Faraaz Noor, the fan-favourite Faithful from the BBC's hit show The Traitors, has traded the castle for the wrestling ring and is hungry for more. The 22-year-old star, who rose to fame after the latest series of the bluff-and-deceit game show, is now pursuing a potential dream career milestone after stepping into the world of professional wrestling.
Debut at PROGRESS Wrestling
On June 7, Faraaz made his debut at PROGRESS Wrestling in Manchester, appearing as an ally of Nathan Black before turning on him, delivering a stunning cutter reminiscent of Randy Orton's RKO. Speaking exclusively to Metro, Faraaz described the experience as 'unbelievable' and expressed his desire for a one-on-one match against Nathan Black in Manchester this September.
'The feeling was unbelievable, I absolutely loved it,' he said. 'But I want more, I want PROGRESS to let me have Nathan Black one-on-one in Manchester in September.'
Aiming for a Match
While no official match has been confirmed, PROGRESS is set to tour later this year, and Faraaz is seeking revenge after Nathan landed a boot to his chest. 'He's getting it for that,' he laughed. 'It wasn't pleasant… I was still a bit sore a couple of days after, but I'm sort of coming out the back end of it now.'
Faraaz's debut came on the first event under PROGRESS's new owners, former WWE stars Big Damo (Damien Mackle) and Nikki Storm (Nicola Glencross). He emphasized his goal of being taken seriously in the ring, respecting the hard work of professional wrestlers.
'[Fans] don't like many outsiders coming in and trying to take the p***,' he pointed out. 'I wanted it to be proper, and I wanted to take it seriously.'
Future in Wrestling
Despite his enthusiasm, Faraaz acknowledged that a full-time wrestling career is unlikely due to other commitments, including podcasting and presenting. However, he remains open to more appearances and has considered his wrestling style.
'I'd love to be a high-flyer, but I don't think I've got the capability, but then I'd love to be a hoss as well, but I definitely don't have the capability, being, like, five-nine and about 65 kilos – furthest thing from it,' he laughed. 'But I think sort of that explosive action, it'd be good fun.'
His childhood favourite was Jeff Hardy, and he hasn't ruled out attempting a Swanton Bomb from the top rope. Given his impressive cutter, fans wouldn't bet against him.
Connecting The Traitors and Wrestling
Faraaz sees parallels between The Traitors and wrestling, both being theatrical performances. 'It's all theatre, it's all a show, but it's funny because you're so immersed in it, it is so real,' he explained. This mindset helped him handle fan reactions, including one person who asked, 'Who the eff are you?' as he made his entrance.
He also expressed interest in getting fellow Traitors castmates involved, suggesting Maz in a Paul Heyman role and Ross as a tag team partner. 'It'd have to be Ross,' he smiled. 'I think he's already halfway there! He's sculpted, mate, he's absolute beast! So, I wouldn't mind tagging with Ross, and Maz being the mastermind.'
