“Please do not call it fake. All that you see in the ring is true. It might be scripted, but we go through immense pain,” says Kishan Raftar, a WWE Superstar, when we meet him at Dubai Opera hall during the WWE Tryouts, 2017. It’s just the right setting for this larger-than-life event, for which 35 men and women have arrived at the Dubai Opera, an opulent cultural space that hosts musicals and plays. Of these, 10 are Indians, with one woman in the contingent. This is their selection ground—they are trying out for a part in the World Wrestling Entertainment’s professional circuit.
He shows us marks on his body, thanks to some unnerving stunts in the ring. He is not as fit as he should be, because of a recent rib injury. But, a wrestler cannot be lazy about his fitness. “He follows a routine similar to that of any athlete: the same dedication, rigour and willpower.”
At the workouts that lead up to the competition, Kishan Raftar trains aspiring Indian wrestlers, who have come with dreams of making it big in WWE one day, and allows us a peek into his fitness and dietary regimen. A lot of effort goes into sculpting that body. “We undergo both speed and strength training. It is a very intense full-body workout for 40 to 50 minutes. It does not make us stiff.” Warm-ups blend running and foot work. And he emphasises that stretching also forms an important part of the regimen.
Fitness first
“We train our bodies to get our muscles used to the pain inflicted on us. When someone throws me, my body reacts to it. Our workouts test our brains and help us perform even when we are thrashed and thrown about and can’t breathe.” Dislocated shoulders and broken ribs are an everyday affair. How do they prepare the body to receive so much physical injury? “We take bumps every day (on the ground and with the opponent). We make sure that our muscles are used to taking these shocks. Even after all the working out, it still hurts. But, your body gets more attuned to the pain.”
Kabaddi was Raftar’s home turf before he entered the WWE arena. Hailing from Punjab, he was a State kabaddi champion and has played for over 10 years. The WWE scouting guides were impressed by his stamina and speed, which he had sharpened during his kabaddi phase. “Kabaddi is an intense game that tests your stamina. And, I used to play it the Punjabi style on the 75-yard big grounds in my home. So, it wasn’t very difficult for me to slip into the rigorous routine of WWE.”
Eat streak
There is nothing called a wrestler’s diet, but only an athlete’s diet, he says. Raftar eats moderate carbs on one day and high carbs on the other (such as brown rice and oatmeal). “I eat 30 grams of protein with every meal.” And, he believes in eating small meals. “I take five to six meals a day—three snacks and three big meals. I eat a heavy breakfast. It is better to eat small meals than overeat at one.”
No food is banned for them. However, Raftar stays away from sugar. “I never bring sugar into the house. It is poison. When you have excess sugar, you become lazy. Fatty food isn’t a bad thing. However, sugar affects your insulin level.”
However, he loves his parathas and tea (with a little jaggery). Whenever he gets time off, he goes to his brother’s house to taste asli Punjabi khana. “If you want to eat something sweet, eat it in the morning. It gets digested better. My father was a farmer who never used fertilisers. In our house, our dinner consisted of plain roti and sabji. That is all you need for a wholesome meal.”
Like everyone, he too has his cheat day. “I eat a lot of carbs on that day, but I don’t make bad choices. That is a wrong approach. Then, you are living for cheat meals. My cheat meals normally include cheese cake and ice creams. It is okay if you indulge, but you should not over-indulge.”
Mentally tough
It takes tremendous willpower to become a wrestler and follow a healthy diet. And, excuses never work, he says. “Back in Punjab, my father calls these flimsy reasons, choj . If you want to be fit, you have to commit to it and stop looking for excuses. I have been eating the same breakfast for the last 10 years. I never get sick of it. You give me the same food for a whole month. I do not mind.” It isn’t all physical then. In fact, mental toughness seems to trump over muscle and brawn. Who would have thought that that is the lesson to take away from a WWE wrestler.
