Par Paul Lesigne
Published on
“In France, we have a well of very good wrestlers. ” It is Gerard Herve who affirms it. And with 40 years of catch behind him, the one who calls himself Flesh Gordon in the ring knows what he’s talking about.
Today National Technical Director (DTN), he travels across France in search of new talent. With – among others – Zvet Dramatika et Francois Brisbardthe next generation will be well represented on Saturday February 25, 2023 at the gala organized in the multi-activity room of Lisieux (Calvados) by the festival committee.
“There to do what we love”
Both are from the former Haute-Normandie. Zvet Dramatika comes from “the region of Rouen”. At only 22 years old, she already has some solid references behind her: “I was voted France’s best hope in 2019.” Not bad for a young woman who started wrestling 4 years ago, at 18:
“Before, I did boxing, judo, wrestling, rugby… I discovered the Faremoutiers wrestling school (Seine-et-Marne). I was trained by Mr. Jacky, a respected former wrestler. »
Zvet Dramatika, who “always loved combat sports”, did not take long to catch the wrestling virus, seduced by “the spectacle side for the public”. “We’re here to do what we love,” she smiles. And to do it well, the Norman is ready to make sacrifices: “You need a lot of training. I drive 4 hours to go to Romilly near Troyes, once or twice a week. »
The crush at 10 years old
François Brisbard is also a real enthusiast: “When I discovered wrestling on TV at the age of 10, I fell in love with this spectacle sport, the entrances of the wrestlers, the characters we would like to embody…” The little boy has come a long way since, as shown by his titles of “2018, 2019 and 2020 French light heavyweight champion”. And he too was “elected best French hope”.
In 2014, at age 17, he put aside judo and his tatamis for the wrestling rings. He started in Dieppe and was then trained by Mickey Trash, a wrestler also on Saturday night in Lisieux. Wrestling allows him to use “a lot of wrestling techniques, judo, boxing, ju-jitsu and gymnastics”. Like Zvet Dramatika, François Brisbard is a worker: “Bodybuilding, wrestling… You need a lot of training to maintain the body. »
He created his school
To pass on his knowledge, he opened a wrestling school at the beginning of the month with his partner Elodie Lefebvre. The USL – Norman wrestling school is based in its city of Lillebonne. Thanks to her, the sports coach wants to “revitalize French wrestling”: “The Americans stole the show from us a bit. »
At the same time, the 25-year-old is pursuing his career as a wrestler, which takes him all over France and Europe. With one goal in mind, to fight in Mexico, a sort of Mecca for wrestling: “I want to show what I can do to the whole world! »
Saturday February 25 at 9 p.m., in the Lisieux multi-activity room. Prices: 10 € in popular, 20 € in the gold square. Tickets on sale at the Café Français, place Mitterrand, at the Gentleman, place de la République, and on the website comitedesfetesdelisieux.fr. See also in Leisure pages.
Follow all the news from your favorite cities and media by subscribing to Mon Actu.
