Monster Braun Strowman spreads smiles in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: He came, he saw and he conquered. That best sums up the one-day visit of WWE superstar Braun Strowman, whose second leg of India tour brought cheers and brightened the faces of Telangana State athletes of Special Olympics Bharat (SOBTS) here on Saturday.

His presence had a similar effect when he went around the cancer wing of Apollo Hospitals to meet youngsters battling the dreaded disease. He may be nicknamed ‘Monster Among Men’ on the professional ring but his affable nature made him seem more like a ‘gentle giant’.

Strowman interacted with 20 athletes from Special Olympics Bharat, who did not hesitate to click pictures and selfies with the VVIP visitor, who was gifted mementoes by the youngsters. Leading the ‘team’ comprising of students from various schools were Dr SR Prem Raj, vice- president of SOBTS and its Area Director C Rajasekhar.

Strowman is in town to talk about WWE’s efforts to step up talent recruitment in India. Those keen on joining the bandwagon can take advantage of the recently launched www.wweperformancecenter.com. Kavita Devi, Jeet Rama, Rinku Singh, Saurav Gujjar and Amanpreet Singh are among the recent WWE recruits from India.

A whirlwind trip it perhaps was but Braun Strowman ignited a spark that may be vivid in the memory of those who had the privilege of meeting him here and in Mumbai for a lifetime. To them the humane side of the giant, which they saw in flesh and blood, was larger than any of his conquests in the ring and surpasses his superstardom.