After Khali, Sangha, Pal set to hit WWE

Deepankar Sharda

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 14

After the Great Khali (real name Dalip Rana), two more wrestlers from the region are set to enter the highly popular, mock-wrestling world of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

Moga’s 27-year-old Lovepreet Singh Sangha and 34-year-old Satender Ved Pal of Sonepat are all set to make their debut in the US-based professional wrestling league later this month.

Sangha is a former kabaddi player who participated in the kabaddi World Cup in Punjab for two consecutive years. After becoming one of the most successful raiders in the 2014 edition of the tournament, he shifted his focus to professional wrestling. He belongs to Daroli Bhai village of district Moga. Pal, a former two-time national heavyweight wrestling champion, belongs to Tihar Bagru village of Sonepat.

Both the wrestlers are currently getting trained in Dubai and are expected to join the popular world of ‘entertainment’ wrestling in the last week of this month.

Rana had gained huge popularity when he wrestled as the Great Khali, and that led to movie appearances for him and a place in the reality TV show Big Brother in India.

Sangha and Pal are eagerly looking forward to making an identity of their own using the same platform of WWE.

Sangha, who is six feet tall and weighs 102kg, discussed his switch to wrestling in a conversation with The Tribune. “I always wanted to be a wrestler. However, like every youngster of Punjab, I got attracted to kabaddi in no time,” Sangha, an admirer of Dwayne Johnson (The Rock), said. “The game gifted me great flexibility and quickness which helped me to explore wrestling. I played top level kabaddi for seven years and wanted to try my hand in wrestling. I am lucky to get a good platform and a chance to nurture my career under the eyes of renowned faces of world wrestling. Hopefully, I would get support from my people back in India.”

Pal, who is 6’4” tall, wishes to start his new innings on a good note. “I started grappling on the professional turf at the age of 18,” he said. “After winning junior and senior championships, I shifted to the heavyweight category and won two national titles. At my age wrestlers usually prefer to retire and start their coaching ventures. However, I decided to keep up the spirits and join the WWE.”

“There is no dearth of passion and talent in my village and I am opening a way for the future generation to join the professional league,” stated Pal, who is a big fan of The Undertaker.

The WWE organisers are working to provide the new recruits with exciting ring names.