First Hong Kong WWE wrestler on how to stay in shape, and his push to promote the sport in Asia
Ho Ho Lun, who spent 14 months as a pro wrestler on the WWE circuit in the US with legends John Cena and The Undertaker, talks about his efforts to promote the sport in Asia, his diet and fitness regime and how he avoids injury
In 2009, when Ho Ho Lun founded Hong Kong Pro-Wrestling Federation to fire up the local wrestling scene, he organised an event – and only 50 spectators turned up.
“Nobody supported us,” he says of the event at a warehouse in Sha Tin in the New Territories. “People said we couldn’t make it big since we were just hobbyists.”
Fast forward to today, and many of those naysayers are now fans, the group’s home-grown wrestlers having trained hard locally and overseas to improve, and built up their repertoire in wrestling circuits worldwide.
Jason Lee’s NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion title in Japan a few years ago helped, as did Lun joining the professional World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) circuit in 2016.
While touring in Portugal, an American friend asked Lun – whose real name is Wong Yuk-lun – if he was keen to join WWE, and the Tai Po native seized the opportunity. By mid-2016, he had joined the 150-wrestler roster for WWE’s NXT show in the US, where he encountered wrestling legends such as ’90s star The Undertaker, and wrestler-turned-actor John Cena.
But tough days lay ahead. Long hours on the road travelling, and daily stints in the gym to get in shape for three to four fights a week took their toll. The fierce competition to get into the ring – at WWE, 150 wrestlers wait backstage as standbys – added even more pressure.