Michael Okpala Power Mike

Michael Okpala (aka Power Mike) was born August 8, 1939 and died March 11, 2004.

Chief Michael Okpala (MON), was a household name in the world of Nigerian and African wrestling, a retired undefeated World heavyweight wrestling champion

Power Mike was born as Michael Okpala on the 8th August 1939 to Echeobi and Janet Okpala at Neni, in Anaocha Local Gorvernment Area of Anambra State in the eastern part of Nigeria. He was the first born of a family of three.

When he reached the school age, he was enrolled into the Anglican Primary School at Adazienu,a neighbouring town to Neni. It was at this primary school that he started building his athletic career by being ACTIVE in sporting events. Even as at then,he was so much interested in boxing that he became an amateur boxer.

After finishing his primary school education in 1952,he left his village for Onitsha to learn learn how to organise and run business in the area of buying and selling of products. At Onitsha,he joined the [...] Tiger Boxing Club as a middle weight amateur boxer and as at then, he had [...] Ihetu Tiger as his role model.On leaving Onitsha, he left for Kano to specialise in the business of buying and selling tyres and it was from there that as a salesman in tyres and as an apprentice in motor mechanic that he realized his dream. This realization knocked out his real name Micheal Okpala and gave re-birth in Power Mike.

While in Kano in the northern part of Nigeria, he started superman show business and this made him to be popular. His exhibitions in Kano virtually cast a spell on his imagination of people from various social backgrounds as they were yearning to see him perform. Showmanship took him round the world and as at then in the mid-50's, he could use his bare hands to bend a six-inch nail, he could lift four heavy men with ease; could engage several men in tug-of-war ;some on his right side and others on his left , could use bare hands to break coconut and so on.

In 1961, he started a nation wide tour which took him to Onitsha, Enugu, Aba, Port Harcourt, Lagos, Jos and Kaduna. In 1964, Power Mike went to Ghana and his performances there were a tremendous success. He later toured Cote d'Ivoire and Senegal before he found his way into Europe in 1967, accompanied by his friend Engr. Onyeso, the Igwe of Nri. He got a one year contract in Sweden after which he went to Greece and it was there that he became a wrestler. A wrestling promoter saw him performing as a superman and he took interest in him. He approached Power Mike and suggested to him to become a wrestler and it all started from there. He was trained by Kalie Abdulkalie of Lebanon. Initially, he did not like the brutality in wrestling, but he later became a good wrestler and even one of the best that Greece could boast of then. When he left Greece, he went back to Britain to compete in the sport and thus he started his career as a wrestler indeed and in truth. He came back to Africa in 1970 and in the same year he defeated Gambia's Massambula to become the African heavy weight wrestling champion and titleholder.

He wrestled with and defeated Ali Baba of Lebanon in 1973. Johnny Kwango also became a victim of Power Mike's when he (Mike) defeated him in Lagos. Among the list of wrestlers that Power Mike defeated were Power Jack, Joseph Kovacs, Judd Harris, John Tiger of Canada and a host of other worldwide notable superstars.

Apart form his pro wrestling prowess which popularised him worldwide, he was also a promoter of the sport as his Power Mike International Promotions brought to our shores in Nigeria foreign wrestlers like Mil Mascaras, [...] the 'Bulldog Brower,'' Buddy Rose., Michael Hayes, Mighty Igor, The Mongols, Carlos Colon, Chris Adams, Thunderbolt Williams and so on. He retired from active wrestling in 1976 and then focused in International promotions.

Power Mike died on Wednesday, 11 March 2004 at the National Hospital, Abuja after a protracted illness. Indeed, his immense contributions to sports especially in the world of pro and amateur wrestling to the World, Africa and Nigeria will be difficult to surpass.