A 40-year-old Nigerian boxer, Segun ‘Success’ Olanrewaju, has died after collapsing during a boxing match in Ghana.
The former National and West African light-heavyweight champion, was facing Accra-born John Mbanugu, nicknamed “Power” in an undercard bout of Ghana’s Professional Boxing League.
The sad incident occurred at the Bukom Boxing Arena on March 29.
Olanrewaju reportedly, suddenly fell to the canvas mid-fight, prompting the referee to immediately call for medical assistance.
Medical professionals rushed to the scene but despite the attempts to revive him, the boxer was pronounced dead, with reports suggesting he may have suffered cardiac arrest.
pix: Olanruwaju
A video of the fight shared on social media showed both boxers fiercely trading punches before Olanrewaju stumbled and collapsed.
However, this occurred with only 15 seconds left in the third round of their scheduled eight-round bout.
Olanrewaju, a respected figure in Nigerian boxing, previously held both National and West African light-heavyweight titles.
According to BoxRec, Olanrewaju, born in Lagos, had an extensive boxing career, competing in 23 professional fights, securing 13 wins, with 12 coming by knockout.He suffered eight defeats and recorded two draws in his career.However, he had been struggling in recent years, suffering four consecutive losses before his tragic death.
His most recent fight was on December 24, 2024, suffering a defeat to Idowu Rasheed at the Campos Mini Stadium in Lagos.