Career History
First Generation:
- There were four Welch Brothers (Roy, Jack, Herb, Lester) who started in the business in the 1940s..
- The family were originally from Pawhuska, Oklahoma but settled in Dyersburg, Tennessee..
- There was also a sister named Bonnie who married Virgil “Speedy” Hatfield, a referee who worked for Roy..
- Roy Welch became a successful promoter along with Nick Gulas in Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Kentucky & Missouri..
- Roy Welch (later by Lee Fields) also operated the Gulf Coastterritory from 1953 until 1960..Second Generation:
- Roy Welch had a son named Edward Welch, who wrestled under the name Buddy Fuller..
- ~~~Buddy Welch also got into promoting and ran the Gulf Coast territory while Roy Welch owned it..
- ~~~Buddy Welch and his uncle Lester Welch also owned part of the Tampa and Atlanta offices at one time or another..
- Roy Welch’s daughter Ruby Welch married Bill Golden, who also became a promoter..
- Lee Fields (son of Bonnie Welch) bought the Gulf Coast territory from his uncle Roy Welch in 1960..
- Bobby & Don Fields (Lee’s brothers) also ran the Mississippi end of the Gulf Coast territory..Third Generation:
- Buddy “Fuller” had two sons Ronald & Robert Welch (Fuller) who became wrestlers, and Ron also a promoter..
- Ron Fulled started a promotion in Knoxville in the mid-1970s and in 1977 bought the Gulf Coast territory from his cousin Lee Fields..
- Ron Fuller promoted the South Eastern Championship Wrestling and later Continental Championship Wrestling promotions..
- ~~~Southeastern & Continental ran shows in East Tennessee and Alabama with members of the Fuller Family as the main attraction!
- Ron Fuller was also a main heel performer, and the manager of a faction known as The Stud Stable..
- ~~~The Stud Stable forced Bob Armstrong out of CCW, and he would later return under a mask as “the Bullet” to get revenge..
- Bill Golden left Louisiana he opened up a promotion in Montgomery, AL, and pushed his son, Jimmy Golden, as the top star..
- Robert Fuller, later known as “Col Robert Parker” would later form a new Stud Stable in World Championship Wrestling..
Liz Welch (ex-wife of Jimmy Welch) wrote: Jack Welch married Grace Moore (now Wiseman) from Dyersburg, Tn. They had 2 sons, Jimmy Welch and Bobby Welch. Jimmy’s children are John Michael Welch and James Patrick Welch, and Bobby’s son is Robert Welch. Grace has an excellent wrestling photograph of Jack, much like the one of Herb on your website.