7 Nigerian boxers that have won belts

Boxing is a physical combat sport that involves two people wearing gloves and throwing punches at each other for a predetermined amount of time in a boxing ring. Before football became the most popular sport in Nigeria, there was boxing. Nigerian boxers were known to win belts in both the middleweight and heavyweight divisions of the sport on a global level.

There are 17 weight divisions. A boxer’s weight must not exceed the upper limit to be eligible for a division. Nigeria used to be ranked among other world boxing giants like the United States, Britain, the Republic of Ireland, Puerto Rico, and Mexico, among others. Nigerian boxers have made the nation proud by winning important belts in different divisions of the sport.

Table of Content hide 17 Nigerian boxers that have won belts 1.11. Anthony Joshua 1.22. Herbert Maduagwu 1.33. Henry Akinwande 1.44. Samuel Peter 1.55. Bashiru “Bash” Ali 1.66. Richard “Dick Tiger” Ihetu 1.77. Hogan “Kid” Bassey

7 Nigerian boxers that have won belts

1. Anthony Joshua

Anthony Oluwafemi Olaseni Joshua OBE is a British professional boxer of Nigerian descent. AJ, as he is popularly called, was born in Watford, Hertfordshire, on October 15, 1989, to Yeta and Robert Joshua. His mother is a Nigerian, while his father is of Nigerian and Irish ancestry. AJ spent most of his childhood in Nigeria but returned to the United Kingdom following his parents’ divorce.

He began his boxing career in 2007 at the age of 18. He is now a two-time former unified world heavyweight champion, having twice held the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO titles between 2016 and 2021. His attempt to win the unified belts for the third time ended in defeat after he lost to Oleksandr Usyk in a split decision on August 20, 2022, in Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, AJ is the only Nigerian to hold a unified world heavyweight title.

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2. Herbert Maduagwu

Herbert “Herbie Hide” Maduagwu is a former British professional boxer of Nigerian descent who competed from 1989 to 2010. He was born in Amauzari, Nigeria, but moved to England as a youngster. Herbie Hide began his professional boxing career as an amateur, finishing with eight wins (7 KOs) and two losses in 10 fights.

He later went pro and competed in the heavyweight division, winning the WBO heavyweight title twice between 1994 and 1999. Hide also won the British heavyweight title in 1993. Later in his career, he decided to go down to the lighter cruiserweight division. The Dancing Destroyer, as he was called, was successful in the division as he won the World Boxing Council (WBC) International cruiserweight title in 2007.

3. Henry Akinwande

Henry Adetokunboh Akinwande is another former British professional boxer of Nigerian descent who competed from 1989 to 2008. Born in London, England, Akinwande went to live in his parent’s homeland of Nigeria as a 4-year-old. At 21, he returned to the UK and began a boxing career soon after. He made his professional debut in 1989 against Carlton Headley in London and won all his first 18 bouts, including a second-round KO victory over former World Light Heavyweight Champion J.B. Williamson.

Akinwande won the Commonwealth title in 1993 after beating New Zealand’s James Thunder. Soon after, he defeated  Axel Schulz to grab the European heavyweight title. Unfortunately, a proposed challenge to United States Evander Holyfield for the WBA belt in 1998 was abandoned after Akinwande tested positive for hepatitis B. It would have been one of the fights of the century. Anyway, Akinwande had a successful career with 50 wins, four losses, and one draw in 55 fights.

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4. Samuel Peter

Samuel Okon Peter is a Nigerian professional boxer. Peter was born in Nigeria and represented the country in international competitions. He was known for his rivalry with the Klitschko brothers in his prime. He had faced Wladimir twice (in 2005 and 2010) and Vitali once. He also defeated Oleg Maskaev in six rounds to win the WBC heavyweight title in 2008. Peter was ranked by The Ring among the ten best heavyweights from 2005 to 2008, reaching his highest ranking of world No. 2 in 2007. He holds a 78.9% knockout-to-win ratio.

5. Bashiru “Bash” Ali

Bashiru Ali is a popular Nigerian professional boxer. He is the only boxer in the world who has won all cruiserweight titles, including the North America Boxing Federation title. Bash Ali became the first cruiserweight boxing champion from the African continent after he won the title in 1985. Born on February 27, 1956, in Lagos, he left Nigeria to attend Mildred Burke Professional School of Wrestling in the United States on a wrestling scholarship. He began a professional career in September 1978 and never fought as an amateur.

His last fight in 2004 was memorable as he knocked out the then British cruiserweight champion, Tony Booth, in the fourth round. In 2017, Bash Ali announced he wanted to return to the ring and enter the Guinness World Records as the oldest man to fight in Nigeria and Africa. So far, the federal government has ignored his request to represent Nigeria.

6. Richard “Dick Tiger” Ihetu

Richard Ihetu, popularly known as Dick Tiger, was one of Nigeria’s most globally respected boxers in the 1960s. Born in Nigeria, Tiger emigrated to Liverpool, England, to pursue his boxing career and later to the United States. He held the World Middleweight and World Light Heavyweight Championships during this period.

Tiger was from the Igbo ethnic group in Nigeria and fought in the Biafran army during the Nigerian Civil War. He was a Lieutenant and primarily trained soldiers in hand-to-hand combat. Tiger was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991. He was also named Fighter of the Year in 1962 and 1965 by The Ring magazine.

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7. Hogan “Kid” Bassey

Hogan “Kid” Bassey MBE was a Nigerian-British boxer. He was the first Nigerian to become a world boxing champion. Born Okon Asuquo Bassey on June 3, 1932, in Cross River, Calabar, Bassey became naturalised British when he moved to the UK. He took the name Kid Bassey after he turned professional. He won his first World Featherweight Title in 1957 and retained the title in 1958. Kid Bassey was awarded the MBE in 1959 and became a coach in Nigeria. He was also awarded the country’s highest honour in 1973. 

Other notable Nigerian professional boxers who have won belts are:

• James Oyebola (10 June 1961 – 27 July 2007)
• Nojim Maiyegun (Nigeria’s first Olympic medalist)
• David Dejiro Defiagbon
• Duncan Dalnajeneso Danagogo Dokiwari
• Peter Konyegwachie
• Isaac Ikhouria
• Ahmed Sadiq among others

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