WHEN a Malaysian movie about pro wrestling was announced, there was no doubt in the minds of local wrestling fans that the man at the helm would be Ayez Shaukat Fonseka Farid.
Known in the entertainment scene as an actor, writer, producer and director, Ayez is also the pioneer of professional wrestling in Malaysia, wrestling under the name of Shaukat.
The movie, Gila Gusti (Wrestle Crazy), which is currently filming, is a production by APAC Wrestling through Lomo Pictures Sdn, in cooperation with Quick Sent and Quin Media.
The story is about a wrestler named Naga (Ayez), who loses his will to fight after losing his world championship title. However, two of his biggest fans refuse to give up on him and encourage Naga to once again rise and climb up the ranks to reclaim his title.
Speaking to theSun, Ayez shared: “The in-ring costume for Naga was designed by our stylist, Elaine Ng. It was inspired by classic wrestlers like the late great ‘British Bulldog’ Davey Boy Smith, ‘Ultimo Dragon’ Yoshihiro Asai, and Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat.”
He added that the story shows the industry from the perspective of both the fans and the wrestlers. It offers a broad look at the industry and its inner workings.
Perhaps it could also debunk certain misconceptions about pro wrestling held by Malaysians.
As an actor, Ayez’s most recent role was as Slick in Shadowplay, a movie directed by Tony Pietra Arjuna.
Ayez, now 32, started his journey to becoming Malaysia’s first professional wrestler at the age of 19 when he went to the United States to train. He then returned home to continue to hone his craft using the syllabus prepared by WWE legend Dr Tom Prichard.
In 2014, he established Malaysia Pro Wrestling (MyPW), a local production which has trained several wrestlers who have been making a name for themselves in shows and championships all across the region.
Last year, Ayez became the first Southeast Asian pro wrestler to achieve the dream of debuting in a major US wrestling promotion, when he was given the opportunity to be on Reality of Wrestling, a promotion led by the legendary two-time Hall of Famer and six-time world champion, Booker T.
However, the pandemic put a stop to his plans to take part in the experience.
Ayez also recently launched APAC Wrestling, a new pro wrestling promotion which debuted on YouTube in November 2020, featuring multiple new matches, an all-star roster, and action-packed storylines every week.
“The movie is an initiative by APAC Wrestling and was developed concurrently as part of the growth plan for APAC,” explained Ayez, who has always had a strong belief in the Malaysian pro wrestling scene.
Despite its relative newness as an industry in Malaysia, there are plans to take the promotion further with more movies, commercial activities and collaborations, just to name a few.
Through Gila Gusti, Ayez hopes to introduce more young Malaysians to pro wrestling and its existence in Malaysia, attracting more fans and encouraging more talents to join the sport.
“One of our main aims is to make pro wrestling a mainstream source of entertainment, just like how WWE is to the world,” said Ayez.
Directed by Silver Chung, the movie will also feature some of the biggest names in the APAC Wrestling roster who are also pro wrestling students of Ayez in real life.
These include veterans like ‘Malaysia Mob Boss’ Gotham, Azwan ‘Serigala’, ‘The Wonderboy’ J.Y.E, newcomer Poppy, and Malaysia’s own Nor ‘Phoenix’ Diana.
Also co-starring alongside Ayez are actor Syafie Nazwip and model and influencer Aisar Khaled, who play Naga’s two fans.
Other big names in the cast are Elizabeth Tan, who will play the ringside announcer, as well as Pekin Ibrahim and Jalaludin Hassan.
“The movie is still in its initial phase. Shooting began on Dec 26 and continued throughout January. It is expected to be released in May. As to where it will premiere, that depends on the pandemic situation.”
Ayez has always believed there is great potential for pro wrestling in Malaysia. For him, this is only the beginning of what is in store for APAC Wrestling.
