B.C.'s 'Bollywood Boyz' slam their way to the big leagues

"You can't hold back true talent."

That's what professional wrestling icon Bret 'The Hitman'Hart told Burnabybrothers and aspiring wrestlersHarv and GurvSihra in 2008, when they ran into the Canadian legend atwrestling event in Las Vegas.

"Over the last 10 years,whether we're wrestling in front of 50 people in Winnipeg or 1,000 people in Vegas, we never forget that advice," said HarvSihra.

The Sihrabrothers are better known by their in-ring alter egos,The Bollywood Boyz.They're one of the highlights of the B.C.-based Elite Canadian Championship Wrestling promotion.

Once a month,you can find themsporting tights and tassels at the Russian Community Centre in Kitsilano, eliciting cheers, dancingand chants of "Butter Chicken!"from the crowd.

"If the wrestlers are having fun, the crowds starts having fun," said HarvSihra.

And after a decade of bruises,body slams, and Bollywooddances,the Boyzare bringingtheir "butter chicken beat-down"to World Wrestling Entertainment.

The big leagues

Last week, theSihra brotherstravelled to Orlando tocompete in theWWE'sfirst ever CruiserweightClassica 32-mantournament thatshowcasesup-and-coming talent from across the globe.

The event gaveHarvSihra, 28,andGurvSihra, 31, theopportunityto each showcase their skills in front of 1,000 fans and a handfulhigh-ranking WWE execs.

"I can just remember, both of usbeing sonervous the night before," saidGurvSihra. "We could have thegreatest match in Vancouver, or the greatest match in Las Vegas or anywhere in the states, but this wasthe one that counted the most."

But when it came time to enter the ring on June 23, they didn't forget to indulge in the long-awaitedfruits of their labour.

"I remember just standing behind that curtain before that music hit, thinking 'I'm about to wrestle for the WWE!'" saidHarvSihra.

"And you remember why you're doing this you remember being that eight-year-old kid watching wrestling on TV. So you enjoy the moment."

A childhood dream come true

Long before the Sihras ever laced up their boots, they had dreams of making it to the big show.

"Our earliest memories were watching guys like Bret Hart and Shawn Michaelsas kids," said HarvSihra,adding thatthey both knew they wanted to be wrestlers while they were still in elementary school.

The Sihrasstarted wrestling professionally in the lower mainland underECCW in 2005.But it wasn'tuntil they embraced anotherchildhood passion that theyreally made their mark on thelocal wrestling scene.

"We grew up being hugeBollywoodfilm fans, watching it with our parents," saidGurvSihra. "It truly is a part of who we are, and what our family is as well."

The duo decided to incorporate Bollywood into their wrestling personas, marketing themselves asThe Bollywood Boyz, a tag-team duo that would just as soon strike up a traditional Punjabidanceas they would throw their opponents in a Boston Crab.

Theyquickly became crowd favourites, winning numerous championships in regional promotions across Canada, the U.S. and India.

But they always had their sights on the WWE. And getting their foot in the door wasn't easy.

The big leagues

"We were actually in touch with the WWE for the last five or six years," said GarvSihra."Exchanging e-mails with them, knocking on the door, trying to get tryouts, trying to go to the camps justto get noticed."

Their persistence paid off in August2015, when they were cast as extras during a taping ofWWE'sMonday Night Raw in Seattle, appearingas members of wrestler Adam Rose's entourage.

While they might not have wrestled on the show, their networking game was in full swing.

"We managed to get in a short little conversation with Triple H," saidGurvSihra, referring to theWWE'ssuperstar turned vice president of talent.

He advised them to try hard tomake a name for themselves.They took his advice, and it paid off. The following February, the WWE reached out to them to compete in the first ever Cruiserweight Classic.

The future

There's no guarantees the Bollywood Boyz will receive a long-term contract with the WWE. But they believe their performances, inside and outside the ring, will leave a strong impression on the WWE's higher-ups.

"We got to talk to Triple H personally, we got to pitch him ideas. We got some hands on training with William Regal, it was just surreal. That whole week, we were just soaking it all in," said GurvSihra.

"We're hopeful we're going to make another trip back," addedHarv."We felt like we delivered, we're different and unique, and right now we're taking it one day a time."

The Sihra brothers are especially optimistic they'll returngiven their popularity in India, one of the WWE's biggest markets.

But if they do make the transition to a permanent spot in the big leagues, you can betthey'llbe sorely missed by one of their current employers.

"Of course I'd be sad to see them leave," said Scotty Mac, co-owner of ofECCW. "It'd be detrimental to the shows."

"But if I was sad I wouldn't let them know it. It would just be the single tear rolling down my face as they ride off into the beginning of their WWE journey."

Until then, the Bollywood Boyz will be bringing their dance skills back to ECCW at the sixthCommodore Ballroom Brawl in July.