The Nigeria Boxing Board of Control (NBBofC) has stated that boxer Segun ‘Success’ Olanrewaju, who died during a boxing match in Ghana was not authorized to participate in the bout that led to his death.
TheNewsGuru recalls that Olanrewaju was fighting against Ghanaian boxer Jon Mbanugu at Fight Night 15 of the Ghana Professional Boxing League at Bukom Boxing Arena when he suddenly lost consciousness.
It is understood he was ahead on points in the scheduled eight-round light-heavyweight contest against Mbanugu, who has an impressive record of 12 wins.
The 40-year-old former National and West African light -heavyweight champion decided to fight on Saturday after his initial fight scheduled for Friday was canceled due to his being overweight.
According to the board Secretary-General, Remi Aboderin, Olanrewaju was initially given the approval to fight, however, complications arose when he was deemed overweight during the weigh-in on Thursday.
Despite the cancellation, Olanrewaju opted to fight on Saturday in hopes of earning money to settle debts.
The secretary -General explained that Olanrewaju’s decision to participate in the fight stemmed from financial pressures. He noted that the deceased reached out to the Ghanaians after expressing concerns about returning home empty-handed.
Aboderin noted that the board, did not approve an arrangement of Ghanaian matchmakers offering the boxer a fight on Saturday, highlighting a miscommunication between the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) and the Nigerian board.
Coach Babatunde Ojo, who trained Olanrewaju, expressed his concerns regarding the short notice of the fight. He had advised Olanrewaju against taking such a quick match without sufficient preparation.
Ojo recalled that Olanrewaju initially thought the fight was scheduled for April, only to find out it had been moved up to March 29, which raised alarms for Ojo.
Despite Ojo’s warnings, Olanrewaju ultimately decided to proceed with the fight after receiving a release letter from the NBBofC.
Coach Ojo noted the importance of adequate training time, emphasizing that athletes need at least a month to prepare for fights, and he was deeply saddened by the outcome of this situation.