Roman Reigns inspired his punches, Russell gave him a nickname: Meet Kapil Pokhariya
Kapil Pokhariya, an Indian Army havaldar, credits his childhood fascination with WWE wrestler Roman Reigns for his success in boxing. Pokhariya recently won a bronze medal in the 90kg category at the 2026 Asian Games.
Why it matters
It illustrates the unconventional paths to professional athletic success and the cultural influence of global entertainment on local youth development.
NEW DELHI: Jumping on cotton-filled mattresses, punching pillows, throwing them over walls and hitting a homemade punching bag filled with mountain soil - Kapil Pokhariya’s childhood was all about pro-wrestling.His fascination with pro-wrestler Roman Reigns was well known in his locality. He would skip meals, playtime, and outings to watch WWE programming on television. Once the show was over, he would try to copy the moves and punches at home.Little did he know that this childhood fascination could one day bring him his biggest recognition.Today, Kapil - an Indian Army havaldar - is an Asian Games medallist. Kapil won bronze in the men’s 90kg boxing event at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.“I never knew that copying Roman Reigns and practising those punches would bring me this far. I used to save recordings of his videos, and I still have them.
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