Disclaimer: In Real Life is a platform for everyday people to share their experiences and voices. All articles are personal stories and do not necessarily echo In Real Life’s sentiments.
Emman has been a pro wrestling fan since he was 8-years old. Born and bred in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and being an only child, He had a lot of time on his hands at home!
Emman started his Pro Wrestling journey back in 2014 when he was only 13. He was one of the first four students at Malaysia Pro Wrestling Centre. In 2019, Emman moved to Melbourne where he furthered his studies and pursued a Bachelor of Communication at RMIT University. It was here that Emman decided he would further his pro wrestling journey and make pro wrestling known in Malaysia!
Still, Emman had ways to go before he would be crowned as the first Malaysian Champion at the Melbourne City Wrestling Intercommonwealth Match!
Here is his story!
Love At First Fight!
“I remember whenever I’m at my grandparent’s house, I’d sneak out of the room and catch a peak of my uncles and cousins watching WWE.”
From then, I became a fan of Rey Mysterio – who, despite his small size, is able to go toe-to-toe with the giants – and John Cena for his determination to fight for good.
However, being a pro wrestling fan during high school was deemed uncool and thus I would get made fun of for liking something that is “fake”.
When I was made fun of for liking wrestling, there were times when I’d feel ashamed to talk about wrestling in school, but I also didn’t let it affect me that much as I turned to social media sites like YouTube to express my interest in wrestling to a like-minded community.
All photos are credited to digital beard photography.
More Than Just The Moves
When I started out, I learned that wrestling is not about just doing the moves you see on TV. It was also about learning how to protect your sparring partners, interact and connect with the crowd, improve your confidence in public speaking, and so much more.
The biggest issue for me at the time was the fitness and conditioning aspects of pro wrestling. As a chubby kid at the time, I really had to set my mind straight on that goal of bettering myself and getting healthier in order to continue this dream of mine.
Wrestling Here In ‘Down Under’
In Australia, the training is tougher as many major wrestling companies have scouted wrestlers from the country before, and the wrestlers are naturally bigger in size. It is always a challenge to figure out how to defeat the larger opponents, and endure their hard-hitting strikes, as well as dish out as hard as they do.
Before every match, my preparation is to do some light exercises to warm up my body and get my blood pumping, do some stretches for my neck, hips, and back, and find a quiet area in the venue to be with myself and my thoughts to remind myself that I’ve put in the work and I know my goal is to make Malaysian pro wrestling known everywhere, before going out through the curtains to entertain the hundreds of fans.
All photos are credited to digital beard photography.
Injuries On The Mat
Mid 2021 I suffered my first concussion which led me to go to the hospital for a CT scan. It happened when I took a chokeslam from an opponent and my head whip-lashed the mat.
It took me 2 weeks to recover and rest before I had another upcoming match to prepare for.
That was my first and hopefully only concussion.
Though I’ve had minor injuries i.e sprains and bad falls, I haven’t gotten injured very much throughout my 8 year career. Just the usual soreness and bruises that I’ve gotten used to.
All photos are credited to digital beard photography.
Who Is ‘The Golden Boy’?
My wrestling character is ‘The Golden Boy’ Emman Azman.
When I first came up with this character, the notion of Golden Boy was based on a spoiled young brat with endless amounts of money in his pocket. However, as I grew older and studied in Australia, the term ‘Golden Boy’ became less of a rich kid, and a term used to symbolise a country’s top pick to represent their nation, and in my situation, it’s pro wrestling.
My gear has Malaysian colours and the crest on my left and the Australian flag on my right.
Even though I am far from home, I still bring along all the Malaysians who have supported me and those who dream of becoming a wrestler, everywhere I perform.
Wrestling in Asia
All I’ve ever wanted was to make a name for pro wrestling in Malaysia.
I wish people knew more about southeast Asian pro wrestling. For almost a decade, I’ve flown the Malaysian flag proudly everywhere I wrestle in hopes of it becoming a mainstream thing in Asia.
With neighbouring countries that have made wrestling mainstream such as Japan and Australia, I hope that the next destination for mainstream wrestling is Malaysia.
All photos are credited to digital beard photography.
Follow your heart!
To the people who had doubts about chasing their dreams, I say go for it!
Listen to your heart and follow through with your aspirations because at the end of the day, it is your life and what you want to leave behind in this world.
Check out and follow Emman Azman’s Twitter and Instagram!
Do you know anyone with an interesting story to share? Drop us an email at hello@inreallife.my and we may feature the story.
For more stories like this, read:
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