A former power forward who played for Miami in the late 1960s, Ron Fuller returned to his roots and found his fortune in the wrestling ring

By Ryan K Boman | ON SI at Sports Illustrated | Dec 8, 2025

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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

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… Read More HERE

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