By Chantelle Muzanenhamo
A Nigerian professional boxer, Gabriel Oluwasegun “Success” Olanrewaju, tragically passed away after collapsing during a fight in Accra on Saturday, reports from local media have indicated.
Olanrewaju, a former Nigerian and West African light-heavyweight champion, was competing against Ghanaian boxer Jon Mbanugu in a bout sanctioned by the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA). The incident occurred in the third round of the fight when Olanrewaju collapsed onto the ropes, despite not having been struck by his opponent.
Immediate first aid was administered in the ring at the Bukom Boxing Arena, but Olanrewaju was later rushed to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, where he was pronounced dead 30 minutes after his arrival.
The GBA confirmed the news in a statement on Sunday, noting that Olanrewaju leaned back against the ropes just seconds before the end of the round, prompting the referee to halt the match and call for medical assistance.
The GBA stated that Olanrewaju, 40, had been declared medically fit by the Nigeria Boxing Board Control (NBBC) prior to the fight, leading them to sanction the contest.
However, the NBBC later contradicted this report, telling Nigerian newspaper The Punch that it had not approved the fight, which was arranged on short notice after Olanrewaju was deemed too heavy for a scheduled bout 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 explained.
The circumstances surrounding Olanrewaju’s death have raised concerns over the protocols for medical clearance and fight arrangements in professional boxing.