Former Puerto Rican basketball player is enjoying the journey in his true passion of wrestling

From playing in the NBA to overseas, and then transitioning into pro wrestling, Peter John Ramos will never stop trying to become the best version of himself. That’s what keeps him working out late into the evening at age 41. 

Today, he’s Beast Mode, a professional wrestler living out his passion, and his stories could fill a book. His size at 7’ 3 and athleticism also gives him a rare advantage, and he once taunted two opponents in a one-on-two by getting on his knees and motioning them to come forward before taking them down.

He’s a showman and an imposing figure in the ring. To give further context on his size, he recently took pictures with the 7′ 1 Great Khali, dwarfing him at the River City Wrestling Con, the top professional wrestling convention in Florida at the World Golf Village in St. Augustine on June 6 and 7. The pictures caused quite the reaction on social media.

Photo by Duke Bennett – Duke Loves Rasslin Podcast

Away from the squared circle, he’s a disciplined, humble man who keeps the main thing the main thing. He originally wanted to be a veterinarian before picking up a basketball at age 15 because he is an animal lover. 

His start with basketball started off a chance encounter when he was shopping with his mother and siblings. They were approached by a gentleman who was curious if he had been on the court. That man was friends with an owner of a Puerto Rican basketball team.  

Ramos’ father abandoned him as a young boy before he moved to New York. On top of that, growing up was  a challenge because some children teased Ramos for being taller than they were. He told Five Reasons Sports Network over a Zoom interview that he was about 6’ 9 at age 14.

Playing for Criollas Caguas in 2001 was the first time he was in front of big crowds. “That’s where I learned everything,” Ramos said in his interview in Spanish on the Time-Out Podcast in 2019. The veterans on the team showed him the ropes, and he also added, “The first year, I didn’t play much, but when it passed, I got the experience and exploded.”

He was drafted by the Washington Wizards in the second round (32) in 2004, and got time in six games that season. Things didn’t work out at that level because he was sent down to the D League and it saddened him, but he made the most out of it, earning an All-Star selection with the Roanoke Dazzle. When his time in the NBA  and the D League ended, he went back to the BSN league in Puerto Rico, playing for Criollos de Caguas, and after that had time in suiting up in Spain, China, South Korea, Philippines, Dominican Republic and Taiwan.

One of the signature achievements of his career was being on Puerto Rico’s Olympic team in Greece (2004). He also played eight minutes in the game when his country beat Team USA on Aug. 15 (92-73) in the first round of Group B. Carlos Arroyo’s 24 points led them in scoring, and keep in mind that was the first loss the United States had in the Olympics while using NBA players, and some of theirs included Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson and Dwyane Wade.

Ramos’ style as a baller was a bruiser, which is somewhat similar to his wrestling identity. Before he finished on the hardwood, the best part of his basketball journey happened in the Philippines, where he says has been his favorite place to play. 

He had been resting, coming off an 11-month season in China when the call came from his agent about a gig in the Philippines. He accepted, then a week later arrived and they situated him in a hotel before his apartment was ready. On top of that, he had access to a driver, a chef and an assistant. “They treated me like a king,” he told FRSN. 

On his first day, he was picked up for dinner with his new team. “We pulled up to this big hotel that looked like a castle,” Ramos said. “When I tell you it looked like a castle, man, it was crazy. I’ve never seen anything like it. The best hotel in Philippines.

“So when they open the door, I see Manny [Pacquiao], I see the manager, I see the coaches, and I froze.” 

Pacquiao, the eight-division boxing champion, who last fought at age 46 to a majority decision draw against Mario Barrios on July 19, 2025, is Ramos’ idol. 

The manager then called him over, and he approached nervously. He then started chatting with Pacquiao, who told Ramos he was a fan. “I think it’s the best experience I’ve had in my 23-year career,” Ramos said. 

Ramos has done a lot in his career and is naturally a self-motivated man. Still, he keeps a small circle of people who never let him get too high, or too low.

“Right now, I’ just enjoying the journey,” he said. “You know, just keep on getting better and better, and just trying to make my dreams come true.”