Gboah.com: FIVE WELL-KNOWN NIGERIANS WHO WERE ONCE A BOXERS

FIVE WELL-KNOWN NIGERIANS WHO WERE ONCE A BOXERS

Nobody can predict what the future holds. It's interesting to observe how people come to have the relationships, careers, and lifestyles that they do.

Boxing is a great discipline that takes a lot of effort, training, strength, and determination to excel.

Let's examine 5 famous Nigerians who gave up boxing to work in the entertainment industry;


1. BURNA BOY


Burna Boy, a popular singer from Nigeria, began his career as a boxer before switching to music.

Burna Boy admitted that he was already practicing boxing before he started making music during a Zoom conversation with Israel Adesanya, a renowned mixed martial artist who was born in New Zealand but is Nigerian-born.



2. MARTINS IMHANGBE


Martins Imhangbe, a Hollywood actor of Nigerian descent, is best known for his work on the television series In the past, Bridgerton also boxed. Martins, who portrayed boxer Will Mondrich in the TV show, admitted that in order to play the part, he had to forget everything he knew about the sport. Martins spoke about his training for the role and his history in boxing:

"I worked out with a personal trainer three to four times per week, and we did a lot of strength and conditioning. We did a lot of boxing, and because boxing was different back then than it is now, I had to unlearn everything I knew about boxing and embrace this old-school style of boxing".



3. WILLIE XO


In an interview with the Saturday Tribune, Nigerian artist Willie XO claimed that he had competed in the UFC. His songs include Comfort You and Kraze (Ultimate Fighting Championship). 

Willie declared that:

"Before I got into music and signed with SBMG (Silent Billionaires Music Group), not many people knew I was a UFC fan. I had been into music for too long, and it wasn’t hitting the right notes for me, so I turned to UFC. I told my brother and parents, and my mother was concerned that I would be knocked out if I entered the UFC. I wasn’t concerned about that, but I was thinking about knocking people out, making money, and then returning to music because it is my passion.

I was supposed to have my first fight last year, but everything changed when I got a phone call saying that some people from SBMG wanted to sign me".



4. TAIWO HASSAN


Another famous person who used to box and still does so in his free time is Taiwo Hassan, commonly known as Ogogo in Nollywood. In a conversation with Punch News, 

Taiwo revealed:

"I am nearly 60 years old and am used to being told that I look young; boxing is the secret to having this physique. I used to be a boxer and still box at home to stay in shape".



5. JOHN OKAFOR


Last but not least, Mr. Ibu, a comedian from Nigeria named John Okafor, used to be a boxer. In an interview with Premium Times, Mr. Ibu discussed his boxing career and the reasons he stopped. 

As Mr. Ibu said:

"I was a boxer once. I was doing well as a boxer until I went to Delta State for a championship. I was so badly beaten during the fight that I couldn’t even be recognized afterward. I almost lost an eye due to the punches he threw at me. That was the incident that caused me to give up boxing".




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