James Oyebola

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Statistics
James Oyebola
Real name	-
Nickname(s)	Big Bad
Rated at	Heavyweight
Nationality	England
Birth date	June 10, 1961(1961-06-10)
Birth place	Lagos, Nigeria
Death date	July 27, 2007 (aged 46)
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	23
Wins	18
Wins by KO	16
Losses	4
Draws	1
No contests	0

Medal record
Commonwealth Games
Bronze	1986 Edinburgh	Super Heavyweight

James Oyebola (10 June 1961 - 27 July 2007) was an English heavyweight boxer who won a bronze medal at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in the super heavyweight division. Oyebola was the British heavyweight champion from 1994 to 1996 [1].

Oyebola was born on 10 June 1961 in Lagos, Nigeria. Standing 6 ft 9 in (2.05 metres) tall, with a reach of 85 inches (2.16 metres), he fought in the orthodox manner and won 18 of his 23 fights, 16 by knock out, losing 4 and drawing 1. He was pronounced brain dead on 26 July 2007 after injuries sustained by gunshot wounds to his head after a nightclub altercation. He was based in Paddington during his career.

1 Amateur career
2 Pro career
3 Murder
- 3.1 Aftermath
4 See also
5 References

[edit] Amateur career

Oyebola was the 1986 and 1987 ABA Super Heavyweight Champion.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Pro career

Oyebola won the WBC International Heavyweight title in 1993 and the vacant British Heavyweight title on 19 November 1994 at the National Ice Rink, Cardiff, Wales when he knocked out Clifton Mitchell in 4 rounds. [2] His last fight, in 1996, was a defeat to Julius Francis. He was nicknamed "Big Bad" during his career.^[1]

[edit] Murder

Oyebola was shot in the face and leg in the early hours of 23 July 2007 after an altercation in the Chateau 6 club at Fulham Broadway where he worked as a bouncer. He had gone to assist staff asking three customers in the rear courtyard to put out their cigarettes to observe the smoking ban and was shot as they left the premises.^[2]

Simon Block, general secretary of the British Boxing Board of Control, paid the following tribute: "Throughout that time he was truly one of nature's gentlemen and to think of him lying in a hospital bed fighting for his life as a result of a cowardly and gutless attack by those who will not have been possessed of the same courage that he showed in the way he faced adversity, in and out of the ring, fills me with both sadness and dismay."^[3]

Oyebola's family decided that they would turn off his life support machine on 27 July 2007 at 11:30 am (10:30 GMT) after he was pronounced brain dead on 26 July 2007.^[4] It was announced at 12:39 pm on 27 July 2007 that James Oyebola had died, at Charing Cross Hospital, after his life support machine had been switched off.^[5] His funeral was held on 10 September 2007.^[6]

[edit] Aftermath

Rene McKoy, 19, and Kanyanta Mulenga, 22, have been remanded in custody after appearing at West London Magistrates' Court charged with murdering Mr Oyebola. McKoy, of Marmion Road, Clapham, south London, and Mulenga, of Tildesley Road, Putney, are due to appear at the Old Bailey on January 3.The Metropolitan Police said detectives have now also charged 23-year-old Dean Francis, of Roehampton, south west London, with the former British boxing champion's murder. The Oyebola family have since said they will establish a charity foundation in his name aimed at helping direct youngsters towards a brighter future. ^[7]