Reug Reug: The Wrestling Sensation Turning Heads in Senegal

Reug Reug is by no means your average Senegalese wrestler. In fact most extoll him to be the latest version of what a recent generation wrestler is to be.

He was born 27 years ago in Thiaroye, a city lying in the east of the West African nation’s administrative capital Dakar.

Christened Omar Kane, Reug Reug hails from a family of fishermen – a craft he himself had utilised as livelihood until his decision to take up wrestling.

Beginning with freestyle wrestling involving a fight of grappling without bareknuckles, Reug Reug has conquered virtually all there is of these kinds of mini-bouts and is a confirmed Ecowas champion.

The sport here is classed in three stages: arena fights referring to duels limited to inhabitants of a given geographic location, second division and the top flight where participants rack up millions of CFAs in a single battle.

Combatants in the latter category are topped by a crown holder who is not necessarily the best paid but commands respect and endorsement deals considering his status.

Omar Kane hasn’t reached this height but could in a matter of seasons and, to begin with, is already classed as a solid second division fighter.

Unlike most notable stars of the sport, Kane is a fearless man who has an unshakable grip for freestyling and is not the type to buckle under duress. As a matter of fact, it’s his ability to wriggle out through such situations that has had him thriving even more, proving time and again he can batter an opponent from all angles.

This is the sure advantage he enjoys over the rest who have also shown mastery of simple combats but certainly not to extent of Reug Reug.

His last duel had all the hallmark of audacity, power and sheer brilliance. Gris 2 from capital-based wrestling club Fass would be his adversary on that occasion. The traditional sport has not only out-famed football but commands huge coverage with revenue very much available to wrestlers to ensure proper training in preparation for the bouts.

Gris 2 and Reug spent time in France with the best sporting facilities at their disposal. But between then, they would try other forms of wrestling such as Japanese Mua Thai, kickboxing to mixed martial arts or cage duels. Hitting the gym is another aspect of the Senegalese game with preparations wrapping up in simple fight exhibition sessions and exclusive boxing.

Reug Reug and Gris 2 had it all but it’s the former who would emerge victorious in a face-off of undefeated arena wrestlers.

Omar packaged his heavily built opponent to send him sprawling in the sands. That win, occurring in August this year, has opened the path for loftier deals, forcing many pundits and wrestlers of the division to sit up and take notice.

Going by his demeanour, he is no shrinking violet and he spent a larger part of the last two months taunting top wrestlers, begging them to fight him.

He has engaged the calibre of Sa Thies (a potential would be A-list), Ama Balde who is touted to face arena crown holder Modou Lo and a legion of others.

The responses he gets is either jibes or claims that he has not proven himself enough yet.

A closer look at his feats shows a man boasting some outrageous statistics which even current King of Arena Modou Lo has probably never matched and may never lean towards equalling.

In data compiled by SunuLamb –a publication that specializes in reporting wrestling –shows that the Thiaorye-born has competed in fifty-eight (56) tournaments, with more than two hundred combats with just ten defeats in simple wrestling in four seasons.

These figures exclude the countless fights he has in Ecowas tourneys.

So far in the arena combats where the game is much followed, he is undefeated.