Professional wrestling in Nepal: the history, the present day and the country’s top wrestlers
One of the coolest things about working on WrestleMap is coming across pro wrestling scenes that otherwise, I would have never learned about. One of those wrestling scenes is the pro wrestling circuit currently active in Nepal. Without researching, I don’t believe that I ever would have come across pro wrestling in Nepal but now, the product coming out of the country is one that I cannot get enough of. Today, we’ll look at a brief history of how pro wrestling started in Nepal, examine the very dedicated fanbase active in the country and go on a tour of pro wrestling in Nepal today where we will introduce some of the country’s wrestlers and promotions.
Nuwakote Tiger drives into David with a forearm in the corner in Nepal Ring Wrestling Association action
The start of pro wrestling in Nepal
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when the first pro wrestling card in Nepal took place. Through a lot of research and conversations with some wrestling historians and authors, I’ve been able to create a little bit of a timeline surrounding what I believe to be the first pro wrestling events and, events involving pro wrestlers, that took place in Nepal.
One of the first mentions I saw regarding pro wrestling in Nepal came from a piece written by wrestling historian Steven Verrier for Slam Wrestling on the career of Canadian wrester George Gordienko. In the article, Verrier mentions that Gordienko’s career took him to Nepal. I reached out to Steven for more detail regarding Gordienko’s trips to Nepal and he shared with me that the only record he had was from 1961 and came from an excerpt in Billy Robinson’s biography. Apparently, George Gordienko, Billy Robinson, most likely the legendary Dara Singh of India, and others came to Nepal following a lengthy tour of India at the request of Nepal’s ruler at the time, King Mahendra, and held a private match card. It’s unknown whether or not the wrestlers performed for the public or were present in front of the public at all during this trip.
WWE Hall of Famer Dara Singh. Image courtesy of the WWE Hall of Fame page for Dara Singh.
However, a year later in 1962, I’m fairly confident in sharing that fans in Kathmandu were treated to a live wrestling card at the historic Tundikhel. While I haven’t been able to confirm an exact date, one Dara Singh researcher that I spoke to believed that it would not have been in April or May of that year since a lengthy Indian tour was underway during those months. Dara Singh and his brother Randhawa were in action at that event. Farid Azam shared in an article for wrestling-titles.com that Akram Pahalwan, a Pakistani wrestler and one of the legendary Bholu Brothers, competed in Nepal in 1962 as well. Akki (or Iki), as Akram was known, was reported to have wrestled and defeated Sardar Khan, who was billed as the Champion of Kabul. I think it’s safe to assume that this match took place on this same 1962 card as there aren’t many known pro wrestling events to have taken place in Nepal at this time. Unfortunately, we don’t have a date, promotion name or more complete results from this event. The belief from a Dara Singh researcher that I spoke to indicated that Dara would have been the promoter. But I think it’s safe to say that the first public pro wrestling event in Nepal took place in 1962.
After posting the video version of this story, I was contacted by a friend of the site, Alessio, regarding some interesting results he had come across. The results came from a handful of events that took place in 1964 in Kathmandu and were published in issues of the Pakistan Observer and the Eastern Examiner. The following results come from Alessio’s research and clicking on the date and location of the show below will take you to the corresponding newspaper article.
Note: When you see R followed by a number, it means that the match was scheduled in rounds and it ended in the specified round.
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(Additional source available here)
1. Sardar Khan def Majid (R2, Majid retired because of bleeding)
2. Azam def Tiger Mustaqeem (R6 COR)
3. Akram def Hasan
Notes : Azam and Majid are from Pakistan, Sardar Khan from Kabul, Hasan is Iranian and Tiger Mustaqeem is from Arabia. Akram is one of the Bholu Brothers.
King Mahendra and Queen Ratna as well as other members of the royal family were attending the event.
This was the first day of the International Freestyle Wrestling Championship in Kathmandou.
Wrestlers can score points during the match to decide the winner in case of a draw, for example, Azam scored a point by performing a flying kick in the fourth round of his match.
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National Stadium, Kathmandu, Nepal
(Additional source available here)
1. Akram def Sardar Khan (R2)
2. Akram def Hasan (R2)
Notes : After he beat Sardar Khan, Akram threw an open challenge to anybody who was willing to face him, Hasan is the one who answered the challenge.
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National Stadium, Kathmandu, Nepal
1. Azam def Tiger Beddu
2. Akram def Pyare Singh (In a few seconds, Indian style wrestling)
Notes: Akram was back in Pakistan when he was informed that Pyare Singh was in Kathmandu to accept the challenge he had made. Singh had to pick the match style, his choices were freestyle wrestling or Indian wrestling.
I believe that Tiger Beddu is Tiger Mustaqeem from July 16th.
It is noted that Dara Singh had been challenged by Akram but declined as he was already busy due to film responsibilities.
WrestleMap Note: the Nepal Sports Council was involved in organizing the August 15th bout. The NSC plays a role in pro wrestling in Nepal today as they recognize Nepal Ring Wrestling as the only legitimate pro wrestling organization in Nepal, something we touch on a little more later.
Randhawa in a film role. Image courtesy of Wikipedia Commons
Dara Singh and his troupe of wrestlers would return to Kathmandu in 1976 as per a conversation I had with the first Nepali pro wrestler, Himalayan Tiger. However I wasn’t able to get any other details about that event.
Later, the Nepal Bodybuilding Organization held a pro wrestling event at Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu, which was tagged as being “WWF WrestleMania for the first time in Nepal,” that was advertised as being held from April 6th to April 10th. I was originally given the year of 1992 for the event after briefly speaking to European pro wrestling legend Franz Schuhmann. However, an article from German pro wrestling magazine Catch-Revue cleared up the year of the event as being 1994. Schuhmann had briefly mentioned that he wasn’t sure that he would make it out of Nepal alive after this event and the article from Catch-Revue, which is available in German and English in the images below, goes into more detail on the circumstances surrounding the event.
Wrestlers on the event included “Tiger” Bhim Singh (billed as the brother of Dara Singh but I don’t believe this was the aforementioned Randhawa Singh as his wrestling career was believed to have ended in 1988. Randhawa is the only known brother of Dara Singh, as far as any information I’ve been able to track down shows), Kulwant Singh, Kamala Shankar (who was billed as Asia Champion) and a handful of wrestlers based on WWF stars of the 1990’s including The New Hit Man (who was played by Franz Schuhmann), Bushwacker (portrayed by British referee Frank Casey as per Gernot Freiberger), Doink The Third (portrayed by Brian Walsh as per Gernot Freiberger) and the hilarious Ultimate Warrior-influenced “Ultimate Chippendale” who was portrayed by Austrian wrestler Robert Fasser.
Photo of poster and Catch-Revue article courtesy of Gernot Freiberger. The second photo of the magazine article
That wraps up what I was able to find in terms of pro wrestling events held in Nepal before pro wrestling in the country became much more commonplace starting in the 2010s.
The godfather of pro wrestling in Nepal today is Himalayan Tiger, the very first Nepali pro wrestler. He was trained in 1992 in Brooklyn, NY by WWE Hall of Famer Jonny Rodz. From there, Himalayan Tiger has wrestled all around the world and first brought an international pro wrestling contest to Nepal in March of 2010. At that event, Tiger faced off with Big Vito, former WWE, ECW and WCW superstar. The turnout was great at the event, reportedly around 5,000 fans attended, which is a reoccurring theme still taking place in Nepal today. What started off as a successful event soon turned chaotic after the fans in attendance began to riot after Big Vito gained the upper hand against Himalayan Tiger in the ring. The Nepali army was forced to come in to take control of the situation and several people were injured. However, that would only be the start of things for the pro wrestling scene in Nepal, as things have skyrocketed since this first event.
Himalayan Tiger, Nepal’s first pro wrestler. Image courtesy of Himalayan Tiger’s Facebook page.
Pro wrestling in Nepal today
There’s a lot to talk about in today’s pro wrestling scene in Nepal. We’ll discuss the fans, the active companies, top wrestlers from each company, and their relationships and climate between the wrestling companies active in Nepal today.
A flyer from the recent April 7, 2023 Ultimate Wrestling Entertainment event. Courtesy of the UWE Facebook page.
Current fan base in Nepal
The fan base in Nepal right now is a pretty rabid one. Most events draw huge crowds and by huge, I mean in the thousands. Regardless of where the event is, fans turn out in scores. For example, Nepal Ring Wrestling Association, who we’ll get into later, are known to hold events in rural locations in the country’s mountainside. These events will draw up to 5,000+ fans and at times, events take place in locations that are not easily accessible and fans will travel for miles on foot just to take in the show. One of my favorite visuals from Nepali pro wrestling has been seeing fans gathered on a nearby mountainside to catch the action, particularly at the NRWA’s Nepali New Year event in 2021.
Remember that riot that we talked about during the Big Vito and Himalayan Tiger match? Well, that’s not necessarily a thing of the past. At a recent UWE, Ultimate Wrestling Entertainment, show, Thagu of Nepal was taking on an opponent from India. During a false finish, the referee temporarily gave the victory to the wrestler from India despite Thagu’s foot being on the rope during the pinfall. The fans on hand were not happy, and as a result, we saw a scene similar to that of the incident between Mick Foley and Terry Funk in ECW where fans threw chairs near and into the ring. When it comes to international contests, there’s no doubt that the Nepali fans want to see their hometown hero come out on top.
Fans gather on the mountainside to watch the Nepal Ring Wrestling Association Nepali New Year 2021 event
Interpromotional relationships
Within the promotions currently active in Nepal, it’s fair to say that the forbidden door is firmly closed and locked when it comes to some of the country’s top promotions. For the majority, wrestlers are exclusive to their home promotion with very little overlap. The main overlap that does exist comes with the Himalayan Tiger Wrestling Association, Nepal Women’s Wrestling Foundation and Pro Wrestling Association, which we’ll cover more in detail later on. Loyalty to your home promotion is important, cross promotion even from media outlets is not welcome, and sometimes, crossing over to another promotion even just for one night can cost a wrestler a position in their home promotion. Let’s take a look at the current wrestling promotions in Nepal.
CJ World delivers a vertical suplex on Sujal during one of the NRWA’s outdoor events. Image courtesy of the NRWA Facebook page.
Nepal Ring Wrestling Association
The NRWA, or sometimes just called Ring Wrestling, was founded in 2015. Their first international event was inaugurated by Nepal’s Prime Minister at the time, KP Sharma Oli. It is the only promotion in Nepal recognized by the Nepal National Sports Council. This gives the company benefits with venue selection and fan and government recognition. The NRWA always draws huge crowds and it’s not uncommon for thousands of fans to be on hand for a Ring Wrestling event. The NRWA has a stable of strong wrestlers and their cards will often feature different match types and weight divisions. Their heavyweight stars include Nuwakote Tiger, Chattan and King Robert. The middleweight division features David and Shine, the lightweight division features X-Hero, CJ World, Sujal, and Baka, the tag team division features the top teams of the Spider Men and Tupi Gang, and the women’s division features Tanu and Akriti. The NRWA has the highest production value and often broadcasts their events via livestream over the internet as long as there is internet capability in the area they’re holding their event. They’ve also established connections with international promotions such as China’s Middle Kingdom Wrestling and Malaysia’s APAC Wrestling and have worked closely with Japan’s Pro Wrestling ZERO1. The NRWA only has one title belt, the Heavyweight Championship which is on the line when the champion competes in heavyweight bouts only. Winners of matches in the other divisions and weight classes are rewarded with handsome cash prizes with each victory. The current heavyweight champion and belt holder in the NRWA is King Robert.
King Robert celebrates with the Ring Wrestling Heavyweight Championship belt. Image courtesy of the NRWA Facebook page.
Ultimate Wrestling Entertainment
The UWE is the brainchild of Lady Dragon Muna Shrestha and was founded in 2019. The tough as nails Lady Dragon made her debut in 2017 and leads an organization that has been known to be a touch more hardcore at times than some of the other Nepali promotions, although it’s not uncommon to catch a hardcore match on most pro wrestling cards in the country. For example, the UWE has featured fire matches as of late that involve throwing your opponent through a flaming table to get the win, including on their April 7, 2023 event at historic Durbar Square in Kathmandu. Lady Dragon is the face of the company and is usually featured in the main event, often taking on male wrestlers in intergender bouts and even taking part in dangerous and bloody hardcore matches, once reportedly having spent four days in the hospital after suffering a serious wound as the result of a shot from a fluorescent light tube in a match against an Indian opponent. In the men’s division, national stars such as Thagu and The Yuv have competed with the UWE in the past, and big names in the men’s division today include Baba Bui, The Warrior, Ajingar, Soul Shady, Blade, Trigger, Jwala, Shinite and King Cobra. Winners at UWE events are awarded with cash prize winnings as well. The current Women’s Champion of UWE is Lady Dragon and Baba Bui is the current UWE Men’s Champion.
“Lady Dragon” Muna Shrestha (top) and Baba Bui, the current UWE champions. Photos courtesy of Lady Dragon and Baba Bui’s Facebook pages.
Himalayan Tiger Wrestling Association
The original pro wrestling organization in Nepal. Himalayan Tiger Wrestling Association was formerly known as PWECAN, or Professional Wrestling Entertainment Championship Association for Nepal and was officially established in 2004. It’s unclear at this time if there were local events held by PWECAN prior to the aforementioned 2010 international event that featured Big Vito. Wrestlers competing at the Himalayan Tiger organized events often include wrestlers that have been trained by Himalayan Tiger but talent on the shows aren’t limited to Himalayan Tiger’s trainees. Wrestlers that frequently compete on the Himalayan Tiger shows include Ajinger Maharjanram, The Scorpion, Lizard King, The Yeti, Krishna Magar, “The Combat King” Abhiraj Singh, Amit Dalal of India and often times Nepal Women’s Wrestling Foundation talent such as Unika, Asmita Jureli and some of the other Nepali women making a name in the NWWF. The Yuv, formerly of NRWA and UWE, and the founder of the PWA (which we’ll touch on later) will also compete on the Himalayan Tiger cards, oftentimes in hardcore matches. All of these stars were recently in action for the Himalayan Tiger Wrestling Association on Saturday, April 8th, 2023 at Tudikhel in Kathmandu. Currently, the Yeti and Ajinger both carry title belts in the Himalayan Tiger Wrestling Association. However, I haven’t been able to fully establish what the title belts represent.
Ajinger (top) and The Yeti. Images courtesy of Ajinger and The Yeti’s Facebook pages.
Nepal Women’s Wrestling Foundation
The Nepal Women’s Wrestling Foundation was created by Bhagwati Kadka Unika, Nepal’s first female pro wrestler. Unika made her debut in 2012 after being trained by the godfather of Nepali pro wrestling, Himalayan Tiger. The company holds regular events that feature international touring wrestlers competing in both the women’s and men’s division. JC Storm and Sadika have recently come over to Nepal to take on the top female talent in the NWWF. Unika and Asmita Jureli are the top two female wrestlers in the company with both having crossed over into Nepali mainstream entertainment via television, movies, music and modeling. There’s also a men’s division in the company that has featured international wrestlers from the USA and Pakistan, like Low Rider, JB Cool, Talha Ali, Kovu Brandon, Jordan Hurr and Sher Khan. The men’s division has a couple stars of their own including the ultra popular Nepali Bro and current NWWF Nepal Champion Krishna Magar. Unika currently carries the NWWF Women’s Championship belt but Asmita Jureli can also be seen carrying a Nepal Title and a second Women’s Championship belt in her appearances.
Asmita Jureli (top) and Unika of the Nepal Women Wrestling Foundation.
Pro Wrestling Association
The newest of the wrestling promotions in Nepal. The PWA made their debut in September 2022 and was founded as a joint effort from former NRWA wrestler The Yuv and Rupak. They’ve held a few events so far and will use a lot of the same talent that can be featured in Himalayan Tiger Wrestling Association. Other wrestlers that are known to compete for PWA include Lizard King, Amit Dalal of India, Abhiraj Singh, Asmita Jureli, and Simran of India.
Top: Moments before The Scorpion shatters a light tube over the Back of The Yuv. Bottom: The Yuv buries Scorpion King’s face into a table in PWA action.
That pretty much covers our overview of pro wrestling today in Nepal. I have heard some talk of some potential big stories that may come to light over the next little bit of time. If anything major does happen, we’ll do our best to cover it here on WrestleMap.com. In the meantime, why don’t you check out some pro wrestling from Nepal? It’s definitely worth your time. A quick YouTube search of any of the promotions that we mentioned today should yield some results and I think you’ll enjoy it. If there’s anything that I mentioned here today that you’d like us to cover in more depth, you have any ideas of topics you’d like us to cover moving forward or you have any questions about pro wrestling in Nepal, leave us a comment below and we’ll do our best to address it for you!
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