In 1976 the NWA champion Terry Funk was making his routine defenses in the various territories. He faced many tough challengers in the Southeastern area but the one Knoxville area fans remember most was the one against Ron Fuller. Fuller had many title matches against Jack Brisco in the area and had done well but now with having the strong support of all area fans behind him he displayed the confidence that made many fans feel that his time was due. Fuller pushed Funk to the limit in the match even displaying his newly invented hold he referred to simply as the Fuller Leglock. The Knoxville Coliseum was rocking as Fuller applied the hold. Shortly there after it erupted as Funk submitted to the hold. Fans couldn’t believe their eyes as Fuller was awarded the title belt. But the celebration was cut short when Funk attacked Fuller and trapped him in his spinning toehold. While Funk was applying the toehold a newcomer came from the dressing room and mounted the top ropes and came diving onto Fuller’s throat with a kneedrop. The wrestler was identified as Ron Garvin. Garvin repeatedly dropped his knee across Fuller’s throat until the dressing room emptied and broke up the melee. Funk left the building that night still the NWA Heavyweight champion. This was an incredible angle that was booked here but most circles outside of the Southeast never recognized this as ever happening. The angle did however succeed in cementing Fuller as a true legend in Knoxville.

The next big feud to come Fuller’s way would come in the form of  Japanese powerhouse Professor Toru Tanaka. Tanaka came into the Southeastern area fresh off his last stint in the WWWF. His reputation as a sinister monster was enhanced with booking that enabled him to destroy all of his opponents. He performed his martial arts demonstrations on TV as he broke cinder blocks with his bare hands. The fans feared for their favorites each time Tanaka entered the ring. If anyone had a chance to send Tanaka packing it was Fuller.

With the main event booked Fuller entered the ring against Tanaka with a huge roar of approval. The bell rang with Ron taking an early advantage taking the Japanese tank off his feet with a huge bodyslam. Tanaka turned the tide with some well placed chops and nerveholds. The popular Fuller comeback was inevitable as Ron broke free and rocked Tanaka with an arsenal of punches, drop-kicks, and slams. With the fans in a frenzy, sensing a Fuller victory, both wrestlers collided head to head and struggled to get to their feet. Fuller got to his feet first and approached a crouching Tanaka. Fuller reached down and picked up Tanaka of the canvas but in doing so was treated to a face full of salt. Tanaka had caught Fuller with his infamous illegal tactics. Fuller who always done an excellent job in selling, was now rolling all around the canvas back and forth in agony. The referee  immediately called for the DQ. Tanaka was not finished however. He picked up Fuller and clamped on his finisher the dreaded Shin-anu-maki hold. A hold very similar to the cobra clutch. Ron fought the hold like only he can and finally collapsed under the pressure and while lying on the canvas he started to convulse violently again selling Tanaka’s offense and his finisher. Ron was carried from the ring on a stretcher and was hospitalized. He was out of action for several weeks.

Upon his return to action Ron eventually enacted his revenge and ran Tanaka out of Southeastern Championship Wrestling. But not before establishing Tanaka as a major force in the territory. Ron was always willing to do his job when it came to putting over new heels as he knew how profitable it would be to build a heels reputation then book the big payoff in the end. This always made matches in SECW exciting and unpredictable as you never knew if the faces or the heels were going to prevail at any given time.

Some of the other challengers that Ron faced during his tenure in Knoxville were Don Carson and the Mongolian Stomper and several NWA title matches against newly crowned champ Harley Race. In part two we will take a look at these matchups and more as we continue our look back at The Tennessee Stud Ron Fuller.