Wrestling in the Congo

NOTE: All the text is quotes from another Source. Click on photos to see the full image. "There are actually two types of wrestling in Congo: "regular" pro-wrestling which is very WWE-lite and quaint, and then there is the batshit crazy WrestleCrap stuff involving magic spells called "fetish-wrestling." No, not that type of fetish. Yes, the jokes make themselves. The regular pro-wrestlers publicly denigrate the other type as nothing more than "street acrobats" but more than a few work the crazy promotions under the hood or face paint for the better pay. Below are some random pictures and some random explanations. Since there is no "Good Morning Congo" or F4W local podcasts in Congo, the way to drum up interest is to go through the streets on foot or car and promote the upcoming shows. Here, pro-wrestler Six Blows (I am using some transliterating here, and if I get some names wrong, I apologize) is promoting his match by challenging passer-bys to a sparring contest... in front of a parked train."

"Gimmick wrestlers have gimmicked entourages and their families get into act. Here is the wife of popular wrestler Six Colors coming out of their house to go support her husband in the match. Said support is heckling him to do better. Yes, that is a Darth Maul mask, why do you ask:"

"And here is some in-ring action, fetish style. "Tyson" (wrestler in blue) has been felled into a trance by the magic of "Halleluiah" (white trunks). The effects of such trance is that instead of trying to fight his opponent Tyson has instead grabbed a Bible and started reciting The Verses in the middle of the ring."

"Ebedende, which can be translated as Metal Man, or Man of Steel or Iron Man, is getting ready for his match. His pregame ritual is to cover himself in black powder, which gives him metallic powers of indeterminate origin. However, those powers come at a price - his sanity. Thus requiring an assistant to chain and leash him prior to his entry to the ring. Once inside the ring, Mr. Iron Man can be unleashed to the horror and pain of his opponent and the public."

"Mr. Six Blows again, getting ready to take off his mask. The said mask gives him superhuman strength and grants him the ability to land a very special "sixth" blow to the head. Once delivered, his opponent is compelled to climb the nearest tree, and must sit there until someone can lift the curse off him and make him return to the ring to fight once more."

"Typical pro-wrestling match in the outer slums of Kinhasa. Matches are done in the street. With the ropes and ring assembled and the crowd hopefully arriving. Crowds vary from tens to thousands, depending on the weather, money, promotion, and the popularity of the matches."

"Hardcore style is not really accepted in "regular Congo pro-wrestling," but has found a home in fetish-wrestling. Here Django and Loboko use a fence board on someone whose name was not reported."

"Local morality authorities have recently come down on fetish-wrestling as harmful to the national character of Congolese, and there have been some attempted at half-assed banning of it or restricting it. But, nothing has been really done, and the sport thrives in the poorer areas of Congo. It is especially popular among children".

"Halckom" is choking the life out of "Five Construction Areas" in a regular pro-wrestling match"

"Maboktomo" - a fetish-wrestler - is promoting himself in a self-organized parade."

"Maboktomo" has a pre-match ritual, and an assistant to help him get it right:"

"The effect of Maboktomo's magic - his opponent has been put under a spell, and wants to throw himself out of the ring. The good people beg him not to kill himself and to snap out of it and return to the fray:"