Gordon Law risks life and limb to bring you this inside story of a man-mountain wrestler Hugh Mungus

WHEN the Sports Editor Kevin Impey said I had to interview a 30-stone wrestler by the name of Hugh Mungus, I thought he was winding me up.

But when I looked across at his desk, I realised he wasn't. He was deadly serious! He also said I would have to pose with Hugh Mungus doing a few strong-arm holds for our photographer!

Now it occurred to me at that moment that Kevin had either taken complete leave of his senses or I that I had not put enough brown sauce on his bacon roll that morning.

Kevin, keeping his tongue firmly in-cheek, then quipped: "Gordon, this is the biggest story to ever hit Dartford".

Suddenly, the thought of checking that my life insurance was up-to-date and looking at my A-Z road-map for the quickest route to A&E, became more important than locating the road Hugh Mungus lived in.

So with trepidation I set off for Dartford to see just how big this guy really was. Could he really weigh 30 stones 420 pounds?

Hugh Mungus, real name Mark Kent, only started pro-wrestling 11 months ago but is already ranked No. 10 in the UK.

His credentials speak for themself. Before wrestling, Mark, 34, entered the UK Strongest Man competition in 1999 and 2000 and is now a big hit on the NWA UK Hammerlock Wrestling organisation tour.

Mark said: "I'm normally the bad guy as I'm big, hairy and ugly. So I make a good villain.

"I play to the crowd and like to wind them up. But when I'm at Swanley I play the good guy as I'm in front of my home fans."

There are eight to 12 wrestlers depending on the events and five to six bouts, which sometimes end in a rumble when everyone fights in the ring together.

Mark said: "It starts with two people in the ring, then every minute someone comes in. Then you can be more vicious than normal, but it's great fun.

"When you practice, you learn how to fall properly and how not to hurt yourself. When you're in the ring, the adrenalin is pumping and it's sur-prising how you don't get injured.

"We do make proper contact, unlike the American wrestlers don't really bother. We make it look as real as possible because we are sports entertainment."

Mark is now one of the most experienced on the NWA UK Hammerlock tour, but as a youngster he did many other sports including American football and rugby, as well as boxing for White Oaks.

He said: "I used to watch wrestling with my nan when I was about 10, and there were local shows in Swanley with Giant Haystacks and Big Daddy topping the bill.

"As a teenagar I wanted to wrestle professionally and used to watch it on television.

"I longed to become involved with the TV stuff, but you had to know the right people to get on it.

"Then my wife and I started a family and those commitments stopped me from taking it seriously up until March last year.

"In 1999, I took part in the Strongest Man competition and came 12th out of 16th in the south-east heat, which entailed pulling lorries, carrying 75kg rocks, barrel-loading, tyre-lifts, etc. I was lucky to met the great Geoff Capes and he is the only person to beat me in an arm wrestle contest since I was 14.

"The following year, I put in more training, more gym-work and finished seventh in the south-east heat.

"Then a workmate spotted a telephone number in a newspaper about wrestling training sessions available in Sittingbourne, so I went along. I came home battered and bruised but was not deterred and went to some more sessons. I told the coaches that I'd like to be a wrestler and asked: Is it worth me carrying on?' They all agreed I had a lot of potential.

"I then went training every Sunday in Sittingbourne, learning new moves and I took to it well, and people my size don't need to learn how to bounce off the ropes."

Hugh Mungus will be grappling at the White Oaks Leisure Centre, in Swanley, this Saturday, from 8pm. Tickets cost £7 for adults and £6.50 for children with a family ticket (two adults and two children) available for £25.