Former World’s Strongest Man contestant from Gosport set to jump into the wrestling ring

A FORMER competitor from the World’s Strongest Man competition will soon be stepping out of the gym and into the wrestling ring.
Rob Frampton, three-time entrant to the World's Strongest Man competition, guest judge at the contest. Picture: Sarah Standing (122519-196)Rob Frampton, three-time entrant to the World's Strongest Man competition, guest judge at the contest. Picture: Sarah Standing (122519-196)
Rob Frampton, three-time entrant to the World's Strongest Man competition, guest judge at the contest. Picture: Sarah Standing (122519-196)

Rob Frampton, 45 from Gosport, will be taking part in a wrestling event at Thorngate Halls next month, entering the ring with some seasoned veterans from the area.

Rob, who competed in the World’s Strongest Man competition three times, says he is looking forward to getting involved with the world of wrestling.

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He said: ‘I’ve done a couple of charity wrestling gigs in the past couple of years, but now it’s starting to get serious.

‘I’ve come full circle with the strong man competitions and now I’m getting really into wrestling; when I was a kid I would watch what is now WWE on the American TV channels.

‘The strength and power of the wrestlers was insane and I love the over-the-top performance of it all.’

Rob says that he is excited to ‘put on a show’ as he transfers over to wrestling, with his passion for the theatrics of the event at the forefront.

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According to the 24-stone giant, there hasn’t been much change to his training regime either.

He said: ‘You need a character in wrestling, just like you do in the strong man competitions.

‘It’s fun to choose if you’re going to be a hero or a villain, and then to play that out - I’ve always enjoyed being a showman so figured I would give it a go.

‘A lot of what I used to do in training still applies; there’s a lot of compound lifts and strength training, but now I have to mix that in with some fitness training though because you have to be supple and agile too.

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‘I might be 24 stone, but I still need to be quite flexible.’

One thing Rob has had to learn, though, is how to take a hit - or rather, take a hit and get back up again.

He explained: ‘It’s about learning the moves and playing the part, but I absolutely love it; I love the banter between the wrestlers and love seeing the crowd get so close and invested in it.

‘Some of it is a staged performance, but you’re still getting thrown into the ground. Last time I tried it I got torn to shreds - but this time I’m going to be throwing people around all over the place, just you watch me.’

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The event is taking place at Thorngate Halls in Bury Road, Gosport, on Saturday, March 2.

Doors open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start. Tickets cost £10 for adults and £8 for children, with tickets available on the door or from calling (023) 9251 0012.