FAMOUS BOXERS OF ALL TIME FROM NIGERIA

List of famous boxers from Nigeria, listed alphabetically with photos of the boxers when available. Nigeria has produced some very talented boxers over the years, including heavyweights, light heavyweights, cruiserweights, featherweights and flyweights. These are some of the best Nigerian boxers to ever live, so if you're a native of Nigeria and are aspiring to box professionally then these people should be your idols. If you're searching for a particular popular boxer from Nigeria then you can use the "search" box to find who you're looking for.
List is made up of boxers like Ijeoma Egbunine and Gbenga Oloukun.
This list answers the questions, "Who are the greatest Nigerian boxers?" and "Which boxers are from Nigeria?"
You can click on the names of these legendary boxers of Nigeria in order to get more information about each one. If you box or just love the sport then use this list of talented Nigerian boxers to find some new athletes to watch.

Dick Tiger

Dick Tiger CBE was a boxer from Ubahu village, Amaigbo, Nigeria, who emigrated to Liverpool and later to the United States of America. Tiger was a member of the Igbo ethnic group. Tiger was a boxer, commercial venturer, and Biafran rebel. 

Henry Akinwande

Henry Akinwande is a retired English professional heavyweight boxer and former WBO heavyweight champion. 

James Oyebola (10 June 1961 – 27 July 2007) was a heavyweight boxer who won a bronze medal at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in the super heavyweight division. Oyebola was the British heavyweight champion from 1994 to 1996.
Oyebola was born in Lagos, Nigeria. Standing 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) tall, with a reach of 85 inches (2.16 m), he fought in the orthodox stance and won 18 of his 23 fights, 16 by knock out, losing four and drawing one. He was pronounced brain dead after injuries sustained by gunshot wounds to his head after a nightclub altercation. He was based in Paddington during his career.
Oyebola was shot in the back of the neck and leg in the early hours of 23 July 2007 after an altercation in the Chateau 6 club at Fulham Broadway where he was visiting a friend for a drink. He had gone to assist staff asking four customers in the rear courtyard to put out their cigarettes to observe the recently imposed smoking ban and was shot as they left the premises.
Simon Block, general secretary of the British Boxing Board of Control, paid the following tribute: "Throughout that time he was truly one of nature's gentlemen and to think of him lying in a hospital bed fighting for his life as a result of a cowardly and gutless attack by those who will not have been possessed of the same courage that he showed in the way he faced adversity, in and out of the ring, fills me with both sadness and dismay
Oyebola's family decided that they would turn off his life support machine on 27 July 2007 at 11:30 am (10:30 GMT) after he was pronounced brain dead on 26 July 2007.^[7] It was announced at 12:39 pm on 27 July 2007 that James Oyebola had died, at Charing Cross Hospital, after his life support machine had been switched off. His funeral was held on 10 September 2007

Nojim Maiyegun (born February 21, 1944 in Lagos) is a retired Nigerian boxer, who won the bronze medal in the men's Light Middleweight (71 kg) category at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.
He was Nigeria's first Olympic medalist. He revealed his loss of vision in 2012
David Dejiro Defiagbon (born 12 June 1970) is a retired Nigerian boxer. Nicknamed "The Dream", Defiagbon fought for Canada and won the heavyweight silver medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Born in Sapele, Nigeria, Defiagbon won gold in the welterweight division at the 1990 Commonwealth Games. In 1992 in Barcelona at the Summer Olympics he represented Nigeria and was eliminated in the first round of the light middleweight division (7 to 8 against Raúl Márquez).
Defiagbon went on to fight for Canada for whom he won the heavyweight silver medal (limit 201 lbs) at the 1996 Summer Olympics beating Nate Jones, losing to Félix Savón.

Duncan Dalnajeneso Danagogo Dokiwari (born October 15, 1973 in Port Harcourt) is a retired Nigerian boxer. At the 1996 Summer Olympics he won a Men's Super Heavyweight bronze medal, together with Aleksei Lezin of Russia.
Dokiwari is a descendant of the Kalabari people of the Niger Delta of Rivers State, Nigeria. He is a son of the Horsfall and David-West group of houses in Buguma, in the Asaritoru Local Government Area of Rivers State. Dokiwari is the fifth of eight children raised by their mother and grandmother. As a child Dokiwari played different sports ranging from track and fields, soccer, badminton, powerlifting, to volleyball which has been evident in his agility and strength as a boxer. The young Dokiwari obtained his primary education at Port Harcout Primary School in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. On a successful completion of his primary education, Dokiwari attended Akpor Grammar School Ozuoba, where he completed his secondary education. Duncan Dokiwari graduated with degrees in criminal justice and Advertising from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in the summer of 2008. Dokiwari is an avid reader whose reading interest include philosophy, history, English literature, law and justice, as well as religious literature.

Samuel Okon Peter (born September 6, 1980) is a Nigerian-American professional boxer who held the WBC heavyweight title in 2008. He rose to prominence in his early career following a string of knockout wins, at a time when the titles of the heavyweight division were largely fragmented. In March 2008, Peter won a portion of the world heavyweight championship by knocking out Oleg Maskaev to win the WBC title. In October, in what would be his only defense of the title, Peter lost to a returning Vitali Klitschko, who stopped him in eight rounds. Peter is known for his rivalry with the Klitschko brothers, having faced Wladimir twice (in 2005 and 2010) and Vitali once.

Originally, Peter's preferred sport was soccer. In 1992, some boxers came to Peter's school to train. The curious young 11-year-old stopped by and asked if he could train along with them. He was put up against an experienced amateur and knocked him out. This marked the beginning of a successful amateur career for Peter.
Samuel Peter won the Nigerian amateur heavyweight championship and the Africa Zone 3 Heavyweight championship. He faced stiff competition as an amateur (including a knockout victory over 2000 Silver Medalist Mukhtarkhan Dildabekov of Kazakhstan). However, he prevailed and was given the opportunity to represent Nigeria at the 2000 Sydney, Australia Summer Olympics.
Peter lost in the quarterfinals to Italian Paolo Vidoz by decision. However, his performance was noted for being very impressive from such a young pugilist and hence more excitement was generated for him than the eventual Gold Medalist, Audley Harrison, to whom Peter had lost a very close decision just a few months before the Olympics.

Richard Igbineghu (born April 21, 1968 in Ibadan) is a Nigerian boxer. At the 1992 Summer Olympics he won the silver medal in the men's super heavyweight (+ 91 kg) category

 Fighting under the name Richard Bango, Igbineghu turned pro in 1994 and has had limited success. Although he began his career 16-0, Bango took three years off, from 1996-99. At the advanced age of 36, Bango took on his first real challenge, goliath Nikolay Valuev. Bango was TKO'd in the 6th round. In 2006, Bango dropped his second loss, to a young Alexander Povetkin, via a 2nd-round KO

David Izonritei (born April 29, 1968 in Lagos) is a former Nigerian boxer. Also known as David Izon, Izonritei won the Heavyweight silver medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics.

Izon began his pro career with 18 consecutive victories prior to being upset by Maurice Harris. In his next fight Izon took on David Tua, and after 11 rounds of action, Tua knocked out Izon [1]. Izon became a popular HBO fighter, and after a victory over Lou Savarese, Izon took on the young, undefeated prospect Michael Grant, and was taken out in less than five rounds. Izon hit the comeback trail, and rang out seven consecutive victories against slight opposition, including a TKO victory over prospect Derrick Jefferson.
He was inactive for most of 2001, as fights with Lennox Lewis (for the heavyweight title), Mike Tyson, and Wladimir Klitschko all fell apart.
By the time he finally returned to the ring he looked a spent force as undefeated Fres Oquendo took him out in three rounds. After the loss to Oquendo, Izon was KO'd by Joe Mesi, and then dropped a decision over Al Cole, proving not only that Izon's days as a legitimate contender were effectively over, but that Izon himself had taken far too much punishment in his career, as is evidenced by his current speech difficulties and slow movements

Peter Konyegwachie (born November 26, 1965 in Lagos) was a Nigerian boxer. He hails from Ogwashi-Uku. The town that also produced another sport(football) great, Austin "Jay Jay" Okocha.The town is the headquarters of Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. He attended Adaigbo Secondary School. At the 1984 Summer Olympics he won Nigeria's first ever silver medal in the men's Featherweight (54–57 kg) category.
Konyegwachie became professional in 1986 and won his first 15 fights prior to getting stopped by a journeyman in 1990. He retired after the bout at 15-1-0.

Isaac Ikhouria (born October 9, 1947) is a retired light-heavyweight boxer from Nigeria who won a bronze medal at the 1972 Summer Olympics.^[1] A year later he won a gold medal at the 1973 All-Africa Games

Hogan "Kid" Bassey
MBE (3 June 1932 – 26 January 1998) was a Nigerian-British boxer, he was the first man of Nigerian descent to become a world boxing champion.^[1]
He was born Okon Asuquo Bassey on the banks of the Cross River, Creek Town, Calabar, Nigeria, and became naturalised British when he moved to the UK, where he spent most of his life in Liverpool. He took the name Kid Bassey when he turned professional as a boxer. He was managed by and trained by George Biddles and Jimmy August

After 14 contests in Nigeria, Bassey went to Liverpool in 1952.
After winning the Empire featherweight championship, he won the world crown by defeating French Algerian Cherif Hamia in Paris in 1957. He lost the title to U.S. fighter Davey Moore on 18 March 1959. Other opponents include Billy "Spider" Kelly, Percy Lewis, Tommy Profitt, Sammy McCarthy, Ricardo Moreno, and Willie Pep
In 1959 he was awarded the MBE following his world title win and went on to become a coach in Nigeria who awarded him the country's highest honour in 1973. He died on 26 January 1998 at his home in Apapa, Lagos.

Gbenga Oloukun
  (born June 14, 1983) is a boxer from Nigeria, who participated in the 2004 Summer Olympics for his native West African country.
In 2003 he captured the gold medal in his weight division at the All-Africa Games in Abuja, Nigeria vs Mohamed Aly.
At the Olympics 2004 he was defeated in the round of sixteen of the super heavyweight (over 91 kg) division by Italy's eventual runner-up Roberto Cammarelle.

Isaac Ekpo (born October 22, 1982) is a professional Nigerian boxer who competes in the Super Middleweight division
 In 2004, Ekpo was a member of the Nigerian Olympic team, and was defeated in the first round by Utkirbek Haydarov from Uzbekistan

Effiong Okon (born May 22, 1985) is a boxer from Nigeria, who participated in the 2004 Summer Olympics for his country. There he was outscored in the first round of the men's light flyweight (– 48 kg) division by Italy's Alfonso Pinto.^[1]
Okon qualified for the 2004 Athens Games by ending up in second place at the 2nd AIBA African 2004 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Gaborone, Botswana. In the final he was defeated by Madagascar's Lalaina Rabenarivo.

Olanrewaju Durodola (born October 16, 1980) is a Nigerian boxer who qualified for the 2008 Olympics in the Heavyweight division.
In his only previous major event he suffered a 29:29 countback loss to Camille Michel of Seychelles at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
The 1.92/6'3' Durodola did not compete at the 2007 All-Africa Games but qualified at the 2nd AIBA African 2008 Olympic Qualifying Tournament by beating among others Awusone Yekeni.
He lost his only Olympic match to Cuban Osmay Acosta, Ascota went on further to win a bronze medal.
He is noted for his knockout power, even in the amateurs, having stopped the vast majority of his opponents.
In 2011, Durodola has turned professional. His first professional bout was scheduled for February 19 at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas, but that fight was canceled when his opponent withdrew from the fight at the last minute. As of 2013, Durodola won the WBC Continentals Americas Cruiser Weight Championship title and WBC Silver Cruiserweight champion.

Ijeoma "The Praise" Egbunine (born December 30, 1980 in Lagos, Nigeria) is a female boxer and is currently the WBE Light Heavyweight World Champion and WIBF Light Heavyweight World Champion. She trains under Henry Okafor of Team Praise in Marietta, GA, United States.

Ijeoma Egbunine's first professional match was a win by unanimous decision against Janaya Davis in December 2004. That decision was highly contested by Davis, however, who claimed she was set up to lose by the promoter. Egubine did not take these comments lightly, and promised to be more aggressive during their next fight. In her second match against the Atlanta favorite on February 25, 2005, Egbunine KO'ed Davis in the second round. According to, "In the second round the intensity did not let up as the bad blood began to boil between the two. At the 30 second mark of the 2nd round Egbunine landed a crushing overhand right that sent Davis brutally to the canvas. Davis struggled to get to her feet as she fell for a second time trying. As she stumbled to her feet referee Jim Korb stopped the fight -- Jose Santiago"
Her only loss came on March 12, 2005, to Nikki Eplion (in her first fight since losing to Laila Ali) in a close decision . The bout, only the third for Egbunine, was the main event on the seven-fight "A Punch Of Class" in front of 600 fans in the ballroom at the Radisson Hotel, Huntington, West Virginia.

Ikemefula Charles "Ike" Ibeabuchi 
(born February 2, 1973) is a Nigerian former professional boxer who competed from 1994 to 1999 in the heavyweight division. He defeated highly ranked contender David Tua in 1997 and future world champion Chris Byrd in 1999. After compiling a record of 20–0 with 15 knockouts, Ibeabuchi was imprisoned in Las Vegas in July 1999, after submitting an Alford plea. In November 2015, Ibeabuchi was released from the custody of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after completing his 16-year Nevada state prison sentence without incident. He has since announced that he will be returning to the ring at the age of 42 to resume his professional career.

Battle with David Tua

After winning 16 straight fights from the start of his career, Ike made a big jump in competition and fought undefeated prospect David Tua for the WBC International Heavyweight title on June 7, 1997. Tua was 27-0 and considered by many analysts to be 'the next Mike Tyson'.
Both boxers threw bombs and neither took a backward step all night. Ibeabuchi and Tua set a CompuStat heavyweight division record with 1,730 punches thrown. Ike also set the individual CompuStat record by throwing 975 punches and averaging 81 per round. The heavyweight average is around 50. Ibeabuchi won a unanimous 12-round decision over Tua with scores of 117-111, 116-113, and 115-114. The fight established Ibeabuchi as the top contender for the world heavyweight title.

Troubles outside the ring

A couple of months after the Tua fight, Ibeabuchi abducted the 15-year-old son of his former girlfriend and slammed his car into a concrete pillar on Interstate 35 north of Austin, Texas. According to the criminal complaint, the boy suffered 'numerous injuries' from the accident 'and will never walk normally again'. The courts concluded Ibeabuchi was trying to commit suicide, and he was sentenced to 120 days in jail after pleading guilty to false imprisonment. Ibeabuchi also paid a $500,000 civil settlement.
Ibeabuchi developed a new persona based on his nickname, 'The President'. At times when he was being churlish or refusing to complete a simple requirement such as attending a weigh-in, his handlers would appeal to The President's regal nature by convincing him it was the noble thing to do. "There were times when he thought he was really a president", boxing promoter and former HBO Sports executive Lou DiBella said. "He would get into these mental states where he insisted on people calling him 'The President'. It was his alter ago, where 'I am The President,' not of the United States, but maybe president of the world."
Once, Ibeabuchi wielded a knife during a dinner meeting in New York to discuss a possible three fight HBO deal. "We were having a fine meal at a nice restaurant", Promoter Cedric Kushner said, "and mid-course Ike picked up a big carving knife, slammed it into the table and screamed 'They knew it! They knew it! The belts belong to me! Why don't they just give them back?'" "That was a peculiar experience", Kushner said. "That wasn't the type of conduct I expected to romance the guy from HBO. He (Ibeabuchi) was like a Viking."

Comeback

Ibeabuchi returned to the ring after thirteen months inactivity, and scored a first-round knockout over Tim Ray in July 1998. Two months later, he stopped Everton Davis in nine rounds.
Ibeabuchi's next fight was against Chris Byrd in March 1999. Byrd, a 1992 Olympic silver medalist and a future world heavyweight champion, was a quick and slick southpaw with a record of 26–0.
After four rounds, the three judges had the fight scored evenly: 38–38 even, 39-37 for Ibeabuchi, and 39–37 for Byrd. In the fifth round, Ibeabuchi landed a devastating left hook which sent Byrd to the canvas. Byrd made it back to his feet, but was quickly knocked back down. Byrd once again rose, but was trapped against the ropes and taking punishment as the referee waved it off at the 2:59 mark.
Following the win over Byrd, Ibeabuchi turned down $700,000 to fight fringe contender Jeremy Williams, and also turned down $1 million for a showdown with the undefeated Michael Grant.


Emmanuel Izonritei(Izon-Eritei) (born October 31, 1978) is a boxer from Bayelsa State of Nigeria.Boxer at the 2003 Afro-Asian Games India (Gold Medallist). He was an athlete in the 2004 Summer Olympics for Nigeria, where he lost in the round of 16 (Heavyweight (91 kg) division) to Naser Al Shami of Syria, who eventually won the bronze. In 2003, he won gold against Mohamed Elsayed in the All-Africa Games in Abuja, Nigeria.^[2] His brother David won a silver model in boxing in the 1992 Summer Olympics.^[2] Served in the Nigeria Airforce 1999 - 2005, also Served in the British Army 2008 -2013, He did a tour of Afghanistan "OP Herrick 10" 2009.


Friday Chinedu Ahunanya (born 19 November 1971 in Port Harcourt, Nigeria) is a professional boxer.^[1] He is a journeyman heavyweight best known for beating several undefeated prospects and for his appearances on ESPN fight cards.
He fights out of Las Vegas, NV and is the current holder of the PABA heavyweight title and NABA heavyweight title.

Known as Friday "The 13th", Ahunanya began his career in 1998 with a good deal of promise, winning his first 16 fights including a victory over undefeated (16-0-1) Nate Jones. In 2001 he lost a decision to undefeated (15-0) Olympian and future titlist Serguei Lyakhovich. In 2002 he handed French Olympian Josue Blocus his first loss.
In 2004 had his only early loss when hit in the eye in the 4th by Lance Whitaker. The loss to Whitaker was the beginning of decline for Ahunanya. He went on to lose to Taurus Sykes in New Mexico, who was not highly regarded in spite of his 22-1-1 record in 2005, arguably the low point of his career.
He then drew with fringe contender Dominick Guinn, and then was competitive in losing efforts against undefeated prospects Sultan Ibragimov (Olympic silver medalist) and 6-0 Olympic Gold medalist Alexander Povetkin.
In 2007 he rebounded by handing 19-0 New Zealand prospect Shane Cameron his first loss by knocking him down twice in the 12th and final round, after the second knockdown the referee intervened and stopped the contest, earning him a TKO victory. In 2008 he stopped another undefeated prospect in Alonzo Butler.
Friday Lost to David Tua in March 2010 in New Zealand via decision. However Friday and his manager claimed Friday should have won, and would have if the fight had been in the USA. After further review it was obvious that David Tua won the fight by unanimous decision.

Teke Oruh, alias African Prince, (born August 8, 1978 in Lagos) is a heavyweight professional boxer from Nigeria.
Oruh made his professional debut, a first-round knockout of Gustavo Robleto, on July 28, 2001. To date his professional record is 14 wins (6 by knockout) and one loss with 1 draw after getting outpointed by Joey Abell on Showtime.

Cyril Panther (born 6 June 1938 in Nigeria) was a Nigerian boxer.
Panther moved to Great Britain from Nigeria on the advice of his manager and his first fight was a defeat to Willie Hart in 1962. Problems with his cataract led to him becoming blind.^[1] He finished his boxing career in 1972 after fighting on 45 occasions

Emmanuel John Chukuwuemeka Nwodo, known more commonly as Emmanuel Nwodo (born 19 March 1974 in Enugu, Nigeria) is a Nigerian professional boxer who fights in the cruiserweight division

Ahmed Sadiq (born July 7, 1979) is a Nigerian boxer who participated in the 2004 Summer Olympics for Nigeria. There he was outscored in the first round of the Lightweight (60 kg) division by Cuba's eventual winner Mario César Kindelán Mesa. One year earlier, he won the gold medal in his weight division at the All-Africa Games in Abuja, Nigeria.

Jacklord Bolaj Jacobs (born January 1, 1970 in Benin) is a boxer from Nigeria, competing in the heavyweight (– 91 kg) division. As an amateur he represented Nigeria at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. A year later he won the silver medal at the 1993 World Amateur Boxing Championships in Tampere, Finland, where he was beaten in the final of the light heavyweight (– 81 kg) division by Cuba's Ramón Garbey.


Davidson Andeh (born January 17, 1958) is a retired boxer from Nigeria, who won the world title in the lightweight division (– 60 kg) at the second World Amateur Championships, held in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. In the final he defeated Vladimir Sorokin from the USSR.
Andeh represented his native country at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada, but Nigeria withdrew from the competition due to the participation of New Zealand, and so the win in the first round of the featherweight division (– 57 kg) was given to India's Rai Sik.^[1]
Andeh became professional in 1980, and captured the African Lightweight Title in 1983 by defeating Tapsoga Tiga of Togo. He retired from competition in 1987, with a record of 19 wins (12 ko's) and five losses.


Kingsley Ikeke (b. 1973-02-25) is a US-based Nigerian super middleweight boxer. He lost to Anthony Hanshaw on points, KOd Antwun Echols but was KOd by Armenia's Arthur Abraham in the fifth round for the vacant IBF middleweight title. Later he lost to Jean Pascal.

Muideen Ganiyu (born May 5, 1979) is a boxer from Nigeria, who participated in the 2004 Summer Olympics for his native West African country. There he was stopped in the quarterfinals of the Featherweight (57 kg) division by DPR Korea's eventual runner-up Song Guk Kim. One year earlier, he won the silver medal in the same weight division at the All-Africa Games in Abuja, Nigeria.

Akeem Anifowoshe
  (11 September 1968 – 1 December 1994), popular as "Kid" Akeem, was a Nigerian Super Flyweight professional boxer.
He is best known for his performance in Ring Magazine's 1991 Fight of the Year, which he lost to Robert Quiroga by a close but bruising unanimous decision [1].
He was challenging Quiroga for his International Boxing Federation Super Flyweight title. Shortly after the decision was announced, Anifowoshe collapsed in the ring and was rushed to emergency surgery to remove a bloodclot from his brain.
After being injured in the Quiroga fight, Anifowoshe was not allowed to fight in the United States again. There are reports that he turned to drug trafficking and was deported back to Nigeria, where he picked up boxing again after a while. Reports vary on exactly how he died, some say he had boxed in an ill-advised professional match in Nigeria and collapsed in the shower afterward, some say he collapsed after a training session.
It is known that his death was attributed to the brain injury sustained in his fight with Quiroga. Called by trainer Miguel Diaz the fighter with the most natural talent he ever trained and a recipient of an honorable mention in the Ring's 1987 "Prospect of the Year" selections, Anifowoshe has a final record of 23 wins against only 1 defeat.