The WWE continues to fill their performance center with Superstars of the future. Per a report from The Times Of India, WWE has signed 33-year-old Indian kickboxer-turned-actor Saurav Gurjar to a developmental deal.
WWE bills Gurjar as 6-foot-8 and 298 pounds, and he took part in a four-day invitation-only tryout in Dubai last April that featured 33 male and female athletes from 18 different countries. Gurjar is a former Haryana State Boxing Champion before he became an actor, and is best known for his portrayal of “Bheem” in the Hindi-language mythological TV drama Mahabharat in 2013.
Gurjar has some professional wrestling experience as he competed for a television-based promotion backed by IMPACT Wrestling in India know as Ring Ka King back in January of 2012. He teamed up with Abyss, Magnus, Scott Steiner, and Sonjay Dutt to take on the team of Matt Morgan, Chavo Guerrero Jr., and other talents. He also worked a match with luchador Puma in one-on-one competition.
Here’s what Gurjar had to tell The Times Of India about joining WWE:
“It had been a dream of mine since childhood to be a WWE wrestler. I am from the Chambal valley, where kids usually have two options — to join politics or the sand mafia. But I always wanted to be a professional wrestler. Everything that happened in between — sports, acting — was by chance.
“My father is a farmer and we didn’t have a TV growing up so I would watch wrestling fights at my neighbor’s place. I grew up watching people like The Undertaker, Kane, and The Rock,” Gurjar said. “Kane was someone I idolized and I can’t wait to meet him. Although I’m sure if he walks up to me in the ring, I would be too stunned to say or do anything.
“My goal, my zidd is simple — I want to be the WWE Heavyweight Champion. It might take time but I will get there eventually,” Gurjar declares.
