WPA Artistic Pool Division Announces Inaugural Hall of Fame Class
The World Pool Association (WPA) Artistic Pool Division is proud to announce the Inaugural Class for the Artistic Pool Hall of Fame. Tom Rossman Tom Rossman was born in Streator, Ill., and studied business management at Eastern Illinois University. But pool was always Rossman’s true passion and he has parlayed that love into a 40-plus […]
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Tom Rossman
The World Pool Association (WPA) Artistic Pool Division is proud to announce the Inaugural Class for the Artistic Pool Hall of Fame.
Tom Rossman
Tom Rossman was born in Streator, Ill., and studied business management at Eastern Illinois University. But pool was always Rossman’s true passion and he has parlayed that love into a 40-plus year career as a competitor, promoter, innovator, teacher and ambassador in the sport.
Rossman is credited with being the founding father of the modern day “Artistic Pool” movement. Rossman developed and promoted numerous events through the 1990s and was asked by then-World Pool-Billiard Association president Jorgen Sandman to help develop professional artistic pool competitions within the association’s worldwide federation and have the discipline formally recognized by the world organization. Rossman served as president of the WPA Artistic Pool Division for more than a decade. The WPA World Artistic Pool Championship was first staged in 2000, and has been held every year since. Rossman won the title in 2006, and was runner-up on three occasions. Tom is a member of the WPA Artistic Pool Board of Directors. He is also a member of Team USA for Blackball, the team just returned from the Blackball World Championships held in Bridlington, England.
Rossman’s efforts in organizing trick shots as a competitive discipline were also instrumental in the development of the ESPN Trick Shot Magic shows, produced by Billiards International. Trick Shot Magic continues to draw the highest ratings of any televised billiard programming in the U.S.
Mike Massey
Mike Massey
Mike Massey won his first professional tournament (9-Ball) in 1971. Considered pool’s best trick shot artist for almost 30 years, Mike has given substantial visibility to the sport by traveling the globe to perform exhibitions, teach pool and compete in a variety of disciplines.
He holds multiple national and international titles, including the World Artistic Pool Championship in 2000, ‘02 and ’03. He won the National 9-Ball Championship in 1982, the Senior Masters 9-Ball Championship in 1997 and in 1996 he participated on the winning team in the Mosconi Cup. He has won the World Trick Shot Championships in Snooker on two occasions, and he is a repeat champion of ESPN’s Trick Shot Magic, winning in 2000, ‘01, ‘03 and ’04.
He’s been in five movies, acting, performing trick shots or serving as a technical advisor, plus did the voice-over commentary on the DVD of the movie The Hustler and recreated the difficult shots performed in the movie and is featured in the documentary. He is also an accomplished country singer and has recorded numerous songs. In 2003, he co-wrote Mike Massey’s World of Trick Shots with Phil Capelle, and is a regular contributor to billiard publication.
George Middleditch
Posthumously Induction George Middleditch
George Middleditch inducted Posthumously. Born in Detroit, MI to Roy and Henrietta Middleditch on
May 15, 1936 passed away September 14, 2011. He was 75.
George acquired his education in Gaylord, Michigan (class of 1955) where he excelled as an athlete with achievements unchallenged for many years. His passion for billiards took him down a life long professional path.
He traveled the country with his pool stick in hand to engage competitors and entertain with exhibitions. He as a unique individual drawing people in like moths to a flame with his vaudevillian flair.
These three deserving players will be inducted during the Artistic Pool World Championships, being held at the Bay City Boys and Girls Club in Bay City Michigan on February 12th – 15th.
Statewide Billiards will be setting up five Diamond tables for the duration of the event.
Railbirds TV will be streaming the event for free on YouTube.
K.O. Diamond Limousine LLC will be providing shuttle service for the event.
In The BX Apparel is the official apparel company for the event and will be donating proceeds from T-Shirt sales to the event.
The Artistic Pool Division has additional sponsorship positions available. Interested parties should contact the Artistic Pool Division President Jason Lynch at michigankidtrick@gmail.com.
