Five Questions Heading Into Pro Wrestling Africa’s Battle of Yaoundé 2021
We are just under one week away from Africa’s pro wrestling scene ascending on the Cameroonian capital of Yaoundé. Two big championship matches are set for April 30th in the capital of Cameroon. But as we head into Pro Wrestling Africa’s Battle of Yaoundé, there are still a few things that we do not know.
5. What will the rest of the card look like?
We know that Power Lee will be defending his PWA Heavyweight Championship against Michel Noudem. We also know that The Wolf NDA will defend his PWA Middleweight Championship against Buffalo. Outside of that, no matches have been publicly announced by the PWA heading into Friday’s big show. With the event taking place in Cameroon, several Cameroonian wrestlers have been announced as appearing at the Battle of Yaoundé. This includes Animal, Kirikou, Tigre, Black Tiger, Nyenti, Bishop, and Chrispine. Odds are that the majority of matches will be made based on weight class. For example, middleweight, heavyweight, etc.. However, there are possibilities for weight class mismatches, specifically when it comes to Animal. Animal is a massive heavyweight wrestler and none of the wrestlers on the undercard can match up with him size wise. It will be interesting to see what matches will end up on the undercard and who will end up having to overcome a size mismatch in an attempt to claim victory.
Animal, who is often led to the ring in handcuffs by armed guards, will be in action at the Battle of Yaoundé and his opponent could be in for a big size mismatch
4. Who will emerge as Africa’s next big pro wrestling star?
With all eyes in the wrestling world on Yaoundé on April 30th, there is a big opportunity at hand for PWA’s wrestlers to really stand out with their performance and capture the heart of wrestling fans in Cameroon. A gutsy performance by an underdog competitor or a dominant performance from a wrestler that’s primed to break out could do the trick. So could some eye popping maneuvers and impressive athletic displays. Pro Wrestling Africa is a multinational organization that holds events in, and features wrestlers from, several different African countries. A breakout performance could give a wrestler the chance to become a star in multiple African countries.
3. How violent will these matches get?
There are a few reasons to believe that things could get a little violent and hardcore in Yaoundé. In the last meeting between The Wolf NDA and Buffalo, both competitors went through tables and foreign objects were used. Kirikou and The Wolf NDA have also battled it out in a hardcore ladder match in the past. With the Cameroonian wrestlers that are most known for occasionally turning to a hardcore style feeling at home on their home soil, will they look to go back to the well with a tactic they feel comfortable with? In big championship matches, the PWA’s referees are more flexible in calling the match and don’t like to end an important match with a disqualification. Past PWA Heavyweight Championship matches have seen the competitors brawl all around the arena floor. It’s very possible that we could see some violent brawling and foreign objects on April 30th.
Without a second of hesitation, Kirikou ascends the top rope and leaps through his opponent and a table
2. Will the outcome between The Wolf NDA and Buffalo be different this time with the PWA Middleweight Title on the line?
The last time The Wolf NDA and Buffalo met, the two brawled throughout the arena. Both men put their bodies on the line in an attempt to take the other out. In the first meeting between the two, Buffalo got the upper hand after powerbombing The Wolf through a table. However, since that original match, The Wolf NDA has gone on a little bit of a hot streak. That streak resulted in him defeating Ghana’s Ultimate Power in Lagos last November to become the Pro Wrestling Africa Middleweight Champion. Can The Wolf ride his newfound momentum and success and use that to defeat a foe that has had his number in the past? Or is this Buffalo’s opportunity to take the championship belt away and claim it as his own? There’s no doubt Buffalo, who hails from Angola, feels that way seeing as how the last meeting between these two played out. Buffalo is a very tough contender who has even given Power Lee troubles in the past. There is a strong chance he could put a stop to The Wolf NDA’s momentum.
1. Can Power Lee leave Cameroon as PWA Heavyweight Champion?
It’s the topic that’s been brought up the most when discussing the Battle of Yaoundé but it’s one that can’t be overlooked. The odds are stacked against Power Lee at the Battle of Yaoundé. Having to battle a powerful and dangerous opponent like Le Matrequeur Michel Noudem is hard enough. But doing it in front of that opponent’s hometown fans makes that task much harder. It is fitting that what may be Power Lee’s most difficult title defense yet will come in Cameroon as it was the home of the previous African Heavyweight Champion, the late great Super Makia. Makia reigned as champion from 1986 until 2014, when he retired as champion. Following Makia’s retirement, Power Lee emerged as the new African Heavyweight Champion after winning a tournament to fill the vacant title and has held it since 2015, a six year reign that is extremely impressive in its own right. A win in Cameroon on April 30th and Mr. Peace, as Power Lee is known, puts himself in a great position to be considered one of African pro wrestling’s immortals.
The powerful African Heavyweight Champion, Mr. Peace Power Lee De Great
Finally, one thing we do know for sure heading into the Battle of Yaoundé. The wrestlers and staff are in the hands of great hosts. FECACATCH, the national wrestling organization in Cameroon, and it’s president, Captain Emmanuel Ndo, have gone out of their way to provide amenities for the visiting wrestlers and staff members of Pro Wrestling Africa. FECACATCH and Ndo are providing PWA visitors with all of their meals, security, lodging and transportation.
The week’s festivities ahead of the big championship event are expected to kick off Monday as the PWA African Heavyweight Champion Power Lee and Secretary General of PWA and WrestleMap’s Chief Correspondent in Africa, Olusesan Olukoya, will arrive in Cameroon from Lagos, Nigeria. As we get closer to April 30th, expect to hear plenty more about the Battle of Yaoundé here on WrestleMap!
