From Hurricanes Hoops to the Squared Circle, Ron Fuller became a pro wrestling legend
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In the annals of Hurricanes hoops history, there may be no Miami basketball player who had the versatility of former power forward Ron Welch. While he was 6'9" and played mostly on the block for the school in the late 1960s, his adaptability wasn't discovered on the court. He had learned that through his family's business - one he had watched and studied his whole life. He would hone that craft, eventually becoming a huge star away from the hardwood.
While he was truly a great athlete, Welch came from a brood of brawlers who became professional wrestlers and promoters. Following his tenure as a basketball player, he would join the business himself in the early 1970s. He would take on a new name for himself: Ron Fuller. It was a surname that the kinfolk had used to cover their true identities in what was (at the time) a very secretive and guarded industry. And they trace their wrestling roots all the way back to his grandfather, Roy Welch, and the late 1920s.
However, before Ron graduated from high school and transitioned into what would become a long and illustrious career in the squared circle, his time at Miami gave him the chance to mature. It was where he learned more about being a competitor, but a bit of a showman in another sport, as well.
Memories of Miami and guarding future Hall of Famers
As was the case in that era, Welch had become one of the more highly regarded recruits in the South and chose to stay relatively close to home. But his first choice ended up being a disappointment.
"I was recruited by several schools," he said in an exclusive interview with On SI. "I had a good senior year; I got over 500 rebounds in 24 games. So I was a pretty good rebounder. I got the chance to visit a lot of schools, and I actually attended Clemson my freshman year."
That stay didn't last long, Fuller didn't like the parochial approach at Clemson, like all the freshman getting their heads shaved. He was seeking more opportunities and adventures than that, and that lied ahead... in the city of fun and sun.
"I had a conversation with my former coach, and I told him all the things I didn't like about Clemson, and that I wanted to go to a school thar had as many girls as they did men. So, when I went down there, it was summertime... it was probably in July, I think."
When he visited Miami, he noticed several great aspects of the university, including the weather and campus life. But mostly, the teenage sensation was instantly enamored by the beautiful women who seemed to be everywhere in Coral Gables. He was playing pool with a fellow recruit when three coeds strolled in, and Fuller was convinced Miami was the place to be.
"Those three girls sat down in the raised area above where we were shooting pool. That was back in the miniskirt days, and they just wowed us. To this day, I still believe [the coach] paid them. But they just sat there and talked to us, flirted with us. So I said, Jeez, this is good enough for me."
He remembers vividly playing against future NBA stars and Hall of Famers Artis Gilmore of Jacksonville University and Dave Cowens of Florida State. At the end of his hoops career, Fuller averaged 4.3 points and 4.5 rebounds a game, while providing an imposing presence. With his basketball playing days over, Ron returned to his roots.
Becoming Ron Fuller and reigning over wrestling
"When you see your family members doing it for so many years, and you see the crowd's reaction?" he remembered. "I pretty well set my mind that I was going to become a wrestler when I was done with college."
It didn't take long for the newly christened Ron Fuller to become a sensation in the squared circle. As his wrestling career progressed, the imposing southern thoroughbred became known as the 'Tennessee Stud'. He would wear cowboy hats and smoke cigars, and his interviews were top-notch. He could - as the say in wrestling terminology - "talk them into the building". Spending most of his career as a villainous character, he could agitate the audience to the point that they just had to buy a ticket... to see if anybody could whoop him that week.
It rarely happened, as Fuller would go on to capture championships all over the South. He was the AWA Southern Heavyweight Champion, as well as the champion in both Florida and Georgia in different stints. He was one of the top stars back home in Southeast Championship Wrestling and Continental Wrestling, the promotions he ran with his brother, Robert.
All totaled, Ron held well over 30 titles in various federations during his career, typically with dominant championship reigns. He would retire from his regular ring schedule in 1988 to focus on being the promoter and to potentially explore other ventures.
Life Outside of Pro Wrestling
After ending his wrestling career on his own terms, Fuller continued to have success as a promoter, but it wasn't long before he moved on to another endeavor: Minor League hockey. He purchased a struggling East Coast Hockey League team, the Nashville Knights, and turned them into a runaway box office attraction. As a team owner, he gave the games the theatrical vision he had when entertaining a wrestling audience. He knew how to give them the excitement that kept them coming back for more.
"We sort of revoultionized the East Coast Hockey League. We outdrew some NHL teams because of the fans. The fans loved it."
Fuller would also author a book titled Brutus, but the subject wasn't biographical or about the wrestling business. Instead, it's a fictional fantasy about an African lion that escapes into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It was based on a dream that Fuller had,
In recent years, Fuller has hosted his own podcast, The Studcast, where he discusses old school wrestling and speaks to, or about, the legendary figures of his era. It's popular with listeners who re-live all those legendary moments, and also attracts younger fans who want to learn about the industry's past. In every episode, he truly tries to give back to those who supported him.
"I just want to thank the fans," Fuller said. "I mean, wow. It's all attributed to the fans. It's just all due to fans... and they're still there. Thank God, they're still there."
