Jewish Wrestler Drew Gulak Wins WWE Cruiserweight Championship

Drew Gulak celebrates winning the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. Image by Drew Gulak/Instagram

By Marcy Oster June 25, 2019

(JTA) — A Jewish wrestler won the World Wrestling Entertainment cruiserweight championship.

Drew Gulak, known as “the Philadelphia Stretcher,” beat Akira Tozawa and the reigning champion, Tony Nesse, in a triple threat match on Sunday, part of the Stomping Grounds pay-per-view in Tacoma, Washington. In a triple threat match, three wrestlers compete rather than the typical two.

Gulak came to Israel on Birthright in 2010, and trained briefly with the Israeli Pro Wrestling Association in Netanya, The Jerusalem Post reported. He joined WWE in 2016 after 11 years on the pro wrestling independent circuit.

Gulak is expected to have his first title defense on July 14 in Philadelphia during WWE’s annual Extreme Rules pay-per-view.

His younger brother, Rory, also is a wrestler on the independent circuit.

The maximum weight for cruiserweights is 205 pounds.

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