While competing in an amateur wrestling contest in Columbus, Ohio, he met professional wrestler Don Eagle, who agreed to train him.

[6] Combs was trained as a professional wrestler by Eagle, debuting in 1955 in the Midwest Wrestling Alliance promotion under the ring name Nelson Royal.

In January 1961, The Medics won a tournament to become the inaugural NWA Central States Tag Team Champions, losing the championship to Bulldog Austin and Tarzan Kowalski later that year.

[6] In September 1970, the duo defeated The Minnesota Wrecking Crew to win the NWA Atlantic Coast Tag Team Championship.

Royal held the championship until December of that year before vacating it upon retiring from professional wrestling His father was in ill heath and Nelson operated his farm as well as his own western wear business.

[citation needed] Royal broke his retirement in 1983, wrestling a handful of matches over the following years before returning to a fuller schedule in 1986.

[1] At StarrCade on November 27, 1986, Royal appeared in a vignette promoting the upcoming Bunkhouse Stampede, in which he sat by a campfire explaining the rules of the match.

He lost the championship to Scott Armstrong twice, on both occasions quickly regaining it, before finally vacating it upon his retirement from professional wrestling in 1989.