Gurv and Harv Sihra are all set to represent India in WWE’s Cruiserweight Classic tournament which will kick off this week on the WWE Network. With a decade of experience in their resume, Gurv and Harv is now all set to conquer the WWE squared circle thanks to CWC.
We managed to shoot some questions at The Bollywood Boyz during the WWE Conference call ahead of CWC and here is what they had to say.
How WWE contacted them for the CWC
Garv: WWE spoke to us earlier this year, actually in February and basically stated that based on our in-ring technical ability, they wanted us to take part of this project on the WWE network. A few months later after sharing some emails, it took a life on its own. It’s been a great experience for us. It’s like a dream come true and we’ve worked 10 plus years to get to this point. And being Indian, and to represent India, you know 90 percent of our family live in India, Mumbai; it’s an honor to represent not only Canada but also India.
Working with greats like Daniel Bryan and Triple H
Harv: We’ve been watching Daniel Bryan wrestle for a lot of years. long back, when we wrestled in Vancouver, we saw him wrestle when he was just going to the WWE and he gave us an advice to keep working hard and after all these years, we are working with him. Triple H is somebody you grew up watching on television. So much respect for him. He has done a lot in the business and for both superstars, we have tonnes of respect. It’s also an honor to work with them.
Garv: We met Triple H two years back in Portland during SmackDown tapings where we worked as extras and we asked him for an advice. He asked us to keep doing our thing and work at it. We had done some work in India with Ring Ka King which was on colors TV which was four years back.
Harv on his journey in Bollywood and Akshay Kumar
Harv: After Triple H asked us to make a name for ourselves, I moved to Mumbai and went to pursue acting. I went to Anupam Kher’s acting school, Actor Prepares. I auditioned for movies and ended up working with Akshay Kumar for Brothers. I was able to work with Akshay and his trainer, Jenifer in his personal gym for three weeks.
So that when Triple H asked me what I’ve done, I could say that I moved with, I worked with Akshay Kumar, I appeared in a Punjabi Music video as a lead actor. I did all these stuff so that I day I could go back to Triple H and say that we are not only wrestlers but also entertainers. It’s been a long journey so far.
About a permanent deal with WWE and breaking stereotypes
Harv: That’s the goal, to sign with WWE. If you are in this industry and you don’t want to be in the WWE, you are in the wrong industry. We both want to be part of WWE, be part of NXT and that is the goal. We want to bring India in a different light in the WWE.
Gurv: We are trying to break the stereotypical ‘Gimmicks’. We are bringing something different; we are bringing something that has never been done in the WWE. Not the stereotypical Indian characters that we have seen on TV. We are two guys that we believe are marketable for WWE and we can take it to the next level.
Favorites in Bollywood
Gurv: I grew up watching Shah Rukh Khan. Firstly, Govinda and now Shah Rukh Khan. We grew up watching his movies on television. The story of him making it in the Bollywood, how is scratched and fought to the top. Nothing was handed to him nothing was given for him, he had to work to get to where he is now and he inspiring.
Harv: I have a few actually. Amitabh Bachchan sir, the biggest movie star and I had Amitabh Bachchan posters on my wall. I still remember Mrityudaata coming out with the Na Na Na Re song by Daler Mehndi and it was pretty popular back then. Then Akshay Kumar because he was an action hero, he was a martial artist and the cool thing is, I was able to work with him and it was a dream come true as he was someone I used to see on television when I was young.
Gurv: We grew up on two things, Bollywood and wrestling.
Difference between WWE and other promotions
Harv: WWE is the big league. It’s like playing for the Indian National cricket team and playing in the streets. What we did was very small; we learned the craft and tried to move on and to get it into the WWE. This is Yash Raj Films, the Dharma productions. Everyone wants to be in the WWE and its beautiful Cinema at the end of the day.
We finished training back in 2005 and the best advice we got was from Chris Jericho. Once, we were bombed about not getting a tryout with WWE and Chris Jericho said to us that first impression always matters and to give our 100 percent when we get the chance in WWE. We’ve traveled a lot since that and we did tell him that the advice that he gave him was valuable. What you do in the smaller leagues or the Independent circuit is what brings you into the WWE.
Teams they want to face in WWE
Harv: One is the Revival. I think we could have some great matches with them. They are pretty old school which reminds us of the 80s and 90s with their hard hitting style. And also, The Usos, we have a lot of respect for him. They’ve accomplished a lot and it’s kind of our goal to reach their level and face them.
Advice for Aspiring Indian wrestlers
Harv: I remember what Akshay Kumar told me. Keep working hard and eventually you will get there. No matter where you are in India, it doesn’t matter, do your work and success will come.
Garv: It’s like an advice that Bret Hart gave us. We asked him what the best advice you can give me. If you work hard and keep pushing, you will eventually get there. Find a good professional wrestling school; get your education done before you enroll and give it all you have and don’t take no for an answer. If we quit and we give up on ourselves we are not going to get where we want.