Ayez Shaukat Fonseka is known as the founding father of pro-wrestling in Malaysia, but he is not satisfied with just entertaining fans in the squared circle.
The actor and stuntman is on a high after his film, Gila Gusti, debuted in Malaysian cinemas earlier this month. And he promises, “There is more to come”.
Like the wrestling juggernaut WWE, Shaukat hopes to turn Asia Pacific (APAC) Wrestling into a full-fledged entertainment company.
“APAC Wrestling has a production house, and I hope to produce more movies in the future,” said Shaukat, who is in the middle of shooting a drama.
“I am talking about all kinds of genres, not just sports-related movies.”
He added that it had been his dream to turn APAC Wrestling into more than just a wrestling brand.
“Gila Gusti had a tight budget, but we got it made. That was the first step. We wanted to show what we could do. I hope the movie will open more doors.”
Shaukat said wrestling will always be his first love, and still dreams of going to the United States to wrestle for WWE legend, Booker T.
“The offer, first made in 2020, still stands, but I have yet to obtain a work visa. Hopefully, it can come true this year,” said Shaukat.
“But I am not standing still. In May, we will launch a professional wrestling training school, in collaboration with Booker T’s ‘Reality of Wrestling’.”
He shared that besides Booker T, top names, such as Dr Tom Prichard (trainer for The Rock, Kurt Angle, and Randy Orton, among others), Shane Helms (known as The Hurricane and current WWE producer), and WWE Performance Centre guest coach Sinn Bodhi, would be involved.
Booker T would monitor the progress of the trainees via online mentorship. The two-time WWE Hall of Famer would also conduct video calls to give the trainees input.
“It would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for those who hope to break into professional wrestling, to work with such famous names,” said Shaukat.
“The try-out intakes give participants a feel of what it is like to be a wrestler.
“People have different expectations about wrestling. They need to understand it is more than just sports. It is the business of entertaining the audience.”
He said many did not realise that wrestling required more than just physical fitness. The one crucial element needed is mental strength.
“The six-month course will be very, very demanding, both physically and mentally. You will be training like elite athletes.
“Besides in-ring techniques, you will be exposed to the whole package – increasing your confidence, how to speak in front of huge crowds, tricks to cutting a promotional video, ‘selling’ your persona, developing charisma, and most importantly, being able to connect with the fans.”
Shaukat said he would release more details soon, but promised it would not be too expensive.
“In the United States, it would cost something like US$3,000 for a six-month course.
“That is too much for Malaysians, even though we are getting top tier names to help us.
“We are crunching the numbers. The aim is to get to a number that’s similar to what someone would pay to learn Muay Thai for six months. Give me a little more time to make the announcement,” he added.