James Oyebola is in a critical condition
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DG.
- Heavyweight
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SticknMove
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 5993
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thepocketrocket
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 3283
- Joined: 16 Jan 2003, 06:26
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Podmore_Birmingham
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 950
- Joined: 18 Oct 2005, 09:38
Former British heavyweight champion James Oyebola has died four days after he was shot in the face and leg at a Fulham nightspot.
"Big Bad" James won the British title with a stunning one-punch knockout of the fancied Clifton Mitchell in four rounds in Cardiff in November 1994 but lost it to former victim Scott Welch and had one more fight before retiring. His first fight with Welch in Atlantic City in May 1994 summed up the Londoner's entire career: Oyebola's chin was never the strongest - he went down in the third round - but that right hand of his! He came back to flatten iron-jawed Welch in the fifth.
Oyebola caused a sensation in the amateur ranks with that undoubted power and his phenomenal height and reach. He belted Bobby Wells out of the 1985 London championships and captured two ABA super-heavyweight titles for the All Stars Club in Kilburn (which also produced Michael Ayers) and Commonwealth bronze at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, where he took on Canada's Lennox Lewis in the semis.
Totally untested at international level (unlike Lewis, who boxed in the 1984 Olympics), he had a real go in a messy first round, as Lennox concentrated largely on the body. But James got overeager in the second and walked on to a cracking right hand and down he went. He bravely beat the count but a few more rights from Lewis forced the stoppage.
Interestingly, Lewis went over to Oyebola's corner moments later with a Canadian rosette, which he gave to Kevin Hickey - and totally ignored Oyebola.
James switched to the pros in the peak of the Tyson era in July 1987 but struggled to outscore cute Welshman Andy Gerrard in his debut, later to hold him to a draw, a sign of things to come. James blew hot and cold and lost at crucial times in his career - just when he was building up real momentum. But his power was never in question. Oyebola took out 16 of his 18 victims.
A dangerman.
"Big Bad" James won the British title with a stunning one-punch knockout of the fancied Clifton Mitchell in four rounds in Cardiff in November 1994 but lost it to former victim Scott Welch and had one more fight before retiring. His first fight with Welch in Atlantic City in May 1994 summed up the Londoner's entire career: Oyebola's chin was never the strongest - he went down in the third round - but that right hand of his! He came back to flatten iron-jawed Welch in the fifth.
Oyebola caused a sensation in the amateur ranks with that undoubted power and his phenomenal height and reach. He belted Bobby Wells out of the 1985 London championships and captured two ABA super-heavyweight titles for the All Stars Club in Kilburn (which also produced Michael Ayers) and Commonwealth bronze at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, where he took on Canada's Lennox Lewis in the semis.
Totally untested at international level (unlike Lewis, who boxed in the 1984 Olympics), he had a real go in a messy first round, as Lennox concentrated largely on the body. But James got overeager in the second and walked on to a cracking right hand and down he went. He bravely beat the count but a few more rights from Lewis forced the stoppage.
Interestingly, Lewis went over to Oyebola's corner moments later with a Canadian rosette, which he gave to Kevin Hickey - and totally ignored Oyebola.
James switched to the pros in the peak of the Tyson era in July 1987 but struggled to outscore cute Welshman Andy Gerrard in his debut, later to hold him to a draw, a sign of things to come. James blew hot and cold and lost at crucial times in his career - just when he was building up real momentum. But his power was never in question. Oyebola took out 16 of his 18 victims.
A dangerman.
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johnty1888
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 417
- Joined: 10 Oct 2003, 14:27
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WildWaylon
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 3223
- Joined: 02 Nov 2005, 13:35
I left London a long time ago and there were plenty of shooters about even then - My Mother witnessed a shooting in Chinatown (London) back in the thirties so there have always been guns on the streets - Having said that, it is getting worse and guns are everywhere not just London - Very sad story God bless his family and friends.