Nigerian boxer Gabriel Oluwasegun Olanrewaju would have still been alive today, if he had stuck with his decision not to fight his Ghanaian opponent Jon Mbanugu in last Saturday’s non-title bout in Accra, Ghana.
Olarenwaju collapsed midway in the fight at the Bukom Boxing Arena in Accra; he was given first aid but was later confirmed dead at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital 30 minutes later.
Olarenwaju a former National and West African light-heavyweight champion, was offered $1500 to fight Mbanugu but during the weigh-in he rejected the offer saying that he can beat his opponent, and he deserved to be paid more.
Despite pleas from the promoters, they just only wanted him to dance around and lose the fight to his opponent whom they are trying to promote, Olarenwaju walked away from the offer and journey back to Nigeria.
“But when he got to the Seme border, he changed his mind and headed back to Accra that same Friday and on Saturday he was in the ring with Mbanugu,” said a source.
“This was because he didn’t want to return home empty handed and so he climbed the ring that Saturday already exhausted from the back-and-forth journey.
“He didn’t collapse and die because of the punches he received, but it was out of exhaustion, which might have caused a cardiac arrest.
“Only if he had just gone home straight rather than make a U-turn. I understand that it is the pressure of putting food on the table and keeping body and soul together and he need some money to settle debts he owed that made him to accept the fight.”
Meanwhile the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control said it is saddened by the incident would continue to support his family as they prepare for his burial.
“We are really sad about the incident that happened to Olarenwaju, he was one of our best boxers around,” Mr Effiong Nyong a member of the NBB of C.
“The NBB of C is in close contact with his family as they prepare for his burial. It was an unforeseen circumstances.”
Oluwasegun had an official record of 23 fights, with 13 victories and eight defeats, before his bout with Mbanugu.
