Two-time Olympic medal winner Sushil Kumar will not be making his WWE debut anytime soon as the federation's vice-president Canyon Ceman has revealed that talks with the Indian wrestling sensation failed to materialise.

Ceman said it was hard for the entertainment company to convince Kumar to leave his country for the US, where "there are no guarantees" that he would become a WWE superstar with the "very competitive system" in place.

"I was happy to meet with him. This clearly is a guy who commands respect. He is a national icon. But it was hard for us to convince him, from being a national icon of India to come to America where there are no guarantees that he is going to make it through this very competitive system," he told the Press Trust of India.

"So it was hard for us to tell him that 'you leave this amazing life in India and come and risk it all in America where we are not sure of anything'. The conversation was definitely of mutual interest but it did not work out eventually," Ceman added.

Kumar was approached by the company in October 2016 and it seemed like the amateur wrestler was keen to follow in the footsteps of The Great Khali, who is the only pro-wrestler from India to become a WWE star after he signed for the company in January 2006.

The Great Khali – former WWE world heavyweight champion – last year had warned Kumar that it would be a humongous task for him to try and become a WWE star as age was not on his side.

"It will be good if Sushil goes to WWE. It is my thought nothing personal about it but I think it will be late for Sushil to join WWE. One has to join at an early age and the chances of success increase. WWE is very difficult so I still feel it is a bit late for Sushil to join WWE. I would personally like to see someone in WWE after me," Khali had told India Today.

Sushil Kumar of India
Two-time Olympic medal winner Sushil Kumar