28 September,2013 10:04 PM IST | | Hassan M Kamal
A few years ago, WWE star Ryback (then known as Reeves), broke his ankle during a match. His injury was so severe that the doctors said he wouldn't walk again. But the ring was something Ryback had dreamt of since when he was just 12 years old. He fought hard, and after a year returned as Ryback challenging the big and small guys. The wrestler is now all set to take on CM Punk in October, and if everything works out, take down the great Undertaker in Wrestlemania.
"It's actually one of my goals," says Ryback, who was recently in India to promote the upcoming wrestling video game WWE 2K14. ââ¬ÅI saw Undertaker on Wrestlemania last year. He had heard me on some interviews. And there it was, just him and me in this room, and he said, "So, you want to wrestle me on Wrestlemania". And I said,"Yes, I do", he says.
Undertaker fans, however, aren't much receptive to the idea, but Ryback feels that he would love to prove them wrong. "I have heard lots of critics and fans, who are very negative about it. They say I don't deserve the fight. But if given an opportunity, I would like to prove them wrong, like I have done time and again," he adds.
Perhaps it's this attitude that fetched him several nicknames -- Silverback, The Corn-Fed Meathead (during his stint as Skip Sheffield), the Human Wrecking Ball, Big Hungry and most recently, Big guy. Ask him which of the names he prefers the most and he emphatically says Big Guy. Sounds strange for a wrestler who, at 6ft 3-inches, is way shorter than most of the big guys at WWE, doesn't it? But then he likes the laughs. "We had good guys and bad guys, but we never had a big guy. People often cheer for over-the-top big-guys, who think they are the greatest because of the way they look. I am doing the same but without looking like one. Besides, I kind of enjoy it when people laugh when I call myself the Big Guy. In fact, I try to do it in an entertaining way," he adds.
From CM Punk, Chris Jericho to John Cena, Ryback has faced several popular wrestlers during his career. Ask him of his toughest opponent, and he quickly replies. "John Cena, no doubt. We have had a table match and an ambulance match, but he has never pinned me down officially. He is my biggest challenge. But he has also supported me at times. There is a mutual respect between us. But eventually, I look forward to taking him down and becoming the man of WWE. I love a good challenge," he adds.
But that's not all Ryback is looking forward to. The wrestler says he has seen a few Bollywood movies, especially those featuring the Great Khali, and given an opportunity he would like to star in one of them. "Bollywood films are very interesting and very different from American movies. If someone came in with an opportunity, and we can work it out with WWE, I would like to star in a Bollywood film," he adds.