Joshua Jesse Chetty loved watching wrestling matches on TV so he decided to pursue the sport and is now one of the biggest forces to be reckoned with in the local wrestling fraternity.
And he is not stopping there – Chetty is hoping to be the next big thing in wrestling.
Chetty, 30, from Chatsworth, has set his ambitions high and is aiming to become an international superstar and hopefully compete in the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment).
Wrestling under the ring name “Joshua The Bull”, he is currently wrestling for Champions Pro Wrestling (CPW), the largest wrestling federation in Africa.
Having loved wrestling from a young age, Chetty said he enjoyed watching superstars like The Rock, Goldberg, and The Undertaker from whom he took inspiration. But as a huge fan of The Deadman, Chetty is hoping he will some day get a chance to fight this international superstar.
“I have been a huge fan of wrestling for as long as I can remember. I would watch it on TV, and even attend local shows, render assistance for free to help set up the ring and arena – just to be involved in the fraternity. Wrestling is not a popular sport in the country, and is not offered everywhere. I was not able to get involved with it while in school but kept my dream alive of one day becoming a wrestler,” said Chetty.
At school, he played soccer and rugby, and as he got older, took up throwing discus and won many gold medals. When he turned 14, he became involved with body-building, then kickboxing and eventually professional wrestling when he turned 18.
His first wrestling match was in 2010 when he participated in his debut match at a show commemorating the 150th year since the arrival of the indentured labourers in South Africa.
“Besides it being my first match, it was memorable for me because it was held on November 13, 2010, exactly five years since wrestling legend and one of my heroes, Eddie Guerrero passed away,” said Chetty.
Since then, Chetty has competed in several bouts, including “hardcore” matches, ladder matches and a Capture the Flag Fatal four-way match.
Making history, Chetty became the first South African of Indian descent to have won the WWP Tag Team champions in Durban.
“It’s a great honour for me and an accomplishment to know, that not only have I made history, but have also realised my dream of becoming a wrestler. It’s not everyone that gets a chance to realise their dreams and excel at it,” said Chetty.
Spending most of his time training for matches and tournaments, Chetty also runs a supplement shop at a local gym and pursues some acting as well.
“Wrestling is my hobby and passion. I love it but it doesn’t pay the bills just yet. So when I am not at work, I am training and practising wrestling,” said Chetty.
The most challenging part of wrestling, he said, was the injuries sustained.
“It’s not easy. We get battered around. The first few matches, was extremely tough. I had to learn to take a hit and fall and be able to get up quickly after that. I’ve sustained many injuries and have had to learn to manage the pain as well. I have to ensure I take care of my body, eat well and train well so I can continue performing well and excelling,” said Chetty.
