'Million Dollar Arm' pitcher Rinku Singh training to become WWE Superstar
Rinku Singh, the former Pittsburgh Pirates minor-league pitcher who inspired the 2014 Disney movie "Million Dollar Arm," is making the transition to professional wrestling.
Singh will report to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla. on Tuesday to begin full-time training, WWE announced. He earned a developmental contract with the company after taking part in an invitation-only tryout at the Dubai Opera House in April.
Is #RinkuSingh about to go from the pitching mound to the squared circle? He shared his in-ring aspirations at @WWE's historic Dubai tryout! pic.twitter.com/eyCa9k3uVY
— WWE (@WWE) May 15, 2017
The 6-foot-3, 256-pound left-hander signed with the Pirates after winning the 2008 reality television series "Million Dollar Arm" in his native India, becoming the first Indian to play professional baseball in the United States. He walked away from baseball in 2016 due to injuries.
"Take a look at where I came from," Singh told WWE.com. "When I started (playing baseball), there was nothing. Now we have 23 states (in India) playing baseball and softball. As I go through my journey at the Performance Center and WWE, it will continue to make things easier, and I'll have millions of people in my corner. It's going to be a fun journey."