“I was raised into the wrestling business,” recalled Welch. “I can’t even remember when I started to wrestle. I worked out and wrestled a bit during the war, but I really didn’t start my career until I left the service. Had to be in my late teens – early 20s.” Most of his training was done in Oklahoma, but it was in Tennessee where his career really took off.

His wrestling resume is tremendous. Welch held the United States Tag Team title in the Gulf Coast region, the Tennessee Tag Team titles, the AWA and NWA versions of the Southern Tag Team titles, and the NWA World Tag Team titles on several occasions. He always teamed with the very best in the business, such as Danny Hodge, Lee Fields, Jackie Fargo and Buddy Fuller. He defeated Sputnik Monroe for the Florida Heavyweight title in a tournament in 1966.

Later, he became one of the premier promoters in the business. Welch recalls, “I got into that end very early. I had a different rapport with the other wrestlers because of my background. I had an interest in the Florida promotion for a time, with Buddy Fuller and Eddie Graham. I liked both wrestling and promoting, only I got hurt a lot more times wrestling!”

The wrestling business obviously was what he lived 24 hours a day. “That was my whole life for a lot of years,” said Welch. “It was always good to me. When I was in it we worked very hard to be credible in the ring, and the people treated us with respect. And if I had to do it all over again, I’d do it all the same way.”

Welch has been involved in the Gulf Coast Wrestling Reunion for some time. “It’s nice to see some of the same old faces again, “he said. “You forget about people with time, then you see them again and it’s like they’ve always been there.”