The massive success that Great Khali enjoyed in the period between 2007 and 2010 spurred several Indian youngsters to aim for a career in pro wrestling. Soaring popularities of wrestlers like former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal and the Singh Brothers instilled the belief that a career in WWE is a reality in the PG era. Satender Dagar aka Jeet Rama and Kishan Raftar were among the two Indian wrestlers selected from India for the developmental programme at the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. The duo have been associated with the WWE for the past 3 years and have put in a lot of hard work to go the extra mile. Rama and Raftar recently made their debut in the NXT and a debut on the main roster might well be on the cards. During WWE’s tour to India, IndianExpress.com caught up with the two as they expressed sheer delight on being able to perform in the nation’s capital and maintained that with the rise of Indian wrestlers the tables have turned on the global scenario. Earlier, Indians used to run after WWE but now its the other way round is what they said.
Revealing that its been two years since they returned home, Raftar said, “Feels great to return to India. I miss my friends and family and it’s exciting to be back.”
When asked if a stable Indian contingent in WWE is a possibility, Kishan Raftar said, “It is not about whether it will be because it already has. Jinder Mahal was a champion a few weeks ago. We are there in NXT. A few new guys have also been brought in.” “Earlier India used to run after WWE but now WWE is coming after India,” Jeet Rama was quick to remind as Raftar concurred.
The duo have had the opportunity of being groomed by none other Triple H himself but their time in WWE has been demanding. Reflecting on the journey so far, Raftar said, “It’s been three years since we are with WWE. The second year was a bit tough when we had to push ourselves quite hard. But now our confidence is quite high.”
If Raftar and Rama do get the chance of competing on the main roster then they will be joining the likes of Khali, Mahal and a few others and thereby will have huge shoes to fill. Admitting that there is always a pressure to perform, Raftar maintained that hard work will ensure success.
Jeet Rama, who stands tall at 6’4″ and Kishan Raftar, who is a world Kabbadi League Champion also gave insights as to how WWE COO Triple H has helped their mature over time and hone their skill set.
“In our meetings, he eliminates our mistakes and tells us what not to do. He highlights our plus points and that helps us to grow in strides. Triple H is a vastly experienced man and knows what to do, said Raftar.
Before their fight against the Miztourage in New Delhi, the Indian team reiterated that they believe in delivering results while their opponents indulge in trash talk. And true they word, Satender Daga and Kishan Raftar defeated the Miztourage on Sunday evening. What will also delight fans in India will be that both of them haven’t ruled out a possible tag-team gold. “Individual or tag-team golds is a possibility. Anything can happen. It could happen,” signed off Raftar.