The man who would become Nelson Royal was born Nelson Combs on July 21, 1935, in Wheelwright, Kentucky, was a multifaceted figure in professional wrestling, renowned as a wrestler, trainer, and promoter. His career spanned over three decades, during which he transitioned from a pompous aristocratic gimmick to a beloved cowboy persona, excelling in both tag-team and singles competition.
Royal’s journey into professional wrestling began in his youth, rooted in amateur wrestling competitions. While participating in an amateur contest in Columbus, Ohio, he caught the attention of professional wrestler Don Eagle, a regional champion from Canada, who took him under his wing. Eagle trained Royal rigorously, and at the age of 17, Royal began wrestling in small regional events at National Guard armories, earning modest pay of $5 to $10 per night. Despite being told that his height—5 feet 8 inches—might limit him to mid-card status, Royal debuted professionally in 1955 in the Midwest Wrestling Alliance promotion under his real name before adopting the ring name Nelson Royal. His early experiences touring regions like Idaho, New Mexico, Washington, Oregon, Maryland, and the Carolinas built his resilience and in-ring skills.
Royal’s early professional career was marked by versatility and experimentation with characters. In the late 1950s, he wrestled for Pacific Northwest Wrestling in Portland, Oregon, where he briefly held the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship with Black Hawk in 1958 after defeating Bill Savage and Doug Donovan. In the early 1960s, Royal wrestled in Heart of America Sports Attractions in Kansas City as “Medic #1,” partnering with Medic #2 (Pedro Gordy) to win the inaugural NWA Central States Tag Team Championship in January 1961 and briefly holding the NWA World Tag Team Championship (Central States version) in June 1963. He also competed in Big Time Wrestling in Texas and refined his heel gimmick in the Pacific Northwest and Amarillo\West Texas circuits.
