a blank check in front of him and tell him to fill in the amount it would take to sign him.

"That's exactly how he got him."

Russen said he is planning another WrestleReunion event in the Northeast in a few months.

"We'll probably do four of these a year," he said. "We'll announce details at the end of this month."

Information is available at www.wrestlereunion.com.