Nigerian Boxer Dies After Pingsan In The Ring

JAKARTA - Boxer from Nigeria, Gabriel Oluwesegun Olanrewaju, died after fainting during a minor heavyweight fight in Ghana last weekend.

Oluwasegun, who is a former national and West African champion, lost consciousness in the third round of Ghana's Professional Boxing League fight against Ghanaian boxer Jon Mbanugu at the Bukom Boxing Arena in Accra, Ghana's capital.

The Ghanaian Boxing Authority (GBA) said that Olupusagegun was immediately rushed to the Korle-Bu Education Hospital after receiving first aid. However, he died 30 minutes after arriving.

Secretary-General of the Nigerian Boxing Supervisory Agency Remi Aboderin described Olupasagegun as a tireless fighter.

"We are completely destroyed. [This] is not something we imagined. We will fulfill our responsibilities and ensure that we support our family," he was quoted as saying by the BBC.

Oluwesegun is recorded as having an official record of 23 fights. The details are 13 wins and eight defeats before his fight against Mbanugu on Saturday, March 29, 2025.

According to a CBS News report, Oluwesegun dominated his opponent until the third round. However, surprisingly he later fainted even though he was not hit by the opponent.

Oluwasegun was declared medically healthy for the fight by Nigeria's Boxing Supervisory Board before Ghana's Boxing Authority allowed it to participate.

At least six other boxers have died from injuries they suffered in the ring since February 2024. Starting with Irish boxer John Comoney, who died in intensive care one week after a super featherweight fight in Belfast.

The duel left him with an integral bleeding. Then in November, Fiji boxer Ubayd Haider died after collapsing in a super featherweight fight in New Zealand.