Satnam Singh wouldn’t hurt a fly. Unless, of course, it was his wrestling opponent for a match in front of a cheering All Elite Wrestling crowd. Then, he might give the insect a little love tap or two. Still, though, Singh would inevitably play nice. No tearing off wings, no smashing under a frying pan. The 7ft 4in and 360lb former professional basketball player and current professional wrestler is as gentle a giant as they come in daily life. Singh is kind, considerate. Easily likable. Patience, he says, is a prized virtue. At the same time, he knows the magnificent power that’s in just his two hands. They could, without hyperbole, terminate someone in a blink – let alone a buzzing fly. Singh knows the strength of his hands from experience. Back in India where he was born, he lost his temper one day on the basketball court as a youth. He struck a then-smack-talking friend with what Singh says was merely 5% to 10% of his strength. A simple slap across the face. But his friend was knocked out cold and wouldn’t immediately wake up. In that moment, Singh knew he had to be careful. He’s never been in a skirmish since.
“No, never in my life,” Singh tells the Guardian in his low, cavernous voice. “Because I know who I am and how much power I have in my body, in my hands. So, I don’t want to use it outside of the ring. Because if I did, I’m sure, I’m 100% sure someone would be injured so bad.”
Even if someone is acting especially “annoying,” Singh says, he would never hurt them intentionally. He thinks immediately of that person’s family, their mother and father, who would mourn them if something went wrong. Indeed, the idea of family is paramount to Singh. It’s his guiding light and his rudder. For the big fella, who was drafted in 2015 by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round (with the 52nd pick), the first-ever Indian player to enter the NBA, his early lessons, before any basketball court or wrestling match, came from his equally tall father.
“My dad has the same hands,” says Singh. “I don’t want to use that hand on anyone. Because my dad told me, ‘Listen, son, I know what you’re thinking, but never, ever hit anyone in your life. … He just told me, ‘Be strong, get big and never do anything bad so you’re stuck somewhere.’”
With that foundation, Singh worked to break free of his surroundings. Putting in sweat and time and not looking to cut corners along the way. The 27-year-old, who was born in the tiny Indian village of Baloke, which, as of the latest census, boasts some 1,303 residents, had big goals. Born on 10 December 1995, Singh was just nine years old when his father, who himself played basketball as a young man, installed a makeshift hoop on the wheat farm where the family made a living. His father showed the sport to Singh, who already stood then at 5ft 9in.
As a teen, Singh worked to improve his strength, even pushing a tractor “almost, like, one-mile every day.” As he got older, he began to earn recognition in India as a real basketball prospect. Historically, the country’s basketball program has been well below the standards of other countries like China or Argentina, to name two, but Singh was determined to be the first to make it out and into the NBA. Starting in 2007, he began to play for the national team, doing so for several consecutive years. Though later in 2020 there was controversy over a drug ban.
Singh came to America in 2010. He enrolled at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. But he came to the US with little ability to speak English. Truly, Singh was a project on and off the court – though a willing one. In the 2017 Netflix documentary, One in a Billion, Singh’s work ethic is on full display. He talks about making his family and India proud through his rise. And in 2015, his dream of becoming the first Indian-born player drafted into the NBA came true. While Singh never suited up past NBA summer league and for a few developmental leagues, the center had done what previously seemed impossible. Today, sadly, he says he doesn’t keep up with many people from his NBA days, save a few players and coaches, and he isn’t working hands-on to grow the game in India. Yet, Singh remains an icon in the country.
Now, when it comes to sports, it’s all about wrestling. Singh, the first Indian-born wrestler in AEW, fits with the organization like, well, a hand in a glove. “The people love giants,” Singh says of his fans. With AEW, if Singh is to slap or punch someone, it’s because they’re willing to receive it. If he picks a wrestler up to throw them across the ring, he says, “That’s my job.” Of course, Singh would never go too far, aware of the line first drawn with his childhood friend on the court. But a little physicality is warranted. Singh, who got his first tryout in pro wrestling with the more established WWE in 2017, later found a home with upstart AEW in 2021. He’s been there ever since.
Years ago, when it came to his basketball training, Singh had to be lean to run up and down the court and switch nimbly on defense. But now, since there isn’t nearly as much running, Singh can be burlier, more imposing. “It’s totally different,” he says. Like other big men before him, including Wilt Chamberlain and Andre the Giant, Singh is a physical marvel. While a stunning athlete, at his core, he’s also an entertainer. It’s a role that works well for Singh, who loves to make people happy. He feels a sense of responsibility to bring joy to others. “Our job is to make everyone smile,” he says of his wrestling brethren. Asked if he likes task, he responds, “I love it! I love it! I think it’s the best job I have in my life. If you make someone happy, I think that is amazing. A lot of people don’t make anyone happy.”
The Sequoia-like Singh takes it all very seriously, using words like “help each other” when it comes to the fan-performer relationship. It’s admirable, especially in a socially divided 2023. The public needs the escape, Singh says. If they didn’t have something to smile about, what would be the repercussions?
Singh, who was rooting for his favorite team, the LA Lakers, in this year’s NBA playoffs, says training is on his mind as soon he wakes up. But first, to start the morning, he prays for upwards of thirty-to-forty minutes. Then he makes coffee, some food and looks at his schedule for the day. He gets ready for the gym, where he works out for two-to-three hours. In the evening, if there is no AEW event, he works on his technique with his wrestling coaches. Life can be much harder, though, when he’s on the road and the showers and beds are tiny. At home he has a “big, huge bed” but on the road in hotels—nope. He’s lost count of the number of times he’s bumped his head on doorframes or ceilings.
Late in May, Singh participated in AEW’s tentpole event, Double or Nothing, which aired on pay-per-view. While he is not yet one of the sport’s main draws, he’s still working hard on his craft. He’s tireless, often collaborating with wrestlers like Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal. But while playing the game of basketball seemed important to Singh for the honor it brought his family and homeland, along with the way out it offered, he enjoys wrestling for himself these days. “It’s fun,” he says, adding that he’s “still learning.” While his goal is to eventually win an AEW championship (“I’m ready for that,” Singh says), he knows it’s one day at a time. Still, he wants “everything to be perfect.”
Perhaps surprisingly, Singh hasn’t sought out advice or conversation with giants like the WWE’s The Great Khali, who, at 7ft 1in, was the first Indian-born heavyweight champ, or Omos, another former basketball player, who stands 7ft 3in. Singh has, though, connected with the 7ft wrestler, The Big Show (who himself played college basketball at Wichita State), and learned some “tips” from him. In the end, for Singh, life is about staying true to himself. He calls his family in India nearly every night. He misses them, he says. But his busy, burgeoning life with AEW precludes him from taking extended trips these days.
Someday, Singh says, he wants to help build AEW’s footprint in India. He thinks he can bridge the organization with the country’s billion, or so, people. It’s the same positive attitude Singh has always carried with him through his life. He wants to use his gifts to make things better –not to squish a bug. And while some might think it a burden to live in a world not built for someone of his massive stature, Singh embraces it, gladly.
“I love myself!” Singh says. “I love to be myself. I’m so big and I’m looking good. I’m 7ft 4in. Not many people in the world [are that tall]! God gave me a gift, so I can use it for something good.”
