Posted by By PAUL OMO OBADAN on
He looks incredibly strong and hefty like the famed Incredible Hulk film. Opting for wrestling as a carreer was perhaps the best choice he could make. Wherever he turned to, men run helter skelter for their lives, thinking the monster-looking human, was a wild animal.
He looks incredibly strong and hefty like the famed Incredible Hulk film. Opting for wrestling as a carreer was perhaps the best choice he could make. Wherever he turned to, men run helter skelter for their lives, thinking the monster-looking human, was a wild animal.
Chief Louis Okeke, alias Super Armstong of Africa, in an interview with Sunday Sun reveales his many ordeals as a wrestler and undefeated Super Heavy weight champion of Nigeria and Africa.
'Just this morning, I parked my car because the radiator hose was leaking, and tried to ask for water somewhere. As I crossed the gutter to ask for water in a house nearby, a lady and some small boys ran inside the house. I was embarrassed. So their people came out to see what was pursuing them, as soon as they saw me, they ran back inside too. I said what is happening, I just need water from you people to put in my car. They said 'I beg, I beg, go'. Fortunately, there was a sports man around who recognized me and tried to explain to them who I was. They retorted that I looked like a wild animal. I said I am not a wild animal, but a human being like you, I only need water for my car in which they eventually gave me", he said.
Born in 1958 in Ogbunka, Orumba south, in Anambra state, it wasn't a bed of roses for the young man as he had to shove off his father's's penchant for school rather than sports.
He continued : 'From my childhood I was very powerful and I loved sports. So as a sports man in my primary school, St. Mary's Anglican School, I played football as a right full back. I broke so many people's legs, so they banned me from playing football.
'From there, my parents took me to Otukpo where I grew up. I attended St. Peter's Methodist Secodary school, Otukpo, Benue state, now Wesley High school.
As a lover of sports , I joined boxing. As I proceeded in boxing, my father was against it. But I sneaked out to train. One Umoru from Idah was the coach at Otukpo that time, this was around 1969.
While training I punched my coach on the cheek or mouth and his teeth got broken. He sacked me immediately, saying that he did not teach me to come and blow and kill him. To spite me, he reported the matter to my father and my father was very happy, that he had told me that I do not belong to the sports world, that I should face my education.
'Eventually, I came down to Lagos in 1979. I was a trailer driver for Izuchukwu Transport Company. A certain day, I came with my full load trailer and there was no labourer to off load, so, with a bit of help from my conductor, I off-loaded the whole trailer myself and parked it in the store. So, when Izuchukwu himself saw it, he marveled, saying that this man is dangerous to this company. He went to the General Manager, and asked him who employed me, GM said he was the one. He instructed the GM to sack me -that any day I go against the company's laws or misbehave and he talk to me, I would beat him up. The manager refused.
He told me that Oga said they should sack me but he doesn't know how to go about it and I am the strongest driver in the company. I knew I would be sacked, so I went on my own trip with the trailer to look for money. So when I came back, he got me arrested and I was locked up at Sabo Police station, I beat up the whole inmates there including the police with annoyance. So the DPO released me, saying that I was a mad man. They phoned Izuchukwu and he paid for everything I damaged and signed surety for me.
I came back to Izuchukwu (Okaka Anedo) to work, he rejected me and advised that I should go into wrestling. I said that it has been on my mind all along. So he paid me my three months salary and I left to join wrestling.
Wrestling
'When I came back from Bourkina FassoI challenged Power Uti to a fight and defeated him. I also defeated Terry the destroyer, Jim Robot Obot and a host of others. I beat everybody that came my way. Infact, I have never lost any fight, except as an amateur. Right now, I am the current African Super Heavyweight Wresling Champion.
Controversy
'I saw Tony Destroyer and Ultimate Commander sometime on television calling themselves African champions, I don't know where they won their title. Infact, I am perplexed. EFCC is running after governors because of money, why can't they look into sports? There is so much fraud. If somebody claims what he is not, he should be arrested and brought to book. I wonder how somebody just gets up one day and calls himself champion, where did he win the belt? Before I became the National Champion, I went round the whole states and defeated their state Heavy weight champion, ditto Africa were I defeated Big Daddy who died on the stage at the National Stadium, Lagos; to become champion in 1991. Since then, people are scared to challenge me.
Me and women
The ‘Eze Dingba Ndigbo'(king of wrestlers, a title given to him by Igbos when he won the African belt) has a soft spot for women. According to him, women love him so much.
He said:'Women disturb me a lot, they like me so much. The other day, one was chasing me with a car as I was driving. I thought the occupant was an armed robber. She overtook my car and flagged me down. When I parked, she asked wether I am Armstrong, and I said yes. She said she has been looking for me since. I was shocked! She said we should go somewhere and talk. She followed me from Badagary Express way to Apapa. We got talking and she said she sees me on television, I am strong she would like to have me as her husband. She took me clubbing. That day, she spent nothing less than N25, 000 on me.
My wife & I
'My wife fears me so much, she dare not mess up. She is a nice woman and has four kids for me. She is very loyal. Her name is Mary Okeke. If she messes up, I dont really beat her as such, I would change my looks and she would behave.
Juju in sports
'People who use juju know themselves, I know in everything, there is fake and genuine. Whoever uses juju is fake. Juju can work for sometime, but at the end of the day, you will loose. Personally, I don't know God, I am just like a juju man too, because I was born into some juju shrine in my village which my fore-fathers inherited. I believed in juju, but at the fullness of time, I got to know that such things don't work. Superman Armstrong of Africa is natural not juju. I believe God is the Almighty and and what will be yours will be.
Has Boxing made you rich?
'Wrestling has made me rich by name but not in terms of finance. I am known in every part of the world and that's just it. Here in Nigeria, the little money you earn is shared and robbed off by your officials. The one that finally gets to your hand is peanuts.
What you do by the side?
'I am into haulage. I am also a member of an association called National Importers Association. We assist government to fight corruption and smuggling.We have our office at Creek Road, Apapa (Nnewi building). I am the chief security officer
Wrestling in Nigeria and sponsorship
'In the National stadium, there is just one boxing ring and that is what wrestlers and boxers are using. No clinic. In those days, the clinic at the National Theatre, Iganmu, does not have drugs. They only prescribe drugs to you and you go to buy them yourself. If you are thrown out of the ring and you break your bone, you are on your own. Government should try and sponsor boxing and wresling like they do football. They continue sponsoring only football and they continue losing. You cannot rob Peter to pay Paul. The mind of other sports men who are crying are not happy with government and because of that, God will listen to them.
I need a sponsor, wrestling is a very big business. I want to build a standard gymnasium for upcoming youthsand revive wrestling . I have a land somewhere, I just need some capital to assist me.