March 29, 2025—a night that was supposed to be just another fight night turned into a heartbreaking tragedy for the boxing world. During Fight Night 15 of the Ghana Professional Boxing League (Season 3), Nigerian boxer Gabriel Oluwasegun Olanrewaju collapsed in the ring—and never got back up. He was 40.
It all happened in the third round of his fight against Ghanaian John Mbanugu at Bukom Boxing Arena in Accra on an undercard. The two were going at it, trading punches, when a visibly exasperated Olanrewaju, already on wobbly legs, suddenly fell against the ropes and slid onto the canvas in the middle of the eight-round contest. At first, the referee started the count, thinking it was just another knockdown. But within seconds, it was clear—this wasn’t a normal fall. As Olanrewaju gasped heavy breaths, the referee called off the fight and tried to help up the Nigerian.
Soon officials rushed in, trying everything to revive him. But nothing worked. He was quickly taken to Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, but despite all efforts, doctors couldn’t save him. And just like that, the devastating news broke—Gabriel Olanrewaju was gone. His body was later taken to the Korle Bu mortuary.
A chilling video of the moment captures the final seconds of the fight, showing the exact moment Olanrewaju collapsed. The caption on the clip read: “A Nigerian boxer sadly passed away during a boxing match against a Ghanaian opponent at the Bukom Boxing Arena last night. Rest in peace
