Exclusive: NXT Superstar Saurav Gurjar talks about WWE India tryouts, worshipping Kane & more
It took a long and winding road for Saurav Gurjar to become a part of NXT. A road that took him to the small screen, where he portrayed the character of Bheem in the mythological hit show- Mahabharat.
But the Indian born superstar always wanted to become a WWE superstar, following in the footsteps of his idol- Kane. He remembers being a hardcore WWE fan as a little boy:
I don't know why, but I always loved the giants when I was a boy. Little did I know that I'd be a big man myself someday. I used to love The Undertaker and Kane when they used to team up. I loved Yokozuna too. I wanted to be like them.
Gurjar goes on to say that he didn't even want to become a TV star like he did. All he ever wanted to do was become a WWE superstar, but there was no way to do this for him as an Indian with humble beginnings.
Even when I was filming, all I wanted to do was build contacts so that I could make it to WWE someday. I was in India's top show - Mahabharata, but all I wanted to do was make it to WWE somehow. And I want to let everyone know how good WWE is as a company. They called me for three tryouts. I say goodbye to my film and television career and followed my childhood dream- WWE.
Gurjar is currently teaming with Rinku Singh whom I'd interviewed the other day. He says that the two men hit it off instantly when they were headed for the tryouts. And now not only are they teaming with one another, they live in the same house and also spend up to 20 hours a day with each other. And that's not his only friend at the PC currently:
Jeet Rama is like an elder brother to me. He has a background in kushti and has been in the Performance Center for 3 years now. Rinku and I respect him a lot and consider him to be one of our family members. We call him bhaisaab (meaning brother).
It was Gurjar who came up with the idea for himself and Rinku Singh to don Indian clothing and colours for their tag team unit. This idea was inspired by Brazillian and English wrestlers, who always incorporate elements of their nationality into their attire. This is what Gurjar says:
We tried many things but settled on the tika (a mark on the forehead) because that's unique to India. We don't want people to ask where we're from. They should know we're Indian from the start.
Gurjar believes that NXT boasts of the best talent in the whole world. He puts over the War Raiders, because of how skilled they are in the ring and he says that it's fun to work with a team that experienced. When he gets called up, Gurjar wants to face The Usos and Braun Strowman.
Gurjar is thrilled with Triple H's announcement of a Performance Center in India. He believes that there are thousands of Indians who never get to follow their WWE dreams because they come from villages and are cut off from the world. He says that WWE is invested in building a future for Indians too, because of the size of the market:
I know that everyone who'll be attending the tryouts in March is physically a very gifted and skilled athlete. But I want to tell them to be strong mentally as well. Matt Bloom, who's been there and done it all, will push you to the limit. So mental strength is very important.
Gurjar is living his dream as a WWE superstar. So can you by following this link, if you're from India.