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Henry Akinwande

Posted: 12 Aug 2010, 02:15
by oliverfennell
What's he up to these days? And where?

Obviously he's not fighting anymore, but does anybody know what he's doing? Is he in Britain or did he settle in Nigeria, where he has become a citizen? Boxrec lists his hometown as in the USA.

Re: Henry Akinwande

Posted: 12 Aug 2010, 03:40
by JamesH
MachoMan09 wrote:Last I heard he'd come into a lot of money after some corrupt military dictator had made him trustee for his ill gotten gains. He was having trouble getting the money out of Nigeria, though, and was looking for some overseas assistance.
:lol:

Re: Henry Akinwande

Posted: 12 Aug 2010, 04:19
by bennie
I can remember Akinwande outpointing Herbie Hide in the 1989 ABA finals at Wembley. It was typical heavyweight fare, sloppy and dull, and to make it worse you had two real prats coming together.

Re: Henry Akinwande

Posted: 12 Aug 2010, 08:07
by Jeff Thomas
MachoMan09 wrote:Last I heard he'd come into a lot of money after some corrupt military dictator had made him trustee for his ill gotten gains. He was having trouble getting the money out of Nigeria, though, and was looking for some overseas assistance.
All he needs is your 16 digits and security number.

Re: Henry Akinwande

Posted: 12 Aug 2010, 08:51
by THEBUTCH
How he only managed to get disqualified only once in his pro career is beyond me.

Re: Henry Akinwande

Posted: 12 Aug 2010, 09:19
by Autobarn
a lot of ppl had hopes for him after he beat alexander zolkin for the WBO title.

was he ever in any really good fights?

didn't he beat johnny nelson - must have been a right tear-up.

Re: Henry Akinwande

Posted: 12 Aug 2010, 09:39
by Scrap
Actually it wasnt a bad Fight :TU: I enjoyed it York Hall.

Re: Henry Akinwande

Posted: 12 Aug 2010, 09:54
by Jeff Thomas
Autobarn wrote:a lot of ppl had hopes for him after he beat alexander zolkin for the WBO title.

was he ever in any really good fights?

didn't he beat johnny nelson - must have been a right tear-up.
The jeremy williams fight was good.

Re: Henry Akinwande

Posted: 12 Aug 2010, 10:13
by Autobarn
good fight or good KO?

Re: Henry Akinwande

Posted: 12 Aug 2010, 10:16
by orbtastic
good Ko.

mccall's ko of him was good

akinwande/nelson is supposed to be worst fight ever

Re: Henry Akinwande

Posted: 12 Aug 2010, 12:37
by Autobarn
is akinwande-welch a good fight or a bad fight?

i'm sure somebody mentioned it on the classic underrated fights thread, but i remember the fight reports saying welch didn't or couldn't do anything vs the size of akinwande.

it seems at one point it was looking good for akinwande, the KO of williams, the WBO title winning fights vs zolkin and welch. he was clearly becoming a viable opponent for lennox lewis. but on the night he was terrible and his career never regained the momentum he had come into the fight with.

Re: Henry Akinwande

Posted: 12 Aug 2010, 12:51
by Deserter
Autobarn wrote: i remember the fight reports saying welch didn't or couldn't do anything vs the size of akinwande.
That's my recollection as well.

Re: Henry Akinwande

Posted: 12 Aug 2010, 13:34
by orbtastic
was a poor fight.

welch/oyebola I was much better, despite the even bigger height disparity. 2nd fight was quite tepid in comparison.

Re: Henry Akinwande

Posted: 12 Aug 2010, 14:00
by orbtastic
MachoMan09 wrote:
orbtastic wrote:was a poor fight.

welch/oyebola I was much better, despite the even bigger height disparity. 2nd fight was quite tepid in comparison.
The mention of Oyebola just gave me a flashback of his knockout of Clifton Mitchell. Long, long right hand clipped Clifton and he went down like he'd been shot by some geezer with a Dragunov up in the Gods. Brutal punch.
yeah, james was behind too, from memory.

when i think of clifton I always think of how mavrovic bowled him over (literally) in his cow patterned shorts.

Re: Henry Akinwande

Posted: 13 Aug 2010, 03:19
by oliverfennell
bennie wrote:I can remember Akinwande outpointing Herbie Hide in the 1989 ABA finals at Wembley. It was typical heavyweight fare, sloppy and dull, and to make it worse you had two real prats coming together.
Why do you say Akinwande is a prat? I know Herbie has rubbed a lot of people up the wrong way, but never heard anything bad about Akinwande (besides not liking his fighting style).

Re: Henry Akinwande

Posted: 13 Aug 2010, 06:34
by bennie
oliverfennell wrote:
bennie wrote:I can remember Akinwande outpointing Herbie Hide in the 1989 ABA finals at Wembley. It was typical heavyweight fare, sloppy and dull, and to make it worse you had two real prats coming together.
Why do you say Akinwande is a prat? I know Herbie has rubbed a lot of people up the wrong way, but never heard anything bad about Akinwande (besides not liking his fighting style).
...because he acted like a prat after he got the verdict, telling Hide to f uck off when the teenage Norwich boy offered his congratulations, and all through that year, refusing to wear his club colours in favour of his flash Olympic vest.
Club members had coughed up for him when his dole was stopped during his two weeks in Seoul.

Re: Henry Akinwande

Posted: 13 Aug 2010, 06:51
by stujones
I thought Henry was a prat when it came to the Scott Welch fight also all that "USA, USA" stuff.

I'm not nationalistic or anything, but it showed a real lack of respect. I know he felt in some ways (and possibly rightly) that Britain were not recognising him. After all, he was a world champion. However, Britain did him a lot of good also.

I cannot remember if Welch wound him up though. Maybe he did a Bruno and his "true Brit" stuff when he fought Lewis. Lewis showed a champions dignity and didn't bite.

Re: Henry Akinwande

Posted: 13 Aug 2010, 07:28
by IRLangmaid25
THEBUTCH wrote:How he only managed to get disqualified only once in his pro career is beyond me.
If my memory serves me correctly was against Lennox Lewis for excessive holding

Re: Henry Akinwande

Posted: 13 Aug 2010, 09:26
by THEBUTCH
Correct...and holding was a big part of his game.

Bennie is right about Akinwande. The Mercury (a local newspaper) had a whip round for him as well to fund aspects of his training when he was an amatuer. I didn't get the impression he was the grateful type.

I also remember a Lynn club mate of his who said he threatened to punch a bus conductor for having the audacity to ask him to pay for his fare !

Re: Henry Akinwande

Posted: 13 Aug 2010, 11:18
by Jeff Thomas
THEBUTCH wrote:Correct...and holding was a big part of his game.

Bennie is right about Akinwande. The Mecury (a local newspaper) had a whip round for him as well to fund aspects of his training when he was an amatuer. I didn't get the impression he was the grateful type.

I also remember a Lynn club mate of his who said he threatened to punch a bus conductor for having the audacity to ask him to pay for his fare !
Judging by his punch power the Bus Driver would have won by a DQ.

Re: Henry Akinwande

Posted: 13 Aug 2010, 12:04
by FtmPress
MachoMan09 wrote:
orbtastic wrote:was a poor fight.

welch/oyebola I was much better, despite the even bigger height disparity. 2nd fight was quite tepid in comparison.
The mention of Oyebola just gave me a flashback of his knockout of Clifton Mitchell. Long, long right hand clipped Clifton and he went down like he'd been shot by some geezer with a Dragunov up in the Gods. Brutal punch.
This was a great win for James Oyebola and against the odds. :bag:

Re: Henry Akinwande

Posted: 13 Aug 2010, 12:06
by FtmPress
MachoMan09 wrote:
orbtastic wrote:was a poor fight.

welch/oyebola I was much better, despite the even bigger height disparity. 2nd fight was quite tepid in comparison.
The mention of Oyebola just gave me a flashback of his knockout of Clifton Mitchell. Long, long right hand clipped Clifton and he went down like he'd been shot by some geezer with a Dragunov up in the Gods. Brutal punch.
This was a great win for James Oyebola and against the odds. :bag:

Re: Henry Akinwande

Posted: 13 Aug 2010, 14:03
by ERIC GUY
Henry was not a grateful person, work in McDonalds prior to the Olympics at Charing Cross

Re: Henry Akinwande

Posted: 13 Aug 2010, 14:16
by Old bones Ian
Did Henry floor Lennox in that fight, i seem to recall a punch landed and Lennox taking a knee for a second, might of been in the 5th, just before Henry was DQ'd

Re: Henry Akinwande

Posted: 13 Aug 2010, 15:44
by orbtastic
his right gloved touched the floor as his legs dipped. that is a KD by the rules and needed a standing 8. Lane didn't see or call it,