Boxing is a sport that has been around for centuries, with the likes of Muhammad Ali and Mickey Walker dominating the platform it is a popular sport in the US. This game has its roots since 4000 BC and was then known as Pugilism.

With many names included in the list of famous boxers, there’s one small detail that connects most of them. They’re Nigerians! Yes, if you’re on Betway, you would already know about that. First, go to bet on the biggest boxing matchups with Betway – you’re sure to love it. Everyone loves Betway, after all.

Not all of them, but over time many Nigerians have migrated to different places around the US and some European Countries and excelled in their boxing careers.

Boxing and Nigeria

Nigeria itself is quite popular for its traditional form of boxing that’s brutal, with not many rules called the ‘Dambe Boxing’. With ancient roots, the Hausa people (the known originators of Dambe Boxing) take pride in this type of boxing and Dambe acts as a sign of cultural identity to many of them.

Traditionally, Dambe Boxing involved pieces of glass being tied with ropes on the punching hand of boxers, to ensure maximum damage.

Brutal, right?

Over the years though, this bit has been altered and the pieces of glass are not woven into the ropes tied on the punching hand of boxers. Even so, Dambe is still deadly in the most literal sense.

Some of the big names related to boxing mentioned below are either from Nigeria or were born in Nigeria. Let’s find out.

Nigerian Boxing Legends

1. Dick Tiger

Tiger is hands down one of the best boxers and currently at the 22^nd spot in the best middle-weight boxers of all-time list. He was a Nigerian-born professional boxer, who in the course of his boxing career conquered several boxing titles including the World Middleweight and World Light Heavyweight Championships.

1. Henry Akinwande

This former Heavyweight champion dominated the ring for 19 long years, from 1989 to 2008. Although born in London, this retired champion went on to live in Nigeria, his parent’s hometown at the age of 4 and returned back to the UK in 1986 as a 21-year-old. Not long after his return to London, he step-foot in the boxing ring and the rest is history.

1. Anthony Joshua

Anthony Joshua is a Boxing World Champion who currently represents Great Britain. Formerly this British-Nigerian boxer was denied the right to represent his country, Nigeria, in the ring. However, that didn’t slow him down and now this unstoppable boxer’s story inspires many people and he’s a sensation in the boxing community.

1. Samuel Peter

Samuel Okon Peter, currently 38, is a retired boxing legend who knocked out several opponents including Oleg Maskaev in the ring and rose to fame after a string of knockout wins. In his career, Samuel Peter stepped into the ring 44 times out of which he knocked out 30 of the opponents and won 37 of the total matches played.

1. Bashiru ‘Bash’ Ali

Born in Lagos, in the year 1956, Bashiru Ali or popularly called ‘Bash’ Ali by fans is a former cruiserweight champion. He is now the oldest boxer to compete for a world title, at the age of 63 and wishes to put Nigeria’s name into the Guinness Book of World Record with this feat.