Nigerian and Ghanaian boxing authorities have locked horns over the circumstances surrounding the death of former Nigerian champion Segun ‘Success’ Olanrewaju, with both bodies giving conflicting accounts regarding the fighter’s medical clearance before his fatal bout in Accra.

The 40-year-old former National and West African light-heavyweight champion collapsed in the ring during his bout against Ghanaian boxer Jon Mbanugu at Fight Night 15 of the Ghana Professional Boxing League at Bukom Boxing Arena on Saturday. He was later pronounced dead at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

Chairman of the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control, Dr. Rafiu Ladipo, expressed outrage over the incident, questioning the medical protocols followed by Ghanaian authorities.

“It was devastating and we in Nigeria have been thrown into mourning. How can a former Nigerian champion go for a fight in Ghana and die in the ring? We are asking the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) to explain the circumstances that led to his death because the fighter was released by the NBBofC to go there and fight on Friday,” Ladipo said.

He emphasised the importance of proper medical checks, noting, “The rule of the game is that 24 hours before a fight, you must do your medical and weigh-in, and the weigh-in was done but medical was not done and the medical is the most important aspect.”

However, GBA spokesperson, Amin Lamptey, defended their procedures, claiming that all necessary protocols were followed.

“What happened is very sad and all of us here commiserate with his family,” Lamptey told The PUNCH.

“He was supposed to fight on Friday but the fight couldn’t come up so the promotion connected with Ghana Boxing Authority, requested for him to be on the undercard of the next fight. His information was already with us as it was for the previous fight, his records, the reports, and his credibility as a former champion, we know his history, and in Ghana, we have to check this thing as an organisation before the fight was approved.

For a fight in Ghana, we need to make a health report which we also crosscheck with our in-house doctor and before the fight, they have to be checked, and even after the fight, we will also get the urinal, these are the processes in our country, and those processes were undertaken (for Olanrewaju).”

NBBofC Secretary General, Remi Aboderin, countered these claims.

In this case, there was no invitation to the NBBofC from Ghana. The boxer got a contract from the promoter from Ghana, he then came to the board to show us, we read the contract paper, saw the date and we gave him a release permit based on that,” Aboderin said.

On Monday (March 24), he called me saying that he had a fight and would be coming to the office on Tuesday. He came to my office and I prepared his release letter for Ghana. It is a must for the local commission, in this case, the GBA to provide the medical fee to do medicals on the day of weigh-in and I am made to understand that no medical was done on Thursday, yet they had the weigh-in.”

According to WBF medical guidelines, a pre-contest medical examination should be conducted immediately before the weigh-in, with additional post-contest checks for each fighter.

Coach Austin Okporu, who accompanied another Nigerian boxer to Ghana, corroborated the NBBofC’s concerns about medical protocols.

“Even me and the boxer that went for the fight, no medical was done before our fight. I even asked them, ‘Where are the medical personnel for the fight’. It is only a weigh-in and then, they fight,” Okon-Akpan said.

Meanwhile, the NBBofC has announced a two-week suspension of all professional boxing activities in Nigeria as a mark of respect for the deceased fighter. (The PUNCH, but headline rejigged)