A FORMER wrestler from Preston, who grappled in the ring with the likes of Big Daddy, has paid tribute to the surgeon who pioneered heart transplant surgery following his death a fortnight ago.

Rajendra Singh -- one of the biggest names to hit the professional wrestling scene in 1960s -- recalls meeting life-saving surgeon Christiaan Barnard while wrestling in South Africa more than 30 years ago.

The former wrestling champ remembers the surgeon -- who performed the first human heart transplant back in 1967 -- as a 'genius' who was a fan of the sport.

"He was a great gentleman, clever, and very good with people. It is very sad that he died because he was the greatest -- a type of man we will never see again." added Mr Singh.

The father-of-seven, of St George's Road, met the skilled South African surgeon in the early 1980s while taking part in wrestling bouts in Cape Town.

He said: "I was wrestling in Cape Town when Christiaan saw the fight on television. I got a message that he wanted to meet some of the wrestlers. He sent a car and I went to see him at the hospital where he performed the first transplant."

And he remembers how the surgeon would even get his family a ringside seat at matches he couldn't attend in order to get a first-hand review of the game as soon as he got home.

Mr Singh, 59, started wrestling on an amateur level as a lad before following his father Mela's footsteps into the ring -- a one-time heavyweight wrestling champion himself -- as a professional three months later.

During his illustrious 16-year wrestling career he stepped into the ring to battle some of the sport's top heavyweights including housewives' favourite Big Daddy and loveable rogue Giant Haystacks.

And for some of the bouts he even doubled up with Kendo Nagasaki -- the infamous masked fighter who would never reveal his true identity.