Hogan Bassey

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Hogan "Kid" Bassey (1932-06-03 – 1998-01-26) was Nigeria's first world boxing champion. He was born Okun Asuguo Bassey on the banks of the Cross River in Creek Town, Calabar, Nigeria.^[1] He took the name Hogan Kid Bassey when he turned professional as a boxer. He possessed a tremendous heart in and out of the ring and that rarest of boxing skills - a true knockout punch.

[edit] Boxing career

After 14 contests in Nigeria, Bassey went to Liverpool,^[2] England in 1952 and before long had impressed everyone with his pleasant manner outside the ring and his powerful punching in the ring.

After winning the Empire featherweight championship he also won the world crown by his defeat of French Algerian Cherif Hamia in Paris, France in 1957. He lost the title to U.S. fighter David S. "Davey" Moore on March 18, 1959.

During his career he fought Billy "Spider" Kelly, Percy Lewis, Tommy Profitt, Sammy McCarthy, Ricardo Moreno, and Willie Pep.^[3]

[edit] Life after boxing

In 1959 he was awarded the MBE^[4] following his world title win and went on to become a respected coach in Nigeria who awarded him the country's highest honour in 1973. He died peacefully in the early hours of January 26, 1998 at his home in Apapa, Lagos.

[edit] References