'I started wrestling as a laugh but now I'm a pro'

Johnny Jupiter, who tours with All Star Wrestling, said his job was a "labour of love" [Johnny Jupiter] A professional wrestler touring with a UK promotion has described his career as a "labour of love" that was worth the sacrifices he has had to make. Johnny Jupiter, also known as The Gladiator, started wrestling only a few years ago after someone in the industry suggested he should "give it a go". Now he is part of All Star Wrestling, one of the country's top promotions, and is currently preparing for the Superslam Showdown event, which takes place at the Victoria Hall in Stoke-on-Trent on Saturday.

"I love it, it's the best job in the world," he told BBC Radio Stoke. "There is a lot of sacrifice, it's a very demanding job. It's physically demanding but there's also a lot of time on the road - in airports, service stations and in the car.

"It's a labour of love, very much so. I wouldn't still be here if I didn't love it. " Johnny Jupiter, pictured lifting his opponent, said he was looking forward to wrestling at Victoria Hall [Johnny Jupiter] Jupiter, who named Hulk Hogan among his influences, said he was always into sport – he has done jiu-jitsu, football, rugby, boxing, shot put, discus and power lifting.

He said as he got into his 30s, his interest in those sports started "winding down" but his physical appearance meant he would get a lot of comments from people saying he looked like a wrestler. "Somebody who was in the job suggested I should give it a go, with my jiu jitsu background," he added. Jupiter, who is billed at 6ft 4in (194cm) and 266lbs (124kg), said he thought about it and realised he was bigger than characters like WWE's Stone Cold Steve Austin.