Mohammad Al Shehhi is the first Emirati wrestler to represent the UAE overseas and now he’s turning his attention to opponents closer to home.
The second WrestleFest DXB will take place at Warehouse Four in Dubai's Al Quoz on Saturday. The event will have up to 18 wrestlers from different nationalities perform in the biggest culmination of UAE talent in the sport.
The inaugural event in March, held at the same venue, sold out, attracting a crowd of more than 200 to the emirate to watch local talent compete to become WrestleFest champion.
Al Shehhi, whose wrestling name is Shaheen — Arabic for falcon — will be joined by two fellow Emiratis, as well as wrestlers from India, Pakistan, Sweden, the Philippines, the Netherlands and the UK.
“Growing up watching wrestling, you soon notice that there’s no specific person that you can identify with in this part of the world,” says Al Shehhi. “Most wrestlers are American, British or European — there’s no one from the Middle East and it’s my dream to become that representative.
“I hope that WrestleFest will put the eyes of the wrestling world on the UAE. Even just a few years ago, we could only dream of pulling in the crowds that we had at the first event.”
Despite long having an interest in professional wrestling, it was only three years ago that Al Shehhi, a content strategist, started training to becoming a wrestler. He was inspired by early noughties WWE stars Matt and Jeff Hardy.
Since then, he has represented the UAE at matches in the UK, the US and Pakistan in front of thousands.
“After I graduated from university I was looking for a purpose in life,” he says. “I’d always been athletic and had trained as a gymnast and in CrossFit. Wrestling was sort of like putting all of those pieces together and I decided to go for it.
“Within six months of training I was asked to represent Dubai at a match in Pakistan in front of 4,000 people. I was so overwhelmed that I almost turned it down but it was one of the best things I’ve ever done.”
Spurred on by the experience, Al Shehhi threw himself into training and established a wrestling academy where amateurs can train and have matches.
Initially, the in-house events were attended by 15 to 20 people, mainly his friends and family. But before long, videos of the matches that Al Shehhi posted on Instagram and YouTube began to attract attention.
“I was invited to compete in other international matches in the UK and the US,” he says. “To be the first Emirati to compete felt pretty amazing and I want to pave the way for others to do the same.
“I ended up meeting some of my all-time [wrestling] idols including Lita and Finn Balor and they told me to just go for it and success will follow, and it has.”
Amid the pandemic, wrestling ground to a halt as restrictions made close contact and public events impossible, but restlessness proved key for Al Shehhi when things began to open up again.
“After Covid, we were filled with this incredible energy to take our wrestling academy to the next level and so WrestleFest was born,” he says. “Now, we’re ready to go big and show the world what the UAE is made of."
The first event was a resounding success and made a huge stir in Dubai’s sporting scene.
Now, Al Shehhi has been contacted by the Dubai Sports Council to make him aware of its attendance at Saturday’s event, in what he hopes will lead to sponsorship and better opportunities for the region.
“Wrestling has never been recognised in the UAE as a sport traditionally, so to have a government entity attend is just incredible,” says Al Shehhi.
“Now we just need to give them what they came for.”
Tickets for WrestleFest DXB from Dh75 are available at Eventbrite
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
360Vuz PROFILE
Date started: January 2017
Founder: Khaled Zaatarah
Based: Dubai and Los Angeles
Sector: Technology
Size: 21 employees
Funding: $7 million
Investors: Shorooq Partners, KBW Ventures, Vision Ventures, Hala Ventures, 500Startups, Plug and Play, Magnus Olsson, Samih Toukan, Jonathan Labin
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Tori Amos
Native Invader
Decca
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X
Price, as tested: Dh84,000
Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: Six-speed auto
Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
What: Brazil v South Korea
When: Tonight, 5.30pm
Where: Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae
Last 10 NBA champions
2017: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-1
2016: Cleveland bt Golden State 4-3
2015: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-2
2014: San Antonio bt Miami 4-1
2013: Miami bt San Antonio 4-3
2012: Miami bt Oklahoma City 4-1
2011: Dallas bt Miami 4-2
2010: Los Angeles Lakers bt Boston 4-3
2009: Los Angeles Lakers bt Orlando 4-1
2008: Boston bt Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
The biog
Family: He is the youngest of five brothers, of whom two are dentists.
Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.
Where he works: Liberty Dental Clinic
21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Yuval Noah Harari, Jonathan Cape
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
