Gama Singh

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For the Indian wrestler of the early 20th century, see The Great Gama.

Gama Singh
Raj Singh (son)
Jinder Mahal (nephew)
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Gama Singh
Great Gama
Billed height5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Billed weight225 lb (102 kg)
Trained byBill Persack
Stu Hart
Debut1973[1]
Retired2020

Gadowar Singh Sahota (

Impact Wrestling
as the manager for a stable of Indian wrestlers known as the Desi Hit Squad, but quietly left in 2020.

Early life

His father emigrated to Canada from Punjab, India, with his family joining him in 1963. Sahota went to school in Merritt, British Columbia and excelled in amateur wrestling.[2]

Professional wrestling career

Early career (1973–1974)

In the early-1970s, Sahota met Bill Persack, an old time wrestler at a Vancouver

the great Indian star at the turn of the 20th century.[2]

Stampede Wrestling (1974–1990)

Beginning his wrestling career in 1973, Gama Singh was one of the most hated wrestlers of all time in the Stampede Wrestling territory.

British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Championship, which he would win six times in the 1980s; with title victories over future renowned stars such as Davey Boy Smith, Owen Hart and Chris Benoit.[4]

Also in the 1980s Gama was a founding member and leader of the hated Karachi Vice stable, which also included

Rhonda Singh, Ron Starr and managers JR Foley and Abu Wizal.[5] A much reviled play on the popular 80s TV series Miami Vice and the city of Karachi in Pakistan; the Karachi Vice would dominate Stampede Wrestling in the late 1980s, becoming a cult sensation within Calgary.[6] In an era when wrestling was treated as a real sport rather than spectacle, Gama Singh incensed much hatred as a wrestling villain in Calgary, receiving racist threats and often encountered people swearing at him on the street.[7] Stampede wrestling would be purchased by Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1984, but returned under Bruce Hart running with Gama as one of the top attractions until 1990.[8]

NWA All-Star Wrestling (1977–1979)

Aside from Stampede Wrestling, and his later WWF tours, Gama Singh spent much of the late 1970s in

Guy Mitchell and Buck Zumhofe; culminating in a Tag Title win with partner Igor Volkoff.[9]

International career (1978–1994)

Singh applying a Boston crab to his opponent

Apart from competing in the odd

Bad News Allen; and also competed for WPW in Germany in the mid-1990s, teaming with longtime associate 'Champagne' Gerry Morrow.[10]

World Wrestling Federation/WWF (1980–1986)

In the early eighties,

Indian Rock Python.[11]

Impact Wrestling (2018–2020)

Singh signed a deal with

Nashville, quietly leaving the company.[1]

Personal life

Gama started investing money in real estate eventually becoming a renowned real estate developer in Calgary.

Raj Singh. His nephew Yuvraj Singh Dhesi,[13] would go on to the WWE, as Jinder Mahal and win the WWE Championship in 2017.[14]

Championships and accomplishments

References

  1. ^ a b c Greer, Jamie (January 14, 2018). "Indian Legend Gama Singh Joins Impact Wrestling". Last Word on Pro Wrestling. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
  2. ^
    Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the original on August 1, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link
    )
  3. ^ "Jinder Mahal first Calgarian professional wrestler to win WWE Championship since Bret Hart, 20 years ago". Calgary Sun. Archived from the original on July 29, 2017. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
  4. ^ "Stampede British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Championship". Cagematch.com. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
  5. ^ "Karachi Vice". Cagematch.net. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
  6. ISBN 978-1550227871
    .
  7. ^ "GRIP ON REALITY". Calgary Sun. Archived from the original on July 29, 2017. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
  8. ^ "Curse of Stampede Wrestling?". Slam Sports. Archived from the original on February 4, 2018. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
  9. ^ "Gama Singh Matches". Cagematch.com. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
  10. ^ "Gama Singh". Cagematch.com. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
  11. ^ "WWF TUESDAY NIGHT TITANS EP. 39 REVIEW". F4W Staff. October 27, 2015. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
  12. ^ "GRIP ON REALITY". Calgary Sun. Archived from the original on July 29, 2017. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
  13. ^ "Gama Singh made Great choices outside the ring". Slam Sports. Archived from the original on August 25, 2018. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
  14. ^ "Jinder Mahal Becomes The First Indo-Canadian Wrestler To Win WWE Championship". desibuzzbc.com. Archived from the original on August 27, 2017. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
  15. ^ "Stampede World Mid-Heavyweight Title". Puroresu Dojo.

External links

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