Mid-Year Pro Wrestling Championship ends in Lagos as PWA scribe Olukoya promises wrestling revival continentally

AIWF America’s Championship defended, PWA’s first women’s champion crowned and more!

Saturday, June 15, 2024 will be an unforgettable day for wrestling fans in Lagos as the Mid-Year Wrestling Championship organized by Pro-Wrestling Africa (PWA) in conjunction with African Wrestling Organization (AWO) came to a successful end.

The entertaining fights which took place at the Gymnasium Hall of the National Institute For Sports (NIS), National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos featured mats men from Nigeria, United States, Ghana, Liberia and Cameroon who kept fans spell bound as the fights went on with many describing it as the best wrestling championship organized in the country in recent times.

In the main bout of the night, American based Nigerian born wrestler, King Kizzy successfully defended his AIWF America’s Heavyweight Title against AWO African Heavyweight Champion, Jimmy Palm alias “De African Dream” in a title fight tagged ‘Return of the King.’

Both wrestlers gave a good account of themselves but at the end of the day, it was King Kizzy that won the fight through a well-deserved pin fall.

King Kizzy following his victory over Jimmy Palm

Speaking shortly after retaining his title, HRH King Kizzy noted that he’s happy coming back to his roots to fight in front of his countrymen and he even promised to honor another invitation any time he’s invited back. He described Nigerian wrestlers as very talented and capable of ruling the world in the mat game but spoke of the need for corporate support to enable the sports growth.

“I’m happy coming back home to fight before my country men and women. My coming back to my roots is part of the efforts at further developing wrestling in the country and I must commend PWA for their foresight in putting together this championship. I must also state here that corporate support is necessary for the sports to grow. In the United States, we have many wrestling bodies and even states have theirs but the good news is that corporate organizations support them in driving the sports and that’s what I want to see happening in Nigeria,” he stressed.

The PWA Women Middleweight Title belt was also hotly contested by sensational Cameroonian wrestler, Vadex Pone, and Jenna Swift of Liberia with the Cameroonian emerging as winner after five minutes of the fifteen minutes time allocated to the fight. Vadex, who was accompanied to the country by National President of the Cameroon Pro- Wrestling Federation (FECACATCH) who also doubles as the 1st Vice President of Pro Wrestling Africa (PWA), Air Force Commander Emmanuel Ndo, described the title as a stepping stone to her getting to the top of her career.

”It’s a great thing coming to Nigeria to win this belt and I want to assure all Cameroonians both at home and in the Diaspora that this belt is just a stepping stone to doing my country proud at the world level,” she boasted through Ndo as she only speaks French.

Vadex Pone is the new Pro Wrestling Africa Women Middleweight Champion

In the other fights of the day, God’s Kid defeated Holy Chris while Mr. Miser of Ghana recorded a pinfall against Big Joe. Also, Mr. Sharpman, the Pro Wrestling Africa (PWA) Light Heavyweight Champion successfully defended his title against Major Ariba with Eagle the ‘Great Nail’ defeating Fred Rodrick by a pinfall to wrap up the night.

Meanwhile, Secretary General of Pro Wrestling Africa, Olusesan Olukoya, has attributed the successes recorded in the championship to good planning promising that his organization will continue to promote fights periodically to improve the sport and that come Sunday October 27th, 2024, PWA would be showcasing AIWF Africa’s heavyweight championship fight in Lagos, Nigeria.

”You can see that the championship was well organized because of good planning and we even had wrestlers from other African nations. With the successful ending of the Mid-Year event, we’re now looking forward to another one before the end of the year in October to be precise,” he noted.

Mister Sharpman following a successful defense of his PWA Light Heavyweight Championship

Olukoya also used the occasion to appeal to government at all levels and corporate Nigeria to invest in wrestling which is capable of creating employment opportunities to talented youths roaming the street here and there.

President of the Nigeria Pro Wrestling Federation, High Chief John Uche, commended PWA for the fights as well as the wrestlers who came from various states of the Federation and other countries to be part of the event, positing that with more government support, wrestling will be used to fight restiveness, crime and other social vices in the society. ”I must give kudos to PWA for what they’ve done and to also join in calling for government and corporate support for wrestling and other sports. With Nigeria facing security challenges, there’s need for government to give full support to a sport like wrestling and when they do this, many of our talented youths will be fully engaged and this will help in reducing crime, banditry, kidnapping, violent crimes, youth restiveness and other social vices,” he concluded.

In his remarks, the President of Cameroon Professional Wrestling Federation (FECACATCH) Commander Emmanuel Ndo described the fights as highly technical, noting that with what he saw, Africa will soon rule the mats man game.

Ndo, who is excited that two Cameroonians are already world champions in the United States, noted that his Federation is working assiduously to ensure that many Cameroonians make their mark in the profession just as he expressed hope that Nigerian wrestlers will not be found wanting at the world level considering the abundant talents in the country.

Pro Wrestling Africa also used the event to give awards to some deserving Nigerians in recognition of their roles in promoting wrestling in the country.

King Kizzy was presented an award by Pro Wrestling Africa during his visit to Nigeria

Some of the awardees include: Director / Chief Executive Officer of National Institute For Sports ( NIS) Prof. Olawale Moronkola; High Chief John Uche, President Nigeria Pro-Wrestling Federation; Secretary General of Nigeria Pro-Wrestling Federation, Elephando Bassey; AWO heavyweight wrestling champion, Samuel Omare Omene Johnson (A.K.A Jimmy Palm); African Light Heavyweight Champion, Augustine Okafor (Mr. Sharpman); Air Force Commander Emmanuel Ndo, President of Cameroon Wrestling Federation ( FECACATCH); AIWF America’s Heavyweight Champion, HRH King Kizzy; and two time MMA women’s champion and Deputy Superintendent of Police Loveth Petra Ekufu; Olusegun Alaba Ilori, Idowu Odubayo and Ademola Ajimobi who are friends of PWA and have been supporting the dream over time, and Matt Classic the Coordinator/President of Allied Independent Wrestling Federations based in USA.

Other awardees of the Night were: Dr. Jim McDowell the President/Founder of the Golden Wrestling Federacy based in Florida, USA; Dr. Adelaja Adenuga, founder of Adelaja Adenuga Foundation; the National Chairman of Nigeria Football Supporters Club, Rev. Ambassador Samuel Ikpea; and former world Light Heavyweight pro wrestling champion, Morris Atula were made patrons of the African confederation body.