Two of the top titles in the Republic of the Congo change hands

This past Thursday, April 28th, in Ouenzé, Brazzaville, the FECOLUSAF Champion of the Congo titles were up for grabs in both the Classic Style and African Style categories.

FECOLUSAF is a governing body that sanctions wrestling events and appoints champions in the Republic of the Congo, similar to the National Wrestling Alliance and its territories in the USA up through the 1980’s. Instead of wrestling promotions set up in different territories, the overseeing organization will appoint champions of geographical districts with titles being awarded for inter-city districts, whole cities and even the whole country. Within these districts are catch clubs that train together and organize live wrestling events with wrestlers from rival clubs going head to head.

The three match event that took place outdoors at the intersection of Owando Street and Yoka Bernard Avenue in the Ouenzé neighborhood of Brazzaville featured two title matches for two of the top titles of FECOLUSAF and in both matches, a new champion was crowned.

In the match for the FECOLUSAF Champion of Congo African Style Title, defending champion Bougie Rouge took on the challenger Zombie Aigle.

Bougie Rouge came into the event Thursday as the FECOLUSAF Champion of the Congo, African Style. Image courtesy of Bougie Rouge’s Facebook profile.

Zombie Aigle, who challenged for the FECOLUSAF Champion of Congo, African Style on Thursday. Image courtesy of Zombie Aigle’s Facebook page.

Matches in the African Style category feature catch fetiche, the unique style of Congolese pro wrestling that employs mysticism and traditional voodoo hexes in the ring. Zombie Aigle would go on to defeat Bougie Rouge in the match, becoming the new Champion of Congo in the African Style category.

Dix Vision, pictured in the middle with the mask and the title belt, was the last wrestler to hold the FECOLUSAF Champion of Congo, Classic Style belt prior to leaving the federation to join L’association de Lutte à la Culotte et Catch.

The FECOLUSAF Champion of the Congo, Classic Style title belt was also decided at the event. Heading into the bout, the title belt was vacant. Dix Vision was the last wrestler to hold the belt, winning it in Pointe Noire, Republic of the Congo back in September 2019. Dix Vision held the belt until opting to leave FECOLUSAF and join a rival governing body, L’association de Lutte à la Culotte et Catch. With Dix Vision leaving the federation, he was stripped of the title and the title was put up for grabs in a singles bout on April 28th. The match for the vacant Champion of the Congo belt took place between Lourd Biankouikila (who WrestleMap readers may be familiar with from our WrestleMap Exclusive event The Brawl In Brazzaville) and Safrane.

Lourd Biankouikila stands maskless next to the ring as it’s torn down following Thursday’s event in Ouenzé, Brazzaville. Image courtesy of Lourd Biankouikila’s Facebook page.

Lourd Biankouikila under the mask that he wears in the ring.

In the bout between Safrane and Lourd, Safrane was able to walk away as the winner and in turn became the new FECOLUSAF Champion of the Congo in the Classic Style category. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to dig up any photos of the new champion Safrane but we’ll keep our eyes open for any photos or video footage that emerges from this event.

Up next in the Republic of the Congo, many of the country’s wrestlers will head to the northern portion of the country in June to the town of Ouésso to participate in the National Championships that will be governed by FECOLUSAF. At that event, there may be a similar situation to what we saw at the Departmental Championship in Brazzaville where the reigning champion of Brazzaville was forced to depose his title and re-earn it by coming out of the event as the winner in the championship final.

We’ll keep you updated on the upcoming National Championship and any other details, photos or video footage we can track down from the recent championship bouts.