When it comes to sports, Nigeria is highly respected. It has produced great sportsmen and women who are revered both locally and globally, and one of these men was boxer Richard Ihetu. Boxing was the sport that brought international honor to Nigeria in the 1960s and 1970s.
Richard Ihetu populary known as D!ck Tiger was born in Amaigbo, Imo State, but moved to England to pursue his boxing career, and then to the United States. He won the world middleweight title in 1962 by defeating Gene Fullmer, and the light heavyweight title in 1966 by defeating José Torres.
Richard Ihetu was a force to be reckoned with during his time in the spotlight. He was revered and idolized in Nigeria, and he was said to have iron fists. However, he made what many considered a bad decision by serving as a Lieutenant in the Biafran army during the Nigerian Civil War, training Biafran soldiers.
His active participation in the Biafran movement resulted in a ban, which was later lifted. He died of liver cancer on December 14, 1971, at the age of 42, in Aba, Nigeria.
Richard Ihetu may no longer be alive, but his record remains unbroken. He is still the only Nigerian boxer who has been inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, which honors boxers, trainers, and other contributors to boxing around the world. Along with Carlos Ortiz, Salvador Sanchez, and Floyd Patterson, Richard Ihetu was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1991, 30 years ago.
In the last ten years, Nigeria has struggled in international boxing. This necessitates a moment of reflection to determine how the country can return to its former glory as a boxing powerhouse.
Will there be another Nigerian boxer inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame? Only time will tell….See More
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