Nigerian Boxer Gabriel Olanrewaju passed away during a boxing bout at the Bukom Boxing Arena last night

Nigerian boxer Gabriel Oluwasegun Olanrewaju collapsed during a fight on Saturday night at the Bukom Boxing Arena, shocking Ghana's boxing community.

When the sad event occurred, Olanrewaju was competing against John Mbanugu, also known as "Power," who was born in Accra, in an undercard bout for Ghana's Professional Boxing League. The referee promptly called for medical assistance as the 40-year-old abruptly fell to the ground halfway through the game.

He was quickly taken to Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital after being rendered unconscious despite intensive attempts to resuscitate him.

Although official statements regarding his status have not yet been made public, some outlets have declared him dead before the time of his death, speculating that he may have experienced cardiac arrest.

Olanrewaju abruptly slipped and fainted barely 15 seconds before the finish of the third round of the planned eight-round fight, according to a widely circulated video of the fight that shows the two boxers trading blows. Assuming it was a knockdown, the bellman and timekeeper initially counted, but it soon became apparent that the situation was far more serious. Medical staff raced to his aid, but their ringside attempts proved fruitless, and he had to be taken to the hospital right away.

Olanrewaju last engaged in combat with Idowu Raheed at Lagos' Campos Mini Stadium on December 24, 2024.