Papiah: the next WWE superstar
Papiah left the country to make his dream a reality.
CANRON Papiah from Kloof travelled 14,390 km to kick start his dream of being an international professional wrestler
Papiah (22) started training at the Wild Samoan Training Center in Florida, US in September last year.
“I left the country because I wanted to hone my skills and train to be in WWE.”
Papiah feels the only way you can be recognised internationally is when you are on WWE . In South Africa there in not much being done to elevate the sport.
He went to New Germany Primary School and Kloof High School then completed a diploma in Sports Science, personal training and fitness management.
Papiah is the only African at the training centre and the only one to ever come home with a medal, “I paticipated in the 50th Golden Wild Samoan Tag Team Tournament Cup and received a medal.
The Wild Samoan Training Center is a professional wrestling training camp, owned and operated by three-time WWE world tag team champion, Afa Anao’i the ‘Wild Samoan’ , a 2007 WWE Hall of Famer and The Rock’s (Dwayne Johnson) uncle.
Anoa’i has been training wrestlers for more than 30 years and the Wild Samoan Training Center is the only wrestling school sanctioned by WWE CEO Vince McMahon.
WWE champions, Hulk Hogan, Batista and The Rock have been trained at the centre.
“I am very excited to be part of the training school in the US, I’m glad to be on a road towards reaching my dream,” said Papiah.
Papiah said the training involved intense exercises, “Before entering the ring we did 500 squats.”
He always wanted to be on TV, and was very excited to see himself on the WXW Rage channel.
He looks up to his coach and local wrestler, Daryl ‘Nightmare’ Naidu.
His life is not only about the ring and flexing his muscles but part of his dream is to be in ministry, he wants to do outreach and use his sport to reach out to the youth.
“When I have made enough money at WWE, I will open up a school and build a church,” he said.
