Don Bass (wrestler)

Donald Hollis Welch (March 14, 1946 - September 16, 2016) was an American professional wrestler, best known by the ring name Don Bass.[1]

Don Bass
Birth nameDonald Hollis Welch
Born(1946-03-14)March 14, 1946
West Memphis, Arkansas, United States[1]
DiedSeptember 16, 2016(2016-09-16) (aged 70)
Memphis, Tennessee, United States
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Assassin #2[1]
Don Bass[1]
Fire[1]
Intern #2[1]
Rock and Roll Phantom #1[1]
Scorpion[1]
Billed height6 ft 0 in (183 cm)[1]
Billed weight295 lb (134 kg)[1]
Billed fromGreasy Corner, Arkansas
Debut1972[1]

Professional wrestling career

Early career (1973–1981)

Don Welch was trained by AL "Spider" Galento and started wrestling in 1968.

Bass found early success as a tag team wrestler, teaming up with his brother, Ron Bass as a member of the heel stable The Bass Family. The duo was managed by their "mother", Maw Bass. Maw Bass carried a loaded purse, with which she would strike their opponents to steal a victory.[2]

Continental Wrestling Alliance (1981–1988)

In the early 1980s, Don Bass joined Continental Wrestling Association as one half of The Interns with Roger Smith. The masked duo would become a staple in Memphis tag team wrestling, capturing the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship on five occasions.

Later, the team would be repackaged as Fire and Flame, once again winning the Southern Tag Titles. During this time, Bass defeated Jerry Lawler in a tag team match, winning the AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship, his first and only major singles championship.

In 1987, after a brief absence he returned to CWA and in an angle, he tried unsuccessfully to become a country singer by lipsynching to songs that was originally sung by Bobby Bare.

United States Wrestling Association (1989–1996)

Don Bass would work under several masks and gimmicks including The Assassins, Scorpion, Rock and Roll Phantom and Fire. He would continue with USWA until his "retirement" in 1996

Late career (1996–2010)

Don Bass began a training school in Jericho, Arkansas. He trained with many of the Power Pro Wrestling superstars and headed the Power Pro School of Wrestling. He trained Derrick king, Alan Steele, "Big" Nasty Bill, Hoss Williams, Blade, Jett Logan, Alexi Krisis, Dustin 5 Starr and Simon Reed of the Posse And Tombstone plus many more. He continued working around the Memphis area until the time of his death.

Death

Welch died of cancer on September 16, 2016.[3]

Championships and accomplishments

References
  1. Philip Kreikenbohm. "Don Bass". Cagematch.net. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  2. "Bass Brothers". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2013-09-18.
  3. Don Bass Loses Battle with Cancer
  4. Philip Kreikenbohm. "Don Bass – Titles". Cagematch.net. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  5. "NWA Mid-South Unified Heavyweight Championship History". Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  6. Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2006) [2000.]. "(Memphis, Nashville) Tennessee: Southern Tag Team Title [Roy Welsch & Nick Gulas, Jerry Jarrett from 1977]". Wrestling title histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Waterloo, Ontario: Archeus Communications. pp. 185–189. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  7. "Southern Tag Team Title". Wrestling-Titles. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  8. "NWA United States Tag Team Title [Mid-America]". Wrestling-Titles.com. 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
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