At 6ft 4in and packed with muscle, you might be quick to dismiss the shaggy-maned Wayne Pace, a nefarious menace who disregards his opponents and fights to win by any means necessary.

For the past two years, Pace, 31, has been a full-time pro-wrestler, touring all over Europe, the United States and, more prominently, Japan, where his participation in the All Japan Pro Wrestling league has gained him a cult following.

But how do you go from lifting weights in Żurrieq to having Japanese children sending you chibi fan art?

According to Pace, a passion for the sport sent him out looking for his own opportunities in the world.

“When I was growing up, there were no opportunities in Malta with little awareness of the sport,” Pace told Times of Malta.

“Then, in the mid-2000s, WWE wrestling started being shown on television and it had a bit of a moment locally. I was enraptured and I decided that if there were no opportunities for me, then I would have to make my own.”

In 2010, aged just 20, Pace decided to travel to the UK to train and see if he could make a go of competing in professional wrestling. Joining an academy in Portsmouth, he spent four years training hard four times a week until he felt confident enough to make his debut.

“There is this idea among people who don’t really follow the sport that it is all fake, but at the end of the day we really are athletes,” Pace says.

“It’s not just a matter of having a certain physique; this is a high-risk sport. We must have a lot of control over our bodies, how we project them and how we use our strength.”

“It’s a huge physical burden, learning how to fall, how to protect yourself, how to attack your opponent without injuring them seriously. We have to remember that this is a contact sport and can be dangerous, and while rare, it’s not unheard of to see serious injury, and yes, even death in the ring.”

It’s more fun to be the bad guy... it’s the complete opposite of my personality

What often baffles detractors of the sport is the larger than life personas that often dominate the ring more than the actual technique of the sport.

In pro wrestling, heroes and villains with narrative arcs are just as much part of the story of a circuit as any given wrestler’s preferred finishing moves.

“The entertainment side is just as an important factor to being a good wrestler as the physical aspect,” Pace says.

“You can be athletically fit and capable of doing a bunch of cool moves, but you have to find that ability to be able to connect with the crowd, to talk to people and be charismatic and present a relatable persona in the ring.”

Pace’s ‘Gianni Valletta’ has found himself becoming something of a serial antagonist, appearing in the ring covered in furs and chains and followed by heavy metal music blasting at full volume.

Valletta is a wild man and he doesn’t care who knows it. He wants to win and will let nothing get in the way of his victories, least of all the rules.

“Maybe it’s because of the way I look but Gianni has always been cast as the villain. Honestly, it’s more fun to be the bad guy, it’s the complete opposite of my personality,” he says in a chuckle.

“It’s more of a challenge to get people to actively dislike you, so if I get into the ring and people are already booing, it’s satisfying because they’re buying into it and I’m doing a good job.”

“You can be whoever you want to be in the ring. If you’re comfortable and can commit to a certain kind of look, there isn’t really any limit to where imagination can take your character.”

Winning two heavyweight pro wrestling championships, Pace has also founded the first professional wrestling academy in Malta, and says the space for young athletes with an interest in an unconventional sport is growing daily.

“I am so lucky to have had the opportunity to go to Japan and integrate well into a wrestling community that is tight-knit and really invitation-only. It made a world of difference in my professional development and the scope of my contacts,” Pace notes.

“So now, if I can give a leg up to those who were in my shoes 10 years ago, then I want to do it.”

While COVID-19 has pumped the brakes on his return to Japan, it hasn’t put a damper on his enthusiasm and eagerly awaits his return to the ring as much as his fans.

“I wouldn’t change what I have for anything. Obviously this year the sports industry took a big hit across the board,” Pace says.

“The dream is to get to WWE. I’ve followed it since I was young and that’s what I aim for.

“But I’m so happy in Japan right now and as long as I’m making my living wrestling, I’m meeting my goals as far as I’m concerned.”