WHEN your dream job is not your day job, you simply have to find a way to juggle the two and make both worthwhile.
Wrestlers from Alberton talk to the RECORD about their passion for the the sport.
Jerome Midoux (24), or Zizou, as he is known in the ring, has been wrestling for a decade now, and he says he loves every moment.
“I’ve been fortunate to have the opportunities that I’ve gotten, like being on WWE television, and having a contract with the second biggest wrestling company in the world, Ring of Honor,” says Jerome when asked what his biggest accomplishments are thus far in his career.
It must be in the genes. Jerome is the son of legendary South African wrestler, Thierry Midoux, and according to them, wrestling goes back even further in their family.
“We have half a century’s wrestling experience between us,” adds Jerome about his family’s legacy.
When asked about the challenges wrestlers and wrestling as a whole faces in South Africa, the athlete says: “Wrestling is not so big here, so it is considered a side gig. In America it is a full-time job, which means that you have to work full time and still find the time to train and do shows. The other problem is that because of this, our wrestling doesn’t have the same professional look and feel, because you just don’t have the time and money to put into it like you would abroad, and of course sponsorships are scarce.”
Jerome and his father are starting their own wrestling company and hope to make wrestling big in South Africa; they ask anyone interested in wrestling, to contact Jerome on 081 413 3169.
Another wrestler from Alberton, Paul de Vries, known in the ring as Cowboy, says he has been wrestling for around 20 years. “I started out going to the shows as a fan and one day I enquired as to how I could become a wrestler. I started out having to set up and break down the ring at shows for a long time before I actually got to take part, but once I did, that was it, I’ve been doing it ever since,” says the big man.
Paul says his proudest moments include winning the inter-provincial title, which he held for more than a year, as well as an epic bout at a biker rally between himself and rival, The Crow.
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