Before coming to India, Ryback, a WWE superstar, was warned by his friends about food poisoning. But he ate to his heart’s content, met his Indian fans and had all possible fun. He shared with Divya Kaushik facts about his childhood, family and professional challenges
An early morning date with Gorilla isn’t a thrilling idea. But this Gorilla, we heard is quite liked by the ladies. The gigantic frame, frown on the face and those beastly expressions were being discussed at The Oberoi hotel where Ryback, who was called Gorilla as a child by his buds, chose to spend one of his mornings in Delhi.
As he settled down on a huge chair that seemed like it was custom-made for some hulk, he held his gaze on the people entering his room. Those were not very welcome expressions to get one chatting. But then, like a true gentleman, he bowed a little and stretched his bulky arm to extend his greetings. He didn’t take his seat until we were seated. And that worked like an ice-breaker. Ryback was smiling and was all set to spill the beans.
“It’s been going great here in India and it has happened for the first time in last one and a half years that I am not doing any physical activity. It is all travelling and meeting my fans who had only seen me in the wrestling ring. It was fun to see them hoot and cheer live here in India,” he smiled again.
Ryback, we were told, visited Kingdom Of Dreams and was almost mobbed by his fans. He is currently ranked number three in WWE. He was brought here by Ten Sports. The wrestler confessed that he can never disappoint children and does not say no to them for autographs or photographs.
“I agree that as a WWE champion you have to stay true to the image that you create in the ring. Your fans, when they see you in action tend to believe that you are like that in real life too. I recently worked on my image and I am now that bad guy. So as a bad guy I am not good to every fan. If I will be pally with them, then they might not boo me and hoot for me when I am in the ring, which I would not want. To a wrestler or say any sportsman fans cheering around are the biggest motivation when you are performing. It is your name resounding in the area that keeps you inspired to give your best in the wrestling ring. But I cannot be rude to kids,” he said.
Unlike many other people visiting India for the first time, he did not have any major plans and expectations, nor did he paid attention to what he was told by other guys.
“A lot of them told me that they suffered from food poisoning when they returned from India. They warned me that I might lose weight and will return a lot smaller. But I didn’t pay attention to them, I have been eating all kinds of food here and enjoying. One of my friend who visited here first was very jealous of me,” he said.
Discovering how much he loves talking and how honest he is about everything relating to his life was a pleasant surprise. From his workout details to his diet and the secret behind most weird names we come across from WWE, he revealed all. “I usually go through tough training programme, which is changed every three or four months. I do gymming and also DDP yoga, which is a great fitness regimen. Meditation is also part
of my routine. The kind of sport that I am into is as much about mental strength as the physical fitness. I meditate and go on long drives to relax myself. Our sport is a lot about aggression but one should keep in mind that aggression should not become a part of your life. One should keep a positive attitude towards life and should love what he is doing. I have seen a lot of youngsters entering WWE and they don’t last, it is because they lack passion and love for their job. I suggest stay focussed, be what you are and be positive,” he said. The gentle words from a giant took the conversation to another level. He also disclosed some part of his childhood and family.
“My father has been a bartender and at one point of time he was a lot into sports. He is very hard working. My mother is a dreamer. So I feel I have got a good mix from my parents, I am a dreamer and ambitious like my mother and I have got my work ethics from my father,” he said and told us the story behind his name, Ryback.
“In WWE, a name can make or break you. Your name should reflect what you are. My early name was Ryan Reeves. I was called gorilla by my friends and was named Silverback as a teenager. It was my childhood dream to be a WWE superstar and I have kept my focus on being one. When I participated in the first season of NXT in early 2010, my ring name was Skip Sheffield. But when I returned to the ring after my injury I needed a more relatable name and then came Ryback,” he shared.
For all those who feel wrestling is a short term profession, he had a suggestion, “You should know how to plan your money. A lot of guys from 80s and 90s went broke because they did not know how to handle their money and now WWE has financial advisors for the wrestlers,” he said. We ended the conversation with a hug and with a twinkle in his eyes he said, “I will look forward to visit again.”