Table of Contents
- Gabriel Olanrewaju collapsed and died in the third round of a boxing match against Ghanaian boxer John Mbanugu alias Power
- He seemed fine in the first two rounds but collapsed in the third round and gasped for breath
- Doctors tried to resuscitate him upon arrival to the hospital, but he was already gone
Nigeria Boxing Federation (NBF) is under siege following the death of Nigerian boxer Gabriel Olanrewaju while in the ring on Saturday night.
Olanrewaju collapsed and died in Accra’s Bukom Boxing Arena where he was facing off with popular Ghanaian boxer John Mbanugu alias Power.
Two days later, the federation is yet to issue a statement over Olanrewaju’s death, drawing ire among Nigerians.
What Happened to Nigerian Boxer Gabriel Olanrewaju?
Oluwasegun,40, turned up for Ghana’s Fight Night 15, season 3 of the Ghana Professional Boxing League. It was a long-awaited fight as he faced off with Ghana’s boxing star Power.
All was well in the first two rounds as the duo went for each other without much hesitation. However, Gabriel Olanrewaju collapsed and died in the third round of the match.
The crowd thought it was the usual knockdown and expected him to get up. His legs couldn’t hold it together before he collapsed.
Nigerian boxer Gabriel Olanrewaju collapsed in the ring and died on Saurday night, March 29. He was at Bukom Boxing Arena in Accra facing off with Ghanaian boxer John Mbanugu alias Power. Photo/Hello Vybes
He put his whole weight behind the ring’s ropes as his opponent delivered punches. He slid and collapsed. The referee counted a few times, waiting for the 40-year-old Nigerian to get up, but he didn’t.
Olanrewaju lay on the ground, gasping for breath. Upon seeing this, the referee quickly ended the fight and sought first aid for the Nigerian.
Efforts to resuscitate him proved futile. He was rushed to Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital while still gasping for breath but it was too late; he was no more.
His body was taken to Korle Bu mortuary.
How Nigerians Reacted Online
Nigerian boxer Gabriel Olenrewaju at Accra’s Bukom Boxing Arena before he collapsed in the third round and died. Photo/Yen News
Moments after Gabriel Olanrewaju passed on while on the ring, his fans expressed sorrow that such had to happen.
“Heartbreåking moment a Nigerian boxer, Segun Olanrewaju collapses and d!es in the ring during a match against a Ghanaian opponent at the Bukom Boxing Arena last night,” Oxygist posted on X.
KraksTV said: “A Nigerian boxer, Segun Olanrewaju collapses and died in the ring during a match against a Ghanaian opponent at the Bukom Boxing Arena last night. Our thoughts and condolences to his family at this time.”
Emmanuel Kfosu, a Ghanaian boxing fan said it was the saddest news for Olanrewaju’s family.
“A Nigerian boxer passed on last night whilst fighting a Ghanaian boxer at the Bukom Arena in Ghana 🇬🇭. May God comfort his family.”
Dr Penking noted that it may have been possible to save Gabriel Olanrewaju immediately after he collapsed if there was been a doctor on site.
He said that the referee and officials seemed clueless because they lacked the medical knowledge of dealing with the situation.
“A Nigerian boxer, Segun Olanrewaju d!ed in the ring during a match against a Ghanaian opponent at the Bukom Boxing Arena last night. The people there seemed clueless when he collapsed. It is important to have a doctor on ground during combat sports,” he wrote.
Still, NBF remained quiet about the whole incident. Nigerian journalist Solomon Nwakaeme lamented that Nigeria doesn’t value its boxers.
Nwakaeme argued that the federation has a mandate to express remorse to the fallen pugilist’s family, but it failed in doing so.
Olanrewaju Wins
Gabriel Olanrewaju had a total of 13 victories from 23 fights. He won 12 of these via knockout. He was the light heavyweight champion in the West African Boxing Union besides his national titles in Nigeria.
However, his career was on the balance, having lost the last four matches. He fought against Idowu Raheed in December 2024 but lost.
