“I eat and sleep wrestling. That’s what you have to do if you want to be a star.”

Vik Dalishus doesn’t smile when he says those words. He’s more serious about professional wrestling than he is about anything, and that gravity is clear the moment he steps foot into the ring. He is there to work, not play, and every one of his opponents knows it.

There is nothing spectacular about him – he is not a giant of a man and he doesn’t stand out from the crowd with a painted face or colored hair. He is an average-sized man who has plans that are considerably larger than he is, and he is working hard to grasp a goal that few ever succeed in reaching.

Already he has made it farther than many ever will who ride out the independent circuit. His work with independent promotions – including the World Wrestling Alliance (WWA) in Massachusetts – got him noticed by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and in January, he was called up to work two non-televised matches for them. A huge step if you’re an up-and-coming wrestler, it means that someone is watching you and thinks that you might have what it takes to go all the way. The night after the WWE’s “Royal Rumble” pay-per-view in January, Dalishus wrestled WWE superstar Sean O’Haire and was defeated. The next night, he wrestled another independent wrestler, Dave Danger, and was victorious.

“It was an incredible, indescribable experience,” Dalishus said.

Excitement lights his eyes when you mention the WWE, and it’s clear what Dalishus’ goal is and where he hopes to be heading someday.

“I want to walk down that aisle again and perform in front of that kind passionate crowd again,” he said.

So, if the WWE called him up right now, would he go?

“I think that if you break into this business and don’t want to be on the biggest stage of them all – the WWE – then you can’t really be that dedicated.”

The words are said carefully – for he knows there are plenty of independent wrestlers who haven’t gotten the call or who have been to the WWE and not lasted – and there is no lack of dedication on their part.

“But I would be there in a heartbeat,” Dalishus said. “I would take the chance right now and never look back. Opportunities are very few in wrestling and I have been very fortunate to get a few of them.”

He has been lucky, but he has also worked hard to get where he is. However, professional wrestling wasn’t always his career goal. He wrestled in high school – ending his teenage years with a division win and a ranking of fourth in the state – but in college, it was football that had all his attention. Then he saw a newspaper article about a wrestling school in Schenectady, N.Y. It didn’t take long for Dalishus to make up his mind to go see what the school was about.

“It wasn’t ridiculously far from me, so I went to check it out,” Dalishus said.

As soon as he saw the ring he was hooked. “I paid my money and I began training with J.P. Black. An hour and a half each way, twice a week for training, but I wanted this so badly, nothing was going to stop me.”

This determination by itself is inspiring enough, but add to that the fact that Dalishus is still a full-time college student, and it becomes even more impressive.

“That was the deal. My parents are supportive of this as long as I still attend college full time. I can wrestle wherever I want, as long as I get my degree,” he said with a smile. But the smile fades when asked one more time what he will do if the WWE calls.

“If the WWE comes knocking, I have to answer.” Just one mention of the WWE and his whole demeanor is serious. It really is impressive how much Dalishus wants this.

Wrestling independently hasn’t been all fun and games, though. For every opportunity he has had with the WWE, there have been fifty independent shows that he has worked. In professional wrestling, you take every opportunity you can to show off your skills. That means making 16-hour drives to small towns in Georgia just to wrestle a four-minute match. If you ask Dalishus if it’s worth it to drive that long for such a short event, you’ll receive the only answer someone with his passion can give.

“The exposure was huge,” he said. “I do whatever I can to get better every time I get out into the ring.”

This isn’t playtime for Dalishus; this is work. And his background in athletics has given him a solid work ethic, and because of his amateur wrestling background, he has the basic fundamentals of technical wrestling. This helps when it comes to professional wrestling, but it takes a lot more than basic skills and a good work ethic to be a success. A wrestler has to be in prime physical shape and has to maintain his condition through consistent workouts and a steady diet.

“I eat a lot of protein. I do some intense cardiovascular exercise for 30 minutes and I do a solid weight training regime,” he said when asked about his routine. “My body has undergone a lot of changes lately because I have become so serious about being a WWE star.”

The road to WWE stardom is not an easy one. You have to have confidence in both yourself and your ability in the ring. If there’s one thing Vik Dalishus lacks, it isn’t confidence.

“I’m the prettiest of all my brothers,” he says on his website, vikdalishus.com. “As for my opponents, I don’t pretend to like them, because I don’t. They’re all just pretty boy wanna-be’s standing in the way of my greatness. They all know I’m the shiniest penny in the pile.”

No, confidence isn’t something Dalishus needs to work on. He knows just what he wants and he’s going after it.

“I will achieve my goal. I will not be denied,” he said.

Everything is going well for Dalishus right now. Not only has he been called up to work for the WWE on more than one occasion, but he was also selected to attend a WWE developmental tryout camp in February. Hundreds applied for 52 spots in the camp, and Dalishus was one of the lucky ones to spend a week being evaluated by trainers from the WWE. The best of the best travel to the Ohio Valley Wrestling training center with the hope of being offered employment there, knowing that it puts them one step closer to making it all the way. But the offers are few and far between and to receive one means that you have something special.

In February, Dalishus was offered one of the coveted full-time positions.

This up-and-coming superstar is poised to take on the wrestling world. He has the confidence, he has the skills and he has the personality; all he needs now is the contract. He’s not afraid to work hard, and that will serve him well, as the road ahead will be paved with long trips and short matches. Contrary to popular belief, the life of a professional wrestler is not a glamorous one. In order to tolerate the long drives to small towns and the standing around at airports waiting for flights, you have to really love what you do. You find patience in your desire to be better than you are, and you recognize that the only way to improve is to take every opportunity you can.

Dalishus does this and more. He works hard to stay in shape, but works harder to bring his body to the next level of fitness. He drives hours to participate in matches that last only a few minutes, and he does it on the slight chance that someone might see him and offer him his big break.

Vik Dalishus can be seen at the World Wrestling Alliance shows this weekend: Friday, April 11 and Saturday, April 12. For more information about Dalishus or his scheduled matches, check out his website, vikdalishus.com.

Emilie Duggan-Hicks is a Collegian Columnist.