Singapore celebrates its 48th birthday on Aug 9, and to tie in with this,The Straits Times Photo Desk has put together 48 Singaporean Seconds, an audio-visual tribute to Singaporeans who have made this little red dot their home.

We are releasing their stories and videos in the next few weeks. In the 12th instalment of our series, we talk to pro-wrestling fan Andruew Tang.

Andruew Tang, 24, pro-wrestling enthusiast

When Andruew Tang was 12, he saw his first pro-wrestling match on TV - and instantly fell in love with it.

"I told myself that, wow, this is something I want to do 10 years down the road," recalls the 24-year-old. The only problem: There was no pro-wrestling culture in Singapore.

He had planned to go to the United States after completing his National Service. But as luck would have it, he met Russian wrestling promoter Vadim Koryagin. In February 2012, the two decided to set up Singapore Pro Wrestling (SPW), which promotes the kind of action made famous by the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

SPW has 16 members who practise three times a week at the Kampong Ubi Community Centre. They also put on live shows at venues such as *Scape Cineleisure.

Mr Tang - who also goes by his wrestling name The Statement - hopes to have their performances telecast on TV in the next five years.

And although Singapore wrestlers are physically smaller than their American counterparts, he believes that qualities such as agility and speed will make for an equally entertaining show.

"Pro wrestling is pretty much like live theatre or a magic show," says Mr Tang, whose day job is marketing executive in a body-building supplements firm.

"You know it is fake, but you will still come back for more."

Photos and videos by The Straits Times Picture Desk