The History of Power Mike.

Michael Okpala on August 8, 1939 to Echeobi and Janet Okpala at Neni, in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State in the eastern part of Nigeria. He was the first born of a family of three. He die on March 11, 2004. Also known as "Power Mike", was a household name in the world of wrestling as a retired undefeated World Heavyweight wrestling champion.

*Career
At Onitsha, he joined the Dick Tiger Boxing Club as a middle weight amateur boxer. It was here that Dick Ihetu Tiger became his role model. On leaving Onitsha, he left for Kano to specialize in the business of buying and selling tyres. During an apprenticeship as a motor mechanic he realized his dream. This realization sparked his rebirth and he acquired a new name, Power Mike. While in Kano in northern Nigeria, he started a superman show business which made him popular locally. His imaginative exhibitions in Kano virtually cast a spell on people from various social backgrounds because they were yearning to see him perform. Showmanship took him around the world in the mid-1950s. His act included such feats as using his bare hands to bend a six-inch nail, lifting four heavy men with ease, engaging several men in a game of tug-of-war, using bare hands to break a coconut and so on.
In 1961, he started a nationwide 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. It was there that he became a wrestler.

He retired from active wrestling in 1976 and then focused on international promotions. Michael Okpala died on 11 March, 2004 at the National Hospital, Abuja after a protracted illness.

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