• Look Back In History
• Pmessages
• Quiz
• Stump The Staff
• Top Fifty
• Close

Bios

Nelson Royal

Nickname: Sir; Lord

Height: 5' 8"

Weight: 216 lbs.

From: Mooresville, NC

Birthday: Jul 21st

Pro Debut: 1948

Aliases: Baby Face Nelson, Medic #1

Feds Worked For: NWA-West, TSW, USWA, WCCW, WWF, AWA, NWA, Al Haft Sports (IL/OH), All Japan Pro Wrestling (Japan), All Star Wrestling (Canada), Big Time Wrestling (Canada), Big Time Wrestling (MI), Central States Wrestling (IA/KS/MO), Championship Wrestling from Florida (FL), Championship Wrestling USA (OR), Continental Wrestling Association (AL/TN), Georgia Championship Wrestling (GA), Gulas Wrestling Enterprises (TN), Gulf Athletic Club (TX), Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling (TN), International Wrestling Association (FL/GA/MA/NC/NJ/OH/SC/VA), International Wrestling Enterprise (Japan), Japan Wrestling Association (Japan), Louisiana Wrestling Enterprises (AL/LA/MS), M & M Promotions (NM/TX), Manhattan Wrestling Enterprises (MA/MD/NJ/NY/PA/DC), Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling (NC/SC), Mid-Pacific Promotions (HI), Mike London Sports (AZ/CO/NM), National Wrestling Federation (NJ/NY/OH/PA), NWA Hollywood (CA), NWA Mid-America (AL/TN), NWA New Mexico (NM), Pacific Northwest Wrestling (OR/WA), Southeast Championship Wrestling (TN), Southwest Sports (TX), St. Louis Wrestling Club (MO), Stampede Wrestling (Canada), Tri-State Sports (ID/OR/WA), Wrestling Promotions, Inc. (AZ)

Career Highlights: -NWA (Amarillo) International Tag Team Champion (w/ Pedro Godoy)
-NWA (Amarillo) North American Tag Team Champion (2x; 1 each w/ The Viking and Mike Gallagher)
-NWA Americas Tag Team Champion (w/ Paul Jones)
-NWA Atlantic Coast Tag Team Champion (2x; 1 each w/ Paul Jones and Sandy Scott)
-NWA Central States Tag Team Champion (w/ Pedro Godoy)
-NWA (Central States) World Tag Team Champion (w/ Pedro Godoy)
-NWA Idaho Champion
-NWA (Mid-America) United States Tag Team Champion (w/ Les Thatcher)
-NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Champion (w/ Black Hawk)
-NWA Tennessee Tag Team Champion (3x; 2 w/ Les Thatcher, 1 w/ Ron Wright)
-NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion (6x)
-TSW United States Tag Team Champion (w/ Mike Gallagher)
-WP Western States Tag Team Champion (w/ El Gran Lothario)

Affiliates: Paul Jones, Tex McKenzie, Mike Gallagher, Pedro Godoy, Sandy Scott, The Viking, Mike Gallagher, Black Hawk, Les Thatcher, Ron Wright, El Gran Lothario, Amazing Zuma, Johnny Weaver, Luther Lindsay, Klondike Bill, Abe Jacobs, Grizzly Smith, Dutch Savage

Notable Feuds: Rip Hawk, Swede Hanson, Gene Anderson, Bronko Lubich, Aldo Bogni, Rocky Smith, Ole Anderson, Lar Anderson, Ricky Romero, Brute Bernard, Missouri Mauler, George Harris, Curtis Smith, Billy Hines, Jimmy Hines, The Great Mephisto, Dory Funk, Dory Funk, Jr., Kurt Von Stroheim, Karl Von Stroheim, Homer O'Dell, J. C. Dykes, Haru Sasaki, Dan Miller, Hiro Matsuda, Chris Tolos, Art Neilson, Rock Hunter, Tony Borne, Lee Henning, Jay York, Mike York, Johnny Heidman, Giant Baba, Jim Starr, Billy Garrett, Stan Stasiak, Wahoo McDaniel, Skull Murphy, Mike Clancy, Juan Sebastian, Mike Paidousis, Chris Markoff, Seiji Sakaguchi, Ronnie Garvin, Terry Garvin, Norman Lowndes, Frank Monte, Michiaki Yoshimura, Jonathan Boyd, Bill Savage, Frank Morrell, Bill Dundee, Antonio Inoki, Gantetsu Matsuoka, Matti Suzuki, Karl Kox, Joe Tomasso, Ric Flair

Other Facts: -Real name was Nelson Combs
-Father of pro wrestling valet Shannon Royal aka Sha Sha. He also had two sons who became pro wrestlers, though their names are unknown at this time.
-Sometimes billed from Columbus, OH
-When the NWA commissioned the "Big Gold Belt', it was designed to have the NWA logo on it, but that didn't happen and the NWA refused to purchase it, feeling it was cost-prohibitive. Nelson Royal purchased the belt and then sold it to Jim Crockett, who began to use it on TV as the NWA World Title.
-Wrestled for the NWA until 1988 or 1989. Then formed his own company called ACW (not the same one that held shows in Oklahoma). That federation lasted until 1991.
-Helped to train Baby Doll, Dave Deaton, and Joel Deaton for pro wrestling
-Ranked #307 in the 1991 PWI 500
-After retiring from wrestling, he owned and operated a clothing store called Nelson Royal's Western Store in Mooresville, NC.
-Passed away February 3, 2002 at the age of 66 from a heart attack. He had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease in his latter years.
-Posthumously inducted into the NWA Hall of Heroes in 2009