The late Nigerian boxer, Gabriel Oluwasegun Olanrewaju, who died on Saturday during a bout in Ghana, died fighting for N3 million, A-CHOICES has learnt. The 40-year-old Olanrewaju, who died during a fight at the Bukom Boxing Arena on Saturday, was fighting with Ghana’s John Mbagunu, known as “Power,” in an undercard bout of Ghana’s Professional Boxing League when he collapsed and could not be revived.
According to sources at ringside, Olanrewaju suddenly fell to the canvas, prompting the referee to immediately call for medical help. Initially, the timekeeper thought it was a knockdown, but it soon became clear that something was seriously wrong. Despite urgent efforts by medical staff to revive him, he was later pronounced dead, with reports suggesting he may have suffered a cardiac arrest.
Olanrewaju was leading on points before the tragic incident occurred in the scheduled eight-round light-heavyweight contest against Mbanugu, also known as “Jon Power,” who holds a record of 12 wins, one loss, and one draw, with 12 knockouts.
It took only a few seconds for officials and fans at the Bukom Boxing Arena to realise that something was seriously wrong. Olanrewaju had landed two weak punches on his opponent before Mbanugu responded with a right hand to the Nigerian’s face. After a brief impasse between both men, the Nigerian boxer staggered backwards, fell against the ropes and collapsed, to the disbelief of the fans. Lamenting the unfortunate incident, the Secretary General of the Nigerian Boxing Board of Control (NBB of C), Remi Aboderin, said Olanrewaju was given the licence to fight in Ghana on Friday, but the bout was delayed to Saturday by the organisers.
Aboderin said: “We are waiting for the autopsy to know what exactly happened in Ghana. But we know that the organisers of the fight pleaded with Olanrewaju to fight on Saturday with the promise that he would be paid N3 million to stay.
“He was already on his way back to Nigeria on Saturday morning when the fight didn’t take place on Friday as scheduled before he was persuaded to return and fight on that day. He had complained that he didn’t have money and I believe that made him accept the offer.
“As I said, we are waiting for the autopsy to know what happened before we bring his corpse back to Nigeria. But as a body, the NBB of C will do everything possible to ensure we get to the root of the death,” Aboderin said.
Sad moment
A widely circulated video on social media captures the moment Olarenwaju collapsed, leaving fans and fellow athletes in shock.
The boxing community has been pouring in tributes,remembering Segun as a dedicated and highly respected figure in the sport. His opponent, Jon Mbanugu, visibly distraught by the tragic turn of events, has expressed deep condolences to Olarenwaju’s family and loved ones. What began as a fierce contest between two skilled fighters ended in heartbreak, shifting focus from competition to mourning.
Before Saturday’s unfortunate incident, Olarenwaju’s last recorded fight took place on 24 December 2024 against Idowu Raheed at the Campos Mini Stadium in Lagos.
His sudden passing has left an indelible mark on the sport, as both the Nigerian and Ghanaian boxing communities mourn the loss of an exceptional athlete.Olanrewaju, who was born in Lagos, had 23 professional fights, winning 13, with 12 victories coming by knockout.
Author: Dr Funmi Beckley
fumbeck@gmail.com
Abeokuta, Nigeria
