IMPACT Wrestling has a unique history of championing the causes of the under-represented in the world of pro-wrestling. Legendary Women’s Wrestler Mickie James spoke about the importance of the promotion’s role in uplifting women’s wrestling in an interview with SportsManor (that you can find here). But we’d argue that IMPACT’s track record with Indian wrestlers is just as good, and that fact is embodied by their latest sensation Bhupinder Gujjar.
Born and raised in Chandigarh, India, Gujjar was a long-time fan of IMPACT Wrestling. In fact, he’s been following the promotion since its TNA Days, sighting Homicide, Low Ki & Hernandez as the ones who got him into pro-wrestling in the first place. After competing in bodybuilding competitions across India and capturing national gold, he decided to pursue his love for the business. Now, Gujjar follows in the footsteps of several Indian wrestlers who have had the chance to shine on an IMPACT Wrestling screen. He’s the perfect hybrid athlete: quick & agile like former X-Division Champions Sonjay Dutt & Rohit Raju, but at the same time imposing, like the former RKK Heavyweight Champion Mahabali Veera. In an interview organized by Eurosport India, Bhupinder spoke with us about his inspirations, his dream opponent, and the exact moment he knew he wanted to become a professional wrestler.
Edited Excerpts:
Q) WrestleMania is one of the biggest events that Indian wrestling fans can readily consume. Was there a WrestleMania moment that made you go “Wow, I want to do that”?
Yes, actually. I really love The Rock vs John Cena match from WrestleMania 29, because during that match, The Rock got hurt, but he still completed the match. That was one of my favorite matches and WrestleMania moments of all time, because by the time it ended, I knew I wanted to wrestle like The Rock. And a couple of years, when I saw The Rock talking about his injury from that match (he tore his abdominal & abductor muscles off the bone), he said that he got hurt but he still completed his match with Cena because the “show never stops”. That drive, that motivation, that determination to put on the best show possible inspires me a lot. Definitely, he got hurt, but he still did his job. I wanted to be like him, I wanted to be at that stage one day. But I’m more than happy working with IMPACT Wrestling, and grateful that I got a chance to represent my country in the IMPACT Zone.
Q) Did you ever catch an episode of “Ring ka King”? And yes, who would Bhupinder Gujjar want to wrestle from that competition?
Unfortunately, I never got a chance to be a part of “Ring ka King” because I was finishing high school and preparing for bodybuilding competitions at the same time. So I never got the chance to be actually wrestle for the promotion, but I did catch it on TV, and that’s how I figured out that Jeff Jarrett, who created TNA, was also a part of Ring ka King. So, that motivated me to do something in professional wrestling. And, one of my friends, Mahabali Shera, (who went by Mahabali Veera and was the last champion of the now-defunct promotion) a good friend of mine, he was in Ring ka King, so you know, they both motivate me to do better and achieve the unthinkable as an Indian in the world of professional wrestling.
Q) Having been trained by Mr. Scott D’Amore, would you worked with Stampede Wrestling back in the day? Will we see Bhupinder Gujjar work with other promotions like NJPW some day?
Actually when I moved to Canada (which is where D’Amore’s Can-Am Wrestling School is situated), I had already signed with IMPACT. I had a short-lived run with the Desi Hit Squad, if you might recall. They trained me for a couple of years, and after that brief stint off TV, finally I’m back. My first preference is IMPACT Wrestling because I always wanted to be a part of IMPACT Wrestling. And during my training, I was fortunate enough to meet with and learn from wrestlers who are already working on TV. So right now, as I’m already working with them, I want to stay with IMPACT. I don’t have any plans to move, you know? I’m getting more opportunities on IMPACT than any other company. If my contract expires and I become a free agent, then it’s a different story. But for now, IMPACT is my home, because I trained and built myself with Scott D‘Amore, and I have an amazing relationship with the promotion in general. So, yeah, if I become a free agent, I would definitely like to work with any other company. I don’t mind.
Q) You’ve said that Brock Lesnar inspires you in the ring, but your move set is very explosive and distinctive from his. Where does Bhupinder Gujjar get his move-set inspiration come from?
So, Brock’s a big guy, right? So I like the way he moves in the ring, the way he works in the ring, the presence he commands. But, I’m not a big guy like him. I’m athletic, you know, 220 lbs and an athletic guy. So, I try to model by character work and my in-ring energy after Brock’s. But I also know that I can do all those high-flying moves. So, during my training, I just realized that I can do some highly acrobatic moves that will capture the audience’s imagination. And I know that most Indian wrestlers are big wrestlers, like Lesnar. So my move-set makes me unique, not just because of what it is, but also because it’s me. I think of myself as the perfect hybrid: as a combination of both a high-flyer and a hard-hitter. So, I’m always trying to figure out like a middle ground where I can perform as myself, and adapt to the situation based on its demands.
Q) Now that Samoa Joe is a free agent, do you see him coming to IMPACT Wrestling anytime soon? And if he does, would you like to be his first match?
Definitely. You never know, you know? Professional wrestling is a totally different business and you never know who’s gonna come back. I wish, if he comes back, I would definitely like to work with him, because he is a role model for me. He knows a lot about pro-wrestling and there are so many things I can learn from him; whether I wrestle him, or whether I have just a normal conversation with him. I know I can learn so much stuff from him. So, definitely, if he came back, I would like to stay in touch with him. And the match, Bhupinder Gujjar vs Samoa Joe, will be the biggest match of my life.