Raphael Akpejiori is a former basketball player, who dumped the dunk and slam game for boxing. He recently visited Nigeria, as one of the elite pugilists, who were supposed to attend the Olympic qualifiers in Senegal.
In this interview with our correspondent, Ifeanyi Eduzor, the Edo State-born super heavyweight boxer, explained why he dumped basketball for boxing and his plans to win a gold medal for the country at this year’s Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
You were a former basketball player before venturing into boxing, what made you take that decision?
I started playing basketball here in Nigeria before I relocated to the United States. I played for Ebun Comets from 2006 – 2008 and later joined Lagos Islanders before travelling to the United States for High School. I was part of the University of Miami basketball team and after graduation, my friends started encouraging me to take to boxing because they know I have the height and physique to succeed, as a boxer and in 2016, I decided to heed their ad ise and since then, there has been no going back.
Right now, I’ve had 14 fights, as an amateur, winning 13 and losing only one, which, to me, is an incredible result. It will also interest you to know that I joined the paid ranks in September 2018 where I fight in the heavyweight ddivision, winning all my six fights by knockout. So, you can see that I didn’t make any mistake, embracing boxing.
What has been your experience like since becoming a boxer?
It has been a wonderful and awesome experience. You know that boxing is an individual sports unlike basketball that’s a team event. Once you get into the ring, you will be all there alone with your opponent and any wrong decision you take can be catastrophic. Your duty in the ring is either to knockout your opponent or accumulate the necessary points to emerge winner unlike in team sports where you may be playing badly, and your team mates will be giving you cover.
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Having said this, I want to tell you that becoming a boxer has made me to be more focused, determined and have a new perception of life. It has taught me to be a serious minded person and to be in top shape at all times, as that’s the only way you can achieve success. I grew up here and combining my experience here while growing up and the exposure to good facilities in the United States has really helped my career.
Which boxing body are you affiliated to right now and how are you planning to have a crack at the World title of that body?
Right now, I’ not affiliated to any boxing body but I will likely join WBC when I have had 15 professional fights. What I do presently is to fight on the cards of any of the major boxing bodies once they invite me; be it WBC, WBA, IBO or IBF. As per having a crack at the world title, I have no doubt that it will come sooner than later because boxing promoters in Europe and America are looking for good boxers to manage and I think I fall into that category and I want to assure Nigerians that very soon, they will see me fighting for a World title.
But at 29, don’t you think age is no longer on your side to rule the World in boxing?
Age is just about numbers. It has nothing to do with my career progress. There are boxers who have won World titles in their late 30’s and early 40’s and defended it successfully against boxers far below their age. All that’s required for you to be successful as a boxer is to maintain your form, train very hard and the sky will be your limit. I am fortunate to be in the camp of a world class trainer and former world champion, Glenn Johnson, and being in his camp that boasts of world class facilities, to me is a privilege and I’m not going to allow that opportunity slip away from me.
You plan to represent Nigeria at this year’s Olympics in Japan, what made you think you can do well at the Games?
I am one of the elite boxers invited by the Nigerian Boxing Federation to camp ahead of the botched Olympic qualifiers in Senegal. But I hope to be in France for the World championship in May, which will serve as the last qualifier for the Olympics and I hope to pick a ticket in the super heavyweight category and represent my country in Japan. You know that it is the dream of every sportsman or woman to be at the Olympics and I hope to go there not to make up the numbers but to win an Olympic gold medal to put smiles on the faces of poor Nigerians as well as write the country’s name in the World sports map.
Right now, I am training in one of the best gyms in the world in Miami under Coach Glenn Johndon. I have been training four hours a day for the past four years because I believe in the philosophy of undefeated former World champion Floyd Mayweather, who said; he works hard and when I put in my best, you can’ t beat me because you don’t work as hard as I do and that has been my guiding principle. My plan is to pick one of the Olympic tickets after which I will go back to Miami to intensify training, watch video clips of some of the best boxers in the world to equip myself adequately for the challenge because as I said earlier, my target is not only to win a medal but an Olympic gold to make my countrymen, friends and family happy.
How would you describe the spirit in camp before the boxers were decamped?
The spirit was very high and all of us in camp bonded very well with the coaching crew led by the national boxing coach, Tony Konyegwachie. The training and sparring section was also good but the only snag was lack of modern and state of the art equipment to train with. All the boxers in camp were eagerly awaiting the Senegal trip before they were decamped but I want to tell them not to be demoralised or lose hope because there is still an opportunity for everyone to try his luck at the world championship in France in May this year. Kudos must also go to the coaching crew for their efforts at bringing out the best in the boxers.
As a person who has seen it all in the United States both in the basket court and boxing ring, how would you rate the standard of boxing in Nigeria?
Nigeria boasts of talented and raw boxers, who can face any opposition anywhere in the world but they need adequate exposure to excel. When you look at what boxers of Nigerian descent are doing all over the world, you will agree with me that they’re no pushovers but the only thing lacking is adequate equipment and poor exposure. There is also the issue of lack of regular tournaments where these pugilists could be tested regularly. I know there was a time they were doing Eagle belt championship in this country and I look forward to such events happening again. I learnt they recently introduced boxing series, which I believe is good but the NBF must go beyond that and ensure serious grassroots development of the game because when boxers are discovered early, it will be easy to nurture them to stardom and produce many Hogan ‘Kid’ Bassey, Dick Tiger Ihetu, Anthony Joshua, Obisia Nwankpa. Joe Lasisi and Jeremiah Okorodudu of our time.
What advice do you have for Nigerian boxers, especially the upcoming ones?
My advice is simple. They should be focused, listen to the instruction of their coaches, take their training seriously and be off drugs. They should also cultivate the habit of regular training, which will help them greatly in the sports.
Do you have any regret dumping basketball for boxing?
Like I said earlier , I’m enjoying the fun associated with the noble act of self-defence and I don’t have any regret, leaving the basket court for the boxing ring. All I want right now is to win an Olympic gold medal and a world title in boxing and I believe I have what it takes to achieve my target.
