A year on from one of the darkest nights in Ghanaian boxing, Richard Amevi still walks into the ring with the same calm authority, but with a perspective shaped by tragedy, duty and an unshaken conscience.
On March 29, 2025, the experienced referee found himself at the centre of a moment that would send shockwaves across the boxing world.
Nigerian fighter Gabriel Oluwasegun Olanrewaju, a former West African champion, collapsed in the third round of his light heavyweight contest against Ghana’s Jonathan Mbanugu during Fight Night 15 of the Ghana Professional Boxing League at the Bukom Boxing Arena.
What had begun as a routine contest quickly descended into chaos.
Olanrewaju, then 40, fell to the canvas without warning, leaving the packed arena stunned into silence.
In those first seconds, Amevi instinctively began a count—standard procedure in any knockdown. But almost immediately, he recognised that this was no ordinary situation.
“It was a very sad moment,” Amevi recalled in an interview with the Graphic Sports. “But I’m sure the soul of the late boxer would be happy with the efforts of myself, the ring physician and paramedics.”
The response was swift. Amevi, alongside medical personnel, worked urgently to stabilise the stricken fighter before he was rushed from the arena.
Despite those efforts, Olanrewaju was pronounced dead upon arrival at the Korle-Bu Emergency Ward.
For many officials, such an incident could leave lasting psychological scars. But Amevi insists the tragedy, while deeply painful, has not haunted him.
“No, I don’t have any nightmares from the experience that night,” he said.
“I have moved on because I have a clean heart, clean spirit, and I love everyone whenever I am the referee. The safety and well-being of all boxers is still dear to me when I’m with them in the ring.”
His words reflect not detachment, but a professional’s grounding in responsibility—an understanding that boxing, by its very nature, carries inherent risk, even as safeguards continue to evolve.
Still, Amevi has not lost sight of the human cost.
“The soul of the late champ continues to rest with his maker, and God be with his wife, children, family, the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control, the entire Nigerian boxing community and all boxing lovers around the world,” he said.
“Let’s take heart. We are told and get to know how we entered the world, but we neither know nor hear how we exit this world.”
The tragedy also reverberated through the ranks of fighters on the card that night.
Jerry Lartey, who fought immediately after the incident, admitted the gravity of the situation did not register at first.
“I was in the dressing room when people were saying the Nigerian boxer was dead, but we thought it was one of those rumours, so we didn’t take it seriously,” Lartey told Graphic Sports.
“So, I went out to fight as normal. It was when we closed, and everybody went home, that the news spread that he was really dead.”
For Lartey, the incident reinforced the need for strict adherence to medical protocols—an area that has since come under sharper focus within Ghana’s boxing ecosystem.
“That’s why the strict medical and safety protocols currently being enforced must be sustained to protect the health of boxers,” he stressed.
For Amevi, however, the journey did not begin—or end—on that tragic night.
His path into officiating has been one of steady progression and technical discipline. He started as a kickboxing referee in 2006, earning his
International License F from ISKA Africa in Cairo in 2009, before upgrading to License C in Accra in 2013.
By 2011, he had transitioned into amateur boxing, securing a Level 4 licence, and eventually stepping into the professional ranks in 2018.
His first professional bout came on June 13, 2019, when he officiated a super lightweight contest between James Nortey and Sheriff Seidu in Accra—a fight that ended inside two rounds.
Since then, Amevi has overseen an impressive 373 bouts, building a reputation as one of Ghana’s most reliable and composed referees.
That consistency has not gone unnoticed. He has been nominated for Best Referee of the Year at the inaugural Ghana Boxing Choice Awards 2026, scheduled for July 11 in Accra—a recognition that underscores both his longevity and professionalism.
Yet, beyond the accolades and statistics, it is his response to adversity that now defines him.
In a sport where split-second decisions can carry life-altering consequences, Amevi continues to step into the ring, guided by clarity of purpose.
No hesitation. No fear. No regret. Just a referee committed to the fighters in front of him—and a belief that, even in the face of tragedy, he upheld his duty with integrity.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh