Photo Credit: Tina Ruocco

Years before he was a cocky, brash, and rising star on television for TNA Impact Wrestling, Robert Strauss was a mainstay on the independent scene of professional wrestling. Primarily working in the northeast under the name Rob Eckos, Strauss wrestled for nearly a decade before earning a full-time gig.

Now, Strauss is better known to wrestling fans as former X-Division, Television, and Tag Team champion Robbie E, a character that's evolved from being a Jersey Shore-inspired performer to one of the most solid in-ring competitors the company boasts. It took nearly two decades for Strauss to get where is, but he's aware of the work he put in, even if some fans are not.