Professional Wrestling In Africa & Power Mike

Looking at sports in Africa from time immemorial, wrestling arguably is or rather was the major sporting activity Africans loved participating in. It was once seen as even a culture were wrestling matches were organized for leisure or pleasure, bragging rights of communities, to the men involved it was always an occasion to impress the ladies; the reasons go on and on. In a wrestling match the victor is the last man standing and the loser is the man whose back
had touched the ground. Great wrestling champions are often known as the big cat which implies “the one whose back never touches the ground”.

 Wrestling matches grew as time went on due to European influence from gathering in a village square to watch wrestling match to in-ring action wrestling which is now known as professional wrestling. Professional wrestling was not common in Nigeria or Africa but there were a microscopic few that put our continent on the world map in this new improved sports.

Power Mike, a name most people of the 20^th century would find appealing to the ears and would ring a bell somewhere, somehow; was a man highly known for his wrestling prowess as of then. The interesting part is he wasn’t duly recognized people like Mohammed Ali, Mike Tyson would forever be –permit me to use the word, worshiped by the world but here is an African who did what no one and I don’t think anyone would ever do in the world of wrestling. Pardon me if I forgot to mention that his name was Michael Okpala, he was popularly known as Power Mike for reasons you wouldn’t need to ask after reading this. 

Michael Okpala hails from Neni, Anaocha Local Government in Anambra state, Nigeria. Went to a primary school in a neighbouring town, Adazi Enu where he had started displaying his athletics skill with particular love for boxing and sports that require dexterity. He eventually went to Onitsha to learn a trade before who discovered his dreams. He started off showmanship as a superman to entertain people, performing such acts as using his bare hands to break bricks, bending metals and so on which made him popular to the locals. He started a worldwide tour in the process was discovered by a wrestling promoter in Greece who saw potentials in him. In no distant time he became known in Greece. He came down to Africa and faced Massambula of Gambia who he defeated and won the African Heavyweight title belt. He also conquered Alibaba of Lebanon in 1973, John Tiger of Canada, Peter Azimeki of Greece and Johnny Kwango of United Kingdom in Lagos. He retired in 1976 as an undefeated world heavyweight wrestling champion. Wow! What a feat

He spent his days after retirement in promoting wrestling in and outside the country. He kicked the bucket at the age of 64 on March 11, 2004 after suffering from an illness in National Hospital, Abuja. A guest house in Abuja, Power Mike Guest House was named in honour of him.

 So there you go, the undefeated World Heavyweight Champion… Power Mike!