Dick Slater
In 1974, Wells began wrestling professionally in northern California during the off season although he lost early matches to Kinji Shibuya in Sacramento, California on March 20, Blackjack Slade in San Francisco, California on April 20 and Dick Slater in San Jose, California on May 13 and in a rematch at San Francisco on May 18, 1974. He would however score one of his earliest victories defeating Terry Garvin in Sacramento on December 26, 1974.