ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - From the moment his music hits and he walks through the curtains wearing his traditional faranji coat and rocking a jamana headwrap, Karou, “the Beast from the Middle East” strikes fear into the hearts of his opponents, while making a name for himself as the first ever Kurdish pro-wrestler in North America.
Karou Bab was born in 1991 in Turkey’s Ankara to parents Rahman Bab and Ghomri Kaveh, originally from western Iran’s Kurdish city of Marivan. Soon after his birth, his family would migrate to Canada and spend nearly a year in a refugee camp with other Kurdish families, before being accepted into the country. His father, uncle, and grandfather had all been Peshmerga fighters defending the Kurdish cause.
Growing up in Toronto, Karou initially developed an interest in American football and trained to become a professional footballer, but his true dream has always been to become the first Kurdish performer to take over the squared circle.
“I have always wanted to get into wrestling. Regardless of if it was after football or not. This was something I was going to do. Even in football I would wear a Kurdish soccer jersey under my equipment every game,” he told Rudaw English.
His love for wrestling blossomed at a very young age, thanks to his older brother Heydar who introduced him to the sport. The two would spend all their days watching wrestling on television and trying out moves on each other, dreaming of one day standing side by side in the ring as a dominant tag team.
“He [Heydar] always wanted to be a wrestler but unfortunately he has a disability that makes it impossible for him to wrestle. Our dream was becoming a tag team like the Hardy Boyz and Edge & Christian,” he said referring to two of the most iconic duos in pro-wrestling history.
Karou began his wrestling journey in 2015, when he started training with Anthony Carelli, better known to wrestling fans as the lovable Santino Marella character in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), whom he claims is just as funny in real life.
“It was a great experience, he [Carelli] knows a lot when it comes to professional wrestling… He still gives me advice and helps me with wrestling whenever he can. He is actually super funny. Every time he is around you will end up laughing your butt off!”
Karou’s Kurdish identity is a major element of his wrestling persona, also referred to as a gimmick. He is billed as being from Kurdistan, his nickname is the Kurdish Crusher, and his finishing move is called the Kurdish Slam.
Additionally, he wears traditional Kurdish jamana, faranji, and sharwal to the ring,and says that he often taunts his opponents in Kurdish.
“It was a no-brainer that I would incorporate our [Kurdish] culture into wrestling. A lot of people in this world do not know about Kurdistan and our history. When I knew I was going to be a wrestler, I told myself this would be a great way to introduce the wrestling world to Kurdistan. Most of the time I will be talking crazy in Kurdish to my opponents.”
Regardless of his parents’ initial disapproval of him becoming a professional wrestler, Karou says that all his family members and relatives are now very supportive of his career and proud of the fact that he incorporates Kurdish heritage into his gimmick.
Over his eight-year career in the independent wrestling scene, Karou has won several championships in different promotions, and has shared the ring with some of the business’ most recognizable names such as Chris Masters, JTG, Big Bill (Big Cass), and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Hall of Famer Dan Severn. One legend he dreams of facing off against in the future is “The Phenom” The Undertaker.
Despite having a significantly large fanbase among the youth, stigma against professional wrestling persists within the Kurdish community, which criticizes the sport for being “fake” on account of its scripted nature. Karou says this perception irritates him, referring to professional wrestling as an “art” instead.
“The moves we do or take are not ‘fake’. Our injuries aren't ‘fake’… Professional wrestling is an art, which is why we wrestle on a canvas. It is also theater: We are telling a story.”
Karou says that he does not have a major Kurdish following in Canada, but his online Kurdish fanbase has recently grown significantly with the help of his family and relatives back in Kurdistan sharing his videos.
The Kurdish Crusher’s ultimate goal is to sign with a major wrestling company, continue representing his Kurdish heritage, and inspire other Kurds who share his passion for professional wrestling.
“I want to help spread awareness about Kurdistan and our history and culture. But more importantly, I hope to inspire other Kurds like myself who love professional wrestling to follow their dreams and become a wrestler,” Karou concluded.
