​​​Wrestling has long held a special place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, particularly in Kinshasa, where it has evolved into a unique form of popular entertainment.

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Influenced by broadcasts of American professional wrestling in the 1960s and 1970s, Congolese wrestlers gradually developed their own distinctive style, blending athletic competition with traditional beliefs, ritual performances, dance, body painting and theatrical spectacle.

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This extraordinary fusion gave rise to Catch Fétiche, a uniquely Congolese form of wrestling in which physical strength is only one part of the performance. Wrestlers adopt larger-than-life characters, use elaborate costumes and symbolic objects, and stage dramatic confrontations involving supernatural powers, imaginary spells and theatrical illusions.

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The result is a colourful and often unpredictable spectacle, where sport, theatre, humour and mysticism come together, blurring the boundaries between competition and performance.