Broadcast journalism junior Parviz Memari balances two full-time jobs with college at UH and professional wrestling.  |  Courtesy of Parviz Memari

Broadcast journalism junior Parviz Memari has two full-time jobs. On top of coursework, he has to worry about one opponent climbing the turnbuckle while another approaches with a steel chair.

Memari pursues his dream of becoming a professional wrestler. Memari will put his dream into action during an event by Houston-based Reality of Wrestling on April 19 at the Clear Lake City Recreation Center. ROW, which is the pet project of legendary wrestler Booker T, is an independent promotion.

The journey to become a wrestler can be a tough road to follow. However, Memari’s military background set him up for success.

“I have been wrestling for around three years now,” Memari said.

“When I got out of the Marines in 2011, I was looking for something to stay physically active that I enjoyed doing. I did some grappling and MMA-style training. I also did some competitive strongman events (pulling trucks and carrying the big circular stones) before deciding on solely pursuing professional wrestling. I was a huge wrestling fan growing up; I loved watching it every week for as far back as I can remember.”

For those only familiar with the World Wrestling Entertainment and what they’ve seen on TV, the world of the independent wrestler can be an eye-opening experience. Many independent wrestling promotions focus on touring certain regions of the country. Professionals spend a lot of time on the road away from their friends and family training, competing and learning how to execute new moves.

“It is very difficult to juggle school with wrestling,” Memari said. “I work out around 3 hours a day, four or five days a week (depending on my schedule). I used to travel a lot and work shows in Texas and Louisiana, which would also eat up an entire day between traveling to the show, the show itself and coming back. I want to succeed in both, but they are both full-time jobs.”

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“Student tackles coursework, steel chairs” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar