Riza (RLS CAS)

Rashad "Riza" Osman (born 2nd August 1994 in Bingham, Nottinghamshire) is an English professional wrestler currently in his second run with UNION Wrestling, where he performs under the name Riza. 
Initially trained by staff of the Indian-owned promotion Atoms of Wrestling (later Pro Wrestling Atom), Osman would take several in-ring names all paying homage to them1.
== Career ==
=== Training in India (2008-2010) ===
Osman would, while being home-schooled by his mother2, travel to India to train with Atoms of Wrestling, who were hoping to build their roster. He'd work under established AoW veterans Ravi Shah and Rafik Khan, who would shape his methodical, technical style, and who he'd take his ring names from in future3.
Osman would never actually appear as a wrestler for AoW, and he was released in 2010 before returning to the UK.
=== BWF & UK Indies (2010-2014) ===
Osman would join British Wrestling Federation soon after returning to the UK, going to their academy and working with Mike Fantastic (later known as Mikey Ace) for the remainder of his training. He'd appear in a few Academy Showcase matches on BWF programming, as well as Best of British Wrestling's Fisticuffs show, between 2011 and 2013.
He'd also appear sporadically for smaller promotions during this time, like Fife Wrestling Kingdom and the Northern Wrestling Coalition. He infamously appeared for Midlands Pro Wrestling in late 2013, under the name Ravi Khan, where he broke his arm following a top rope dive to the outside of the ring4. BWF actually sued MPW for this occurrence, claiming that they were hoping to debut him soon.
He would, in late 2014, properly debut for BWF, winning the Young Blood trophy in a five-star final against Malachi Roberts, though BWF would close it's doors soon after.5 
=== UNION Wrestling (2015-2018) ===
UNION Wrestling would offer him a way back into wrestling in 2015, under the tweaked name Ravi Rafik. His appearances in the tours of 2015 and 2016 would be limited to the mid-card, but his performances saw him impress enough for Eddie Hamer to name him as "one to watch" in his blog. He'd debut on Live From The UNION in November 2016, in a loss to Wroe, while also being announced as one of the participants in the upcoming Brawl Championship tournament. He'd make it the quarter final before losing to eventual winner Tyrone Riske. 
He'd end up in a feud with Wroe and Mikey Ace next, eventually being inserted into the Inter Championship match at PWU Capitol Punishment 2017 live event, where he'd lose after being pinned by the champion, Ace. Following this, he'd continue to feud with Wroe, only for both men to be targeted by a "mystery attacker", later revealed to be Ryan "Bull" Fraser. The stop-start nature of the feud, due to minor injuries suffered by Rafik and issues with the debut of Fraser, led to Rafik naming it the worst thing he'd done in wrestling6, beating out the broken arm. The feud would end with a handicap loss for both him and Wroe to Fraser at The UNION Wrestling Classic 2017. 
Rafik would continue to work the mid-card after this, notably losing to Broderick in the following weeks, before taking some time off to heal up ready for the second season of programming. He'd main event the first episode of UNION Charged in October 2017, one again against the now-Internet Champion Bull Fraser, before being relegated mainly to UNION LIVE! shows. 
Another attempt at management pairing him with Wroe for a feud turned out to be the last straw for Rafik, who'd no-show several events before confirming he'd been released from his contract7. Ironically, Wroe himself would walk out in the interim, for separate reasons. 
=== Return to Indies (2018-present) ===
Once again using the mononym 'Ravi'8, appearances were slow for the remainder of 2018 as promotions didn't want to potentially incur the wrath of UNION Wrestling, but as they began to diminish as a force, he found moderate success in Fife Wrestling Kingdom and Midlands Pro Wrestling. 
He would finally debuting for Indian-owned promotion Pro Wrestling Atom (former Atoms of Wrestling) following this, winning their World Heavyweight Championship in March 2019 from Sarabjeet Rai. He'd hold it for the remainder of the year before the European tour show New Year, Who Dis?, where he dropped it to Rakesh Singh. He remained, up until 2020 and the rise of South African Bain Bucks in the promotion, the only non-Indian to hold the belt.
Rafik was one of the minds behind the 'Indy Wrestling Lives' shows to raise money for the flagging alternative wrestling scene promotions in Britain. He'd wrestle veteran names like Hidyus, Shaun Hamer and Carl Milligan as well as up-and-comers like CJ Starr and Jake Cousins before the COVID-19 pandemic halted the shows.
He was asked by the Squared Circle Insider 'Ring Ring' podcast in 2021 if he'd consider going back to UNION Wrestling, where he admitted he was angry that they'd blocked several stars from appearing at the post-COVID restriction IWL shows, and likely wouldn't be able to go back "right now". 
=== UNION Wrestling return (2024-present) ===
Despite his comments and negative feelings, and now going by the name Riza, he'd return to UNION Wrestling in 2024, initially competing on their dark UNION Attendance Only show, defeating The Cowpoke and Doscara in the Three-Person Match.
== In-Wrestling ==
=== Signatures ===
Samoan Drop 6/7 (7 outside ring)
Wrestling Takedown 2
=== Finishers ===
Super Piledriver (Suplex Piledriver 1/2)
=== Nicknames ===
-
=== Themes ===
Sports 3
== Accomplishments ==
Pro Wrestling Atom World Heavyweight Champion (2019)
== Trivia ==
* Osman was raised by his mother, following the death of his father as an infant, sharing time between their home in Bingham and his parents' native Lebanon9.
* Osman has admitted in several interviews that he and Ryan Fraser "don't get on", stemming from their early disputes while roster-mates at UNION Wrestling. Osman believes Fraser took his calling the "mystery attacker" feud the worst part of his career personally, leading to the animosity10.
== Behind-the-Scenes/Notes ==
Category:CAWs