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.

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.

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.

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.