Wrestlemap African chief correspondent bags Mike Bamidele Wrestling Award in Nigeria
Olusesan Olukoya, the African Chief Correspondent to Wrestlemap.com, a USA-based group making pro wrestling from every corner of the world accessible with one click, has been presented with the prestigious Mike Bamidele Professional Wrestling Award for his sincere contributions to the development of professional wrestling in Nigeria and the African continent over the years. Olusesan was presented with the honor during the Tony Destroyer Memorial Wrestling Tournament held at the wrestling Arena of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos in Nigeria on Saturday, 28th May, 2022. Nigerian wrestlers and family members of Tony Destroyer converged to honor the late Tony Desroyer who died on the 1st April at age 70 as the undefeated African Wrestling Confederation (AWC) Super Heavyweight Champion and title holder.
Olukoya is the secretary General of Pro Wrestling Africa (PWA), the African pro wrestling organization seeing to the development and growth of professional wrestling continentally. The organization is the syndicate that serves as the mouth piece of the game in Africa and also represents the interest of the continent of Africa internationally. He has indeed added value to the history of Nigerian and African pro wrestling as an African pro wrestling manager, columnist, publisher, crusader and activist. He has been propagating African pro wrestling for over three decades and has visited almost all the African nations that have some semblance of professional wrestling and likewise Europe, Asia and USA. He runs Royal Sports World, the African link to the professional wrestling world. He is also the Publicity Director of the Nigeria Pro Wrestling Federation.
Also presented with the Power Mike Wrestling Award for his long service to the development of professional wrestling in Nigeria was ‘’Homeboy’’ Elephando Bassey. The slender 70 year old Grand Wizard of African pro-wrestling still competes fairly and also happened to be the first national professional wrestling coach, was a former national middleweight champion and a former African Middleweight wrestling champion in 1982 and as a trainer has produced many pro wrestling talents who became national and international champions.
The Ben Lionheart Wrestling Award was presented to Jimmy Palm, (Omare Samuel Omene-Johnson) the Chairman of the African Wrestling Organization (AWO), a great talented professional wrestling trainer of appreciable repute who has competed round the African continent in Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, and also abroad in Scotland and other places with the toughest and the roughest in the sport of pro wrestling. Jimmy Palm was awarded for his training prowess in the squared circle.
Ralph Nwafor, the Secretary General of the Nigerian Wrestling Board of Control (NWBoC) and the MD/CEO at Ratinwa Communications situated in Lagos, received the Tony Destroyer Wrestling Award for his sincere contributions to the development of Professional Wrestling in Nigeria over the years. He is a professional Wrestling Manager, Sports and Entertainment promoter, PR Consultant and Project Management guru.
Three matches also took place at the Tony Destroyer Memorial and there will be more details on those to follow.
From top: Olusesan Olukoya is presented with the Mike Bamidele Professional Wrestling Award (top two); some of the Nigerian wrestling talent on hand for the Tony Destroyer Memorial Wrestling Tournament; Elephando Bassey is presented with the Power Mike Wrestling Award; Jimmy Palm is presented with the Ben Lionheart Wrestling Award.
