Dara Singh

Dara Singh (November 19, 1928 – July 12, 2012) was an Indian professional wrestler, actor and politician. He started acting in 1952 and was the first sportsman to be nominated to the Rajya Sabha (upper house) of India. He worked as a Hindi and Punjabi film producer, director and writer, and he acted in films and television. He is known for his role of Hanuman in the film Bajrangi (1976) and in Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan.
==Career==
As an adult he was 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall, weighed 127 kilograms (280 lb) and had a chest measurement of 53 inches (130 cm). Due to his physique, he was encouraged to take up pehlwani, an Indian style of wrestling. After switching to professional wrestling, he competed around the world with opponents such as Bill Verna, Firpo Zbyszko, Johnny Da Silva, Rikidozan, Danny Lynch and Sky Hi Lee etc., his act of flooring King Kong Czaya is always remembered.
In 1954 Dara competed in the Rustam-e-Hind (Champion of India) tournament where he won the final by defeating Tiger Joginder Singh and received a silver cup from Maharaja Hari Singh. In 1959, he won the Commonwealth Championship by defeating George Gordienko at Calcutta. On May 29, 1968 in Bombay, his victory over Lou Thesz earned him the Indian version of the World Heavyweight Championship. He took part in New Japan Pro Wrestling's World League tournament in 1975 under the ring name Father Singh, tying for 13th place in the tournament with John Gagne and Sangre Fría with two points each. His last tournament, where he announced his retirement, was held in Delhi in June 1983. In 1996 he was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame.
==Wrestling facts==
*Finishing and signature moves
:*Airplane spin
:*Indian deathlock
:*Knee drop
:*Body slam
:*Ankle lock
:*Flying tackle
:*Cobra hold
:*Boston crab
:*Mounted punches
:*Headscissors
:*Double axe handle
:*Forearm club
:*Side headlock
:*Knee lift
*Nicknames
:*"Rustam-e-Hind"
:*"Indian He-Man"
==Championships and accomplishments==
*World Wide Wrestling Association
**WWWA World Heavyweight Championship
*Maple Leaf Wrestling
**NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Championship (1 time)- with Yukon Eric
*Other championships
**Commonwealth Championship
**World Heavyweight Championship (Indian version)
**Champion of Malaysia (1951)
**Rustam-e-Hind (1954)
**Rustam-e-Punjab (1966)
*Wrestling Observer Newsletter
**Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)
*World Wrestling Entertainment
**WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2018)
==External links==
* on Wikipedia
* Profile
Category:Indian wrestlers
Category:Commentators
Category:American Wrestling Association alumni
Category:World Wide Wrestling Association alumi
Category:Maple Leaf Wrestling alumni
Category:National Wrestling Alliance alumni
Category:Superstars Of Wrestling alumni
Category:Wrestlers who have died
Category:1928 births
Category:1948 debuts
Category:1983 retirements
Category:2012 deaths
Category:Male wrestlers
Category:WWE Hall of Fame Legacy Inductee