The boxing world is stunned after Nigerian light-heavyweight Gabriel Oluwasegun Olanrewaju passed away following a sudden collapse during a fight in Ghana over the weekend. The 40-year-old was taking on Ghanaian boxer Jon Mbanugu at the Bukom Boxing Arena in Accra in a light-heavyweight bout set for eight rounds.
Olanrewaju was ahead on points in the third round, landing solid jabs and hooks, when he stepped back toward the ropes after a flurry. With no clear punch from Mbanugu, he leaned back and fell unconscious. Medics performed CPR in the ring and rushed him to Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, where he was pronounced dead 30 minutes after arrival, leaving officials and fans in shock as they await an autopsy.
Tragedy Unfolds in the Ring
The Ghana Boxing Authority shared their grief in a statement.
“The boxing authority said it is seriously mourning the demise of a potential world beater who was dictating a beautiful fight and all of a sudden fell into what has been described as an induced coma even though an official cause of death is yet to be made available after autopsy,” they said.
Video footage shows Olanrewaju controlling the fight with sharp punches until he stumbled backward without contact, puzzling onlookers. Referee Richard Amevi stopped the bout instantly, and medical staff stepped in, but they couldn’t revive him.
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Le boxeur nigérian Gabriel Oluwasegun Olanrewaju s’est effondré et est décédé lors d’un combat contre John Mbanugu au Ghana. La cause de son décès est encore inconnue et fait l’objet d’une enquête.
Que son âme repose en paix.#Baziksmedia pic.twitter.com/ATV5bouSB9
— 💯 Culture Afro-Congolaise (@BaziksMedia) March 31, 2025
A Heartbroken Community
Nigeria’s boxing leaders are crushed. Remi Aboderin, general secretary of the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control, spoke out.
“We are really devastated,” Aboderin said. “This is not something we envisaged. We will live up to our responsibility and make sure that we stand by the family.”
Olanrewaju, nicknamed “Success,” was a former African champion with a record of 13 wins, 8 losses, and 1 draw, including 12 knockouts. He won the Nigerian light-heavyweight title in 2021 against Eze Paul in Lagos and the West African Boxing Union title in 2023 against Rasheed Idowu in Abeokuta. Born in Lagos, he was cleared fit to fight, making his collapse a mystery that’s hit the sport hard.
In 2025, the fitness community suffered multiple losses. Jodi Vance, an emerging bodybuilder, passed away at the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio, possibly due to a heart attack caused by severe dehydration, according to her close circle. She had earned third place in the Women’s Physique category at the 2024 NPC Battle of Texas, showing great potential. Earlier that year, on February 3, fitness influencer Kim Woong Seo died, leaving behind a large following of over 43,000 on Instagram and a growing YouTube fanbase, who shared their sympathies online after his passing.
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