Aspiring Pro Wrestlers Learn The Ropes In Northeast Philly

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - If you always wanted to make a living body slamming and pile driving people, there's a professional wrestling school in Northeast Philadelphia that's tagging you in.

Ophidian The Cobra is an instructor at the CHIKARA Wrestle Factory on Wingate Street, where he teaches the essentials.

"Tumbling and falling," he says, "as well as leaping and jumping and rope work, ending with chain wrestling and one on one movement."

He says if wrestling is in your heart, go for it:

"Don't be afraid to dream big. It takes all shapes and sizes, young, old, it doesn't matter who or what you are, it takes all types to make pro wrestling. You're never too anything to become a pro wrestler."

Many students, like Shannon Sexton (far left in above photo), are new to wrestling. She brings a gymnastics background to the ring.

"I was pretty surprised at how closely related it is," she tells KYW Newsradio.

She says training with others who share her passion is the best part:

"It's a really cool environment. Everybody watches each other and learns from each other. You have such a wide range of body types and it's always interesting to see what different people can do."

Her goal: join the up-and-coming Philadelphia Ladies of Wrestling federation.

At 19-years-old, Christian Nieves (red shirt in above photo), also new to the sport, knows what he wants to do with his life:

"Wrestling is a beautiful art which I love."

So he, too, enrolled in the Wrestle Factory to learn the basics.

"You practice bumps, you practice grappling," he says. "Just getting in the ring and having that in-ring feel makes you feel great."

Ophidian says the classes are physically demanding, but require just as much mental toughness.

The Wrestle Factory's most famous graduate...current WWE superstar, Cesaro.

For more information on the classes, CLICK HERE.

In:
• Wrestling
• Community
• Philadelphia