Xterminator knows the Law
Meet the wrestler who maintains the law on the road.
By day he is a traffic officer who ensures safety and by night he is a high-flying pro wrestler.
George Wilhelm better known as Xterminator is returning to the limelight but for a bigger cause.
He wants to promote the development of young wrestling talent and revive the sport within the community.
Wilhelm started pro wrestling in 2002 after an injury forced him to quit rugby.
However, he still maintained his body and was involved in bodybuilding.
He was spotted by Steven Debbes also known as Tornado 2 and convinced Wilhelm to take up training.
Wilhelm is one of the top wrestlers in the country and has won the All-Africa Championship twice.
However what he is most known for is being one of only three South African wrestlers to get a WWE development contract.
He followed the steps of Justin Gabriel and Adam Rose.
Wilhelm was trained by legendary figures in the industry such as Dusty Rhodes, Ricky Steamboat and Doink the Clown.
Wilhelm is now looking to impart the skills that he learnt from these legends to some young talent.
“We want to develop wrestling in areas such as Davidsonville and Soweto where there is not much exposure but also the whole of Roodepoort who have supported us. My objective now is to give back to those who are prepared to work hard for it. Becoming a wrestler takes dedication, sacrifice and time away from the family. You need to be prepared to take the hits and knocks,” he said.
Being in the ring and competing for the fans is one of the reasons Wilhelm has continued wrestling.
“I love the physicality in wrestling and to be able to challenge myself to see how car I can go within the sport. At one point in my career I was ranked third in the country,” he said
His other objective is to return honour into wrestling and that is why he has joined Steve Eden’s Honour Wrestling Association.
“Reviving pro wrestling will need support from the community and local businesses with sponsorship playing a key role. We need to get back to the level where children used to look up to us as not just wrestlers but entertainers. For us it is not about the money but ensuring the passion of wrestling continues” he said.
Being a wrestler has made Wilhelm even better at his job of being a traffic officer.
“The skills I have learned from wrestling come in handy when I have to arrest someone and so does my size. People recognize me sometimes and respect me but there are those who try to be funny and want to provoke a negative reaction from me,” he said.
You can watch Xterminator next month at Hoërskool Die Burger’s charity event where he will be wrestling.
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