FORMER DIAL-A-CAB SECURITY GUARD
BREAKS INTO WORLD PRO-WRESTLING TOP TEN
In a rare photo taken at Brunswick House, Loli is photographed coming down the stairs in his mask.
With his mask on - which he quite often wears even when going out - he
looks to be a frightening apparition.
His biggest accolade so far, in addition to winning the
European championship, is that the latest American rankings show Big Poppa
T in their top ten - something very unusual for a European based
pro-wrestler. The same magazine voted him to be "the second baddest
man in world wrestling." His reputation as a 'bad guy' is spreading
but Call Sign found it hard to believe.
"I appreciate what your editor did for me"
he told Call Sign, "but I do not care whether people like me or
not, I must always win - there is no other way..."
Regardless of Loli's statement, Call Sign sends its
congratulations (we think)...!
He arrived in London from his hometown of Kinshasa in the African State of Zaire at the age of 31, having previously been Zaire's amateur wrestling champion. It was not unusual for Loli to fight in the national stadium in front of huge crowds larger than a sold-out Wembley stadium gets! Some of that was probably cause by Loli's insistence in wearing a mask to avoid identification. Why?
Well, his father was involved in a plan to get rid of a perceived dictatorial African President but was mysteriously killed in the process. Then Loli swore revenge against the secret service organisation that he claimed had murdered his father. He claims that he took revenge but will not speak about it. Since then, he has worn a mask and wrestled under the name Lion King or more recently, Big Poppa T.
During his first few years here, he set up an amateur wrestling school in Broad Green, Tottenham with some of his pupils going onto gain international
He got a job working at Dial-a-Cab via the security company who serviced Brunswick House at the time, but missed wrestling - both training and fighting.
Then he got talking to fellow security officer Joe Mensah - who also originates from Zaire. He told Loli that one of the DaC drivers - now Call Sign Editor Alan Fisher - wrote a regular American pro-wrestling column in Taxi Globe under the name of Mr X and seemed to have several wrestling contacts.
Loli contacted Alan and was put in touch with a group who promoted pro-wrestling in Kent. He went for a training session and was taken on immediately. Loli accepted on the condition that he could wear his mask.
His strength is phenomenal and he is quite personable to speak to, but not surprisingly, is very bitter and this is reflected in his wrestling. He recently broke his opponent's leg and was fined because he refused to apologise.
