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Fox News
01-04-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Nigerian boxer suddenly dies after collapsing mid-fight: 'Unpredictable nature of the sport'
Gabriel Oluwasegun Olanrewaju, a professional boxer from Nigeria, died suddenly over the weekend after he collapsed in the third round of a light-heavyweight fight in Ghana, according to officials. Oluwasegun tragically died Saturday at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, located in the capital of Accra, after he collapsed less than halfway through his eight-round bout against Ghana's Jon Mbanugu, the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) said in a statement. Oluwasegun was dominating the fight, but began to falter in the third, according to officials. Just under three minutes into the round, Oluwasegun stepped back from his opponent and fell backward onto the ropes. The GBA said Mbanugu did not hit Oluwasegun directly before he collapsed in the ring. Video of the fight shared on social media supported this. Oluwasegun appeared unconscious as the referee waved over for help. According to the statement from the GBA, the ringside physician and paramedics attempted to resuscitate Oluwasegun on the scene before he was transported to the hospital, "where he was pronounced dead 30 minutes after arrival." No cause of death has been revealed, but the GBA described the situation as an "induced coma" in its statement. The World Boxing organization also released a statement calling for "the urgent need for rigorous testing protocols to ensure the health and safety of our fighters." The GBA said Oluwasegun was "declared medically fit by the Nigeria Boxing Board Control (NBBC)" prior to the fight. "It is with profound sadness and a heavy heart that I, on behalf of the Ministry of Sports and Recreation and the Government of Ghana, extend my deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Nigerian boxer, Gabriel Oluwasegun Olanrewaju, who tragically passed away following his contest at the Bukom Boxing Arena," Kofi Iddie Adams, the minister of sports and recreation in Ghana, said in a press release. "We deeply empathize with the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control (NBBC), the entire Nigerian boxing fraternity, and the global boxing community over this irreplaceable loss. Gabriel's untimely departure not only deprives boxing of an admirable competitor but also reminds us of the unpredictable nature of the sport we passionately love." Adams said the ministry and the GBA will work with officials in the investigation into Oluwasegun's sudden death. The 40-year-old boxer entered the fight with a 13-8 record, with 12 of those wins by knockout. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Times of Oman
31-03-2025
- Sport
- Times of Oman
Nigeria: Boxer dies after collapsing during fight
A Nigerian professional boxer passed away after collapsing during a fight in Accra, Ghana, local media have reported. Gabriel Oluwasegun "Success" Olanrewaju, a former Nigerian and West African light-heavyweight champion, was fighting Ghanaian boxer Jon Mbanugu in a Ghana Professional Boxing League bout on Saturday. However, he collapsed onto the ropes in the third round — without having received a punch. After receiving first aid in the ring at the Bukom Boxing Arena, he was rushed to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital where he was pronounced dead 30 minutes after arrival, the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) confirmed. "Oluwasegun, a few seconds before the end of round 3, stepped back during the fight and leaned on the ropes with his back without any punch whatsoever from his opponent," read a GBA statement on Sunday. "The referee, sensing danger, waved his hand for the end of the fight and immediately invited the ringside physician with the support of paramedics from the national ambulance service to attend to the boxer to help resuscitate him." Was Olanrewaju's fight officially sanctioned? The GBA insisted that Olanrewaju, 40, had been "declared medically fit by the Nigeria Boxing Board Control (NBBC)" and that it had therefore "sanctioned and approved the international contest." However, the NBBC told Nigerian newspaper The Punch on Monday that it hadn't approved the ultimately fatal bout, which was reportedly arranged at short notice after Olanrewaju had been judged too heavy to compete in a scheduled fight on Friday. "[Olanrewaju] got our approval to fight in Ghana, a fight that was proposed to take place on a Friday," NBBC secretary Remi Aboderin told The Punch. "Unfortunately, they did [the] weigh-in on Thursday and he was found to be overweight and they told him the person he was to fight was not his weight." Was Olanrewaju in debt? According to Aboderin, Olanrewaju was on his way back to Nigeria and had reached the border between Ghana and Togo when he decided that he couldn't return home empty-handed due to significant debts he had to pay. "They called the matchmaker, who informed him that there was a fight on Saturday night, but we didn't give him the approval for that," said Aboderin, claiming the GBA got it wrong. "So, he turned back and went back to Ghana because he needed the money; he owed a lot of people money." Babatunde Ojo, one of Olanrewaju's former coaches, told The Punch that he advised the boxer against fighting on short notice. "These are the things I advise my boxers against," he said. "You can't just pick a fight at short notice; you need at least one month. I am very saddened by his loss; may his soul rest in peace." NBBC secretary Aboderin told BBC Sport that Olanrewaju was a "fearless" fighter who died a "ring warrior." He said the federation was "really devastated" by his death and insisted: "We will live up to our responsibility and make sure that we stand [by his] family." Before his bout with Mbanugu, Olanrewaju had an official record of 23 fights, with 13 victories and eight defeats.
