Nigerian boxing champion Gabriel Oluwasegun Olanrewaju tragically passed away after collapsing during a professional bout in Ghana. The 40-year-old fighter, known as “Success” in the boxing community, was competing against Ghanaian opponent Jon Mbanugu in an eight-round light heavyweight clash at the Bukom Boxing Arena in Accra when the shocking incident occurred.
Nigerian boxer Gabriel Olanrewaju passes away during fight
Gabriel Olanrewaju was a former Nigerian and West African champion, lost consciousness in the third round of the match. Reportedly, he suddenly stepped back and leaned on the ropes without taking a punch from his opponent. Referee Richard Amevi, recognizing the emergency, immediately halted the fight and signaled for medical assistance. Ringside physicians and emergency responders rushed in, administering CPR before transporting him to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. Despite efforts to revive him, Olanrewaju was pronounced dead just 30 minutes after arrival.
The circumstances leading up to the bout have raised concerns. The Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) stated that Olanrewaju had been medically cleared for the fight by the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control (NBBC). However, the NBBC later denied sanctioning this specific bout, revealing that the boxer had originally planned to fight on a different day but was disqualified due to weight issues. According to NBBC General Secretary Remi Aboderin, Olanrewaju was already on his way back to Nigeria when he decided to take the last-minute fight due to financial struggles.
“[Olanrewaju] got our approval to fight in Ghana, a fight that was proposed to take place on a Friday,” NBBC told Nigerian newspaper The Punch on Monday. “Unfortunately, they did [the] weigh-in on Thursday, and he was found to be overweight. They told him the person he was to fight was not his weight. So, he turned back and went back to Ghana because he needed the money; he owed a lot of people money.”
Olanrewaju’s passing has left the boxing community in deep sorrow. Aboderin, speaking to BBC Sport Africa, described him as a “fearless” fighter who died a “ring warrior.”
“We are really devastated,” Aboderin said. “[This] is not something we envisaged. We will live up to our responsibility and make sure that we stand [by] the family.”
The Nigerian boxer had a professional record of 13 wins, 8 losses, and 1 draw. He won the Nigerian light heavyweight title in 2021 and later claimed the West African championship in 2023. However, his career had taken a downturn in recent years, with multiple consecutive losses leading up to his final bout.
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Following the tragic incident, the GBA announced that an official investigation would be conducted to examine the safety measures in place during the fight. The circumstances surrounding his last-minute inclusion in the bout, as well as the medical protocols followed, will be scrutinized.
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