The autopsy on former Nigerian boxer Olanrewaju Segun, known as ‘Success,’ has confirmed that he died of sudden cardiac arrest during his fight in Ghana last Saturday.
Remi Aboderin, the Secretary-General of the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control and President of the West African Boxing Union, shared that the preliminary results from the post-mortem indicate that Olanrewaju’s death was caused by cardiac arrest. However, further investigations into his heart condition are required before his body can be released.
“The preliminary results point to sudden cardiac arrest as the cause of death, but additional investigation is necessary. Consequently, his body will not be returned to Nigeria for burial for about two weeks,” said Aboderin.
The autopsy was conducted on April 2 following a court order.
The 40-year-old boxer was declared dead at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra last Saturday after collapsing during his bout with Ghanaian boxer Jon Mbanugu at Fight Night 15 of the Ghana Professional Boxing League. At the time, Olanrewaju was leading in points in the scheduled eight-round light-heavyweight fight.
The medical team at the Bukom Boxing Arena rushed to his aid immediately, removing his gum shield and attempting to revive him as he struggled to breathe. He was later transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Olanrewaju, a former National and West African light-heavyweight champion, had a notable boxing career since his debut in 2019. Over his 24 professional bouts, he achieved 13 wins (12 by knockout), 9 losses, and 2 draws.
