THE WRESTLING RING MAGICIANS
SPORTFOLIO AWARDS SILVER MEDAL 2015
Congolese wrestling is one of the strangest and most off-the-wall sports on the planet. Mixing fetishes and fighting techniques, it is unlike any other discipline. Appeared in the 60s and 70s, inspired by American wrestling showed on TV, it quickly became very popular.
!["As a charger brings the phone to life", the Champion of wrestlers-fetishers of Congo, Bijou Kisamvwote, claims to have learned everything from the famous Edingwe, now retired.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0e953db0-7db6-4d5e-9216-16858583ddd1/497963c7-f987-48b8-b14a-73924216b4f3_rw_1920.jpg?h=f4bde67765b2fc5848a2ea84d30eec62)
"As a charger brings the phone to life", the Champion of wrestlers-fetishers of Congo, Bijou Kisamvwote, claims to have learned everything from the famous Edingwe, now retired.
![The wrestler-fetisher "Six Colors".](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0e953db0-7db6-4d5e-9216-16858583ddd1/fb451e4d-709b-4238-96bf-db1da918f5a3_rw_1920.jpg?h=fdff69b9c7349db20bca66b705f157f3)
The wrestler-fetisher "Six Colors".
![Golberg, tough among the tough, eats a lot, speaks little and squeezes hard.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0e953db0-7db6-4d5e-9216-16858583ddd1/09e57460-774d-4983-abec-906673855edb_rw_1920.jpg?h=8ad7dd6e974c86b7845d89b2ed0cacef)
Golberg, tough among the tough, eats a lot, speaks little and squeezes hard.
![City train, 5 kg at birth, African wrestling champion in 2010 has only one fetish: training.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0e953db0-7db6-4d5e-9216-16858583ddd1/3dc6ffe2-ebe5-4f15-b777-b93d1a47e9ab_rw_1920.jpg?h=27ee62b2e4ac7fbe8627c32ffde1b68a)
City train, 5 kg at birth, African wrestling champion in 2010 has only one fetish: training.
![Rafia around the waist and kaolin on the body, Yabeli and the brass band parade in "the city" before a tournament in Ndjili.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0e953db0-7db6-4d5e-9216-16858583ddd1/57ef15b1-69e8-4942-bcf3-00e14b56aa97_rw_1920.jpg?h=4862b7381f59c53e6a9ad0fd4d4d71d0)
Rafia around the waist and kaolin on the body, Yabeli and the brass band parade in "the city" before a tournament in Ndjili.
!["Tonight wrestling shock". Bass drum and trumpets on the roof, the caravan brings wrestlers through the alleys of Matete, "the king of the skirt" as a figurehead.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0e953db0-7db6-4d5e-9216-16858583ddd1/82200ab0-964e-44bb-a956-ea53f0feca3f_rw_1920.jpg?h=66fdbabe86d1972307cc5b685fb68507)
"Tonight wrestling shock". Bass drum and trumpets on the roof, the caravan brings wrestlers through the alleys of Matete, "the king of the skirt" as a figurehead.
![Igwe Texas and Viper Matete summon the spirits to “make their opponents dance”.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0e953db0-7db6-4d5e-9216-16858583ddd1/4a20caa9-8693-477f-a556-31aac2e41e2c_rw_1920.jpg?h=99b2cfb65e34ade7e9ca51358d586607)
Igwe Texas and Viper Matete summon the spirits to “make their opponents dance”.
![Spectators must pay 1000 Fc ($1) to attend a tournament like here in a private plot of Ndjili.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0e953db0-7db6-4d5e-9216-16858583ddd1/a202c4b6-76ed-4765-b48f-785d36a06c54_rw_1920.jpg?h=fd38d42249f9184f7581391f87d71333)
Spectators must pay 1000 Fc ($1) to attend a tournament like here in a private plot of Ndjili.
![Four fingers and the strength of the ancestors will be enough for Shaolin, "King of the skirt" to avert the knockout by asphyxiation.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0e953db0-7db6-4d5e-9216-16858583ddd1/ec423bda-3d1e-4889-84da-756bd541e24c_rw_1920.jpg?h=005b9b785aa120260ac5cac9726e6db0)
Four fingers and the strength of the ancestors will be enough for Shaolin, "King of the skirt" to avert the knockout by asphyxiation.
![Six Bolite, president of the warriors club, is one of the rare technicians to make the witch doctors waltz.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0e953db0-7db6-4d5e-9216-16858583ddd1/055b9770-a1b7-4d8d-9d18-5f898dd216f8_rw_1920.jpg?h=2cb5ee15f6ca9e985917c95f1bc9544f)
Six Bolite, president of the warriors club, is one of the rare technicians to make the witch doctors waltz.
![Ebende, a human beast chained and constrained by a board has just been released... It's going to hurt.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/0e953db0-7db6-4d5e-9216-16858583ddd1/32eea881-7f30-4e94-a46e-cf27afdc66a7_rw_1920.jpg?h=1892003c208f7026488de4598a49b11b)