Wrestling fans can currently see Xander Keys wrestle in North Carolina, but the athlete of Middle Eastern descent is a long way from Dubai, the place he calls home.

The in-ring sport has been pulling at the fan’s heartstrings for more than a century. However, when it comes to creating heat with the people in the audience; there is nothing that Xander likes to do more than that!

“I am proud of my culture. I’m no different than anyone else.” Xander Keys said. “I think when people see the Kalaba and they hear the Middle Eastern music-they hate me automatically.”

Xander has been wrestling for three years. The promotion that he has been wrestling mostly for is called Ring Warriors Carolinas, which is an affiliate of the Allied Independent Wrestling Federation. The AIWF is currently overseeing a territory system kind of like what the National Wrestling Alliance did at one point in their history. The AIWF currently has 84 affiliate promotions in 24 different countries.

Xander is excited about his future opportunities that he could have under the AIWF banner. He has traveled outside of North Carolina to wrestle in Florida and in Tennessee. Typically, wrestlers travel to wrestle at as many different promotions as they possibly can manage. However, Xander’s philosophy is unlike his fellow grapplers when it comes to scheduling his next bookings.

“The main thing that my trainer impressed upon me was quality over quantity,” Keys explained. “A lot of guys wrestle on shows after shows, but is that being beneficial to them? I am trying to be strategic when it comes to accepting my matches.”

Xanders passion for pro wrestling goes all the way back to his childhood. As a boy, Xander would watch wrestling well past his bedtime. He couldn’t get enough of his favorite pastime. He also has strong wrestling influences behind him. Nightstick Eddie Brown is his trainer, but Xander also has the privilege of bouncing ideas off of other superstars like Psycho Boy Fodder.

Fodder takes the time to watch Xander’s matches. He offers feedback to ensure where Xander is hitting the mark, and also in the areas of his work where he needs more improvement.

“When I started wrestling, I wanted to bring that same joy to another person,” Xander commented. “Whether you boo me, love me, or hate me, knowing that you spent money for me to entertain you, that is a high honor for me as a pro wrestler.”