If Indians use kabaddi skills while wrestling, it'll blow people's minds: WWE champ

Daniel Bryan has been described by publications, critics and former wrestlers as one of the most technically proficient professional wrestlers in the world. He also boasts of a unique relationship with his fans, who have rallied to get him important championship bouts and opportunities in the past. This fact was evident during Bryan's recent visit to India, where the four-time WWE world heavyweight champion drew large crowds wherever he went. We caught up with Bryan during his whirlwind promotional tour for the first live WWE event in India since 2003, to talk about how Indian wrestlers can contribute to global wrestling, the unparalleled energy of Indian fans and his love for Indian food. Some of my fans brought me giftsThis is Bryan's first visit to India and the former world champion says he has been touched by fans' reactions. He says, "It's been a great experience. The food has been great and the fans were great too. I met some kids from the Make A Wish foundation in a Noida mall before a meet-and-greet session with my fans. Those kids were super polite. From the winners of a contest held by the WWE to the fans - everybody was very polite and nice there. Some even brought small gifts for me, so that sort of stuff is always touching."AmericAN wrestlers love Indian fans' passion Bryan says veteran wrestlers from the US talk a lot about the enthusiasm of Indian fans and that his experience here confirms that fact. He tells us, "The likes of Bret Hart and William Regal used to tell me how passionate Indians fans were when they had visited country. As a performer, my favourite part of being a wrestler is performing in front of passionate fans. There is nothing better than being in front of 20,000 people who are excited about what you're doing. Because the more excited they are, the more you want to give it your all. It's like a transfer of energy in the arena." I'd be happy to even just watch a match in DelhiWith WWE announcing its first live event in Delhi in 13 years, many top wrestling stars will perform here for the first time in January. Although Bryan has been sidelined from active competition due to an injury, he hopes to wrestle in front of Indian fans. "I'm keeping my fingers crossed. If I get cleared during an upcoming appointment with my doctor, I should be on the show in India," he says, adding, "I think wrestling's return to India will be amazing. When I'm looking forward to overseas shows, I'm really looking forward to experiences in those countries. Just with my interaction with Delhi fans, I found that it is a very energetic crowd. One of the coolest things about my job is that we are able to wrestle in different places."Bryan says that the energy of Indian fans is so contagious that even if he's unable to make a full recovery by January, he is open to playing a promotional or supporting role for the event. He elaborates, "When you read Bret Hart's book or you talk to William Regal, you know how passionate Indian fans are. Regal used to tell us how people here just wanted to hug him. That's a level of excitement that's different from anywhere else in the world. So, even if I'm just here for promotional stuff, I'd be more than willing to do that. In fact, even if I just get to watch it from the stands - like watching John Cena's match from the crowd- that would be an experience because of the fans' energy."Falling sick in India's a big fear, but I'm not afraidAfter WWE's last show in the country in 2003, the company did not return, citing infrastructural deficiencies as the reason. Several stars like Ryback and Sheamus have expressed their unwillingness to being a part of the event in India next year. But Bryan immediately rubbishes such fears, saying, "For me, the hardest part of our job is the travel. It just is! But no matter where I'm wrestling or what the travel is like, for those 20-30 minutes that I'm in the ring, I'm not tired at all. During that time, I'm not thinking about fatigue or the weather. I don't drink, I don't do drugs, so this is my buzz, my high. That's why I've never had any apprehension about wrestling overseas. The only thing that scares me is the stories of people falling sick in India. I guess Ryback was scared because he eats so much. For instance, when Regal came here in 2002, he was infected by a heart parasite and they had to operate on him, but even he's coming back next year. So how can I have any fears? In the end, it's all worth it."I ate a wafery tortilla-like food, I think it's called a dosaBryan is all praise for Indian cuisine, saying, "During my stay, I've eaten almost exclusively Indian food. The problem is I don't know a lot of the names, so don't ask me those. Of course, the first thing I had was the curry because that's what India is famous for. I love vegetarian food, so for me, India is special because it has a large variety of vegetarian dishes. The food here is so good and spiced so well. For breakfast one day, I had this wafery thing - almost like a tortilla - with spiced potatoes on the inside. I guess they call it a masala dosa. And I thought, 'Oh my God, this is so good and if I stay in India any longer, I'll get fat because I won't be able to stop eating.'"For many foreigners, spicy food is a dangerous proposition and cases of Delhi belly are all too common. Bryan, however, is one of those rare Americans who loves spicy food. "I love Indian spices. My wife is part Hispanic, part Italian, so she likes a lot of spices. Before I met her, I didn't eat a lot of spicy food, but now, she laughs at me because I eat food that's spicier than hers. What I love is that in India, the mixture of onion, garlic, turmeric and cumin is so good. It's literally what my mouth wants."Indians should use kabaddi and kushti skills in wrestlingThere are currently a couple of Indians training to be professional wrestlers in the WWE in the US. Bryan says he's not only looking forward to their time together in the ring, but also hopes it will contribute to the sport's evolution. "A few years ago, they signed two guys from India for the training program for the WWE and one of them was a kabaddi champion. I didn't even know what kabaddi was and when I checked it out, I'd never seen anything like it. I would like to see budding Indian wrestlers incorporate Indian martial arts and sports into their repertoire. Everybody brings something to the table. Everybody brings their own experience to wrestling. These kids have experiences and skill sets that no WWE star has ever had. By bringing that to the ring, they will help expand professional wrestling. What we do is constantly evolving and they can be part of that evolution," he says.Bryan also says that by bringing Indian styles of wrestling and sports to the WWE, these wrestlers can give Indian sports a global stage. "Apart from the kabaddi guy, we have another Indian bloke who is a traditional Indian kushti wrestler. Their techniques are different from ours. If they can utilise those skills, I think it will blow people's minds back home in the US. Just like when Rey Mysterio came to the US in the late 1990s, it began a fascination with the Mexican lucha libre wrestling. People thought it was the coolest thing ever. I think these guys have the ability to do the same thing for Indian styles," he says.