Kenya commemorates history-making African boxer
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E-mail Xinhua, July 10, 2013
It is now 25 years since African boxing history was made during the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea, when an African for the first time won a boxing gold medal at the Olympics.
It was a major turning point in the sport and the man in the limelight was Kenya's Robert Wangila, previously a little-known boxer who dominated shattered his seasoned French opponent to win the gold medal in the welterweight category.
The story of Wangila, who died in July 24, 1994 follows the typical rags-to-riches trend, but differs slightly only that his life met a tragic end in the ring.
Born in September 1966, Wangila grew up in the tough neighborhood of Nairobi's Eastlands where his mother worked as a cleaner for the city council.
He came to the limelight at the Nairobi Provincial league tournaments where he won all his bouts in almost all categories - novices; intermediate; inter social competitions - which were organized under the auspices of the Nairobi City Council.
By 1984, Wangila had matured and was ready for Los Angeles Olympics, but was disappointed when he was left out of the Kenyan team the "Hit Squad" after the national trials.
Not a man to despair, he continued fighting for different clubs in the Kenya national boxing division one league before finally settling with the Kenya Breweries Club.
"Wangila won his first major title in May 1987 at the East and Central Africa Championships in Nairobi," recalls Secretary of the Kenya Professional Boxing Council and childhood friend Shaban Ogolla.
"Four months later he went on to win the welterweight title at the Fourth All Africa Games in Nairobi. He was among the Kenyan gold medalists who helped Kenya win the overall boxing title," Ogolla told Xinhua in Nairobi on Tuesday.
Come the 1988 regional championships in Nairobi, he retained the welterweight crown only three months before the Olympics in Korea.
At the Games, the fleet-footed hard hitting Kenyan, with a reputation for saying little even in mandatory post fight press conferences, let his fists do the talking for him; destroying his opponents mercilessly on his way to qualifying for the final.
His prowess in the ring attracted the attention of boxing promoter Akbar Mohammed of Top Rank Boxing Inc., USA.
At the Olympics final, Wangila made history when he knocked out Laurent Boudouani in less than six minutes.
Two days later, Akbar Mohammed emerged with contract papers, and even though Wangila had yet to sign a contract, on October 16, 1988 he left for the U.S. accompanied by Mohammed.
Three days later Wangila had his first appointment with Top Rank President Bob Arrum and was signed up for a four-year contract for a down payment of 100,000 U.S. dollars and a monthly allowance for housing and upkeep of 10,000 dollars.
On the tenth day, the former truck driver with the Kenya Breweries was driving a brand new BMW 520.
By late 1988, Wangila, after a short holiday in Kenya, was back in Nevada, the Mecca of boxing ready for his professional debut at the Atlantic City's Convention Center, New Jersey.
He was to meet Daryl Hochy, who was substituted for Sydney Gomez. Wangila won the bout in four rounds earning 20,000 dollars, a far cry from his former monthly salary of 35 dollars as truck driver.
This marked the beginning of a string of victories. His sixth victim was Keith Banks of Indianapolis whom he disgraced in three rounds. In 1990 Wangila came back home for a short holiday that culminated in controversy.
"He demanded to be accorded a diplomatic passport, arguing that he had brought Kenya glory. He even threatened to renounce his Kenyan citizenship and take up American nationality," says his former club mate who requested anonymity so as not to quoted making negative utterances against Wangila.
His demands were never met, but he received a glittering Mobutu Seseseko (former president of Zaire) trophy for the most accomplished African sportsman.
Meanwhile, things started going sour for Wangila in 1991 when he lost two successive bouts. He changed his manager, blaming him for the losses and after a few months parted ways with Top Rank.
He then moved to California where Kenyan fighters D.K. Kamau and Steven Mwema were based. But things did not work out and he was out of action for some time.
He was back in action a year later in a heavier berth, the 75kg welterweight instead of his usual 65kgs.
He had his 26th fight in May, 1994 against Jesus Mayorga of Mexico, scoring a unanimous but unimpressive eight round decision, leading the Boxing News magazine to carry in its May edition the heading 'Wangila on the road to nowhere'.
In a tragic end to his brilliant career, Wangila started vomiting blood and collapsed in the changing room after losing a fight against David Gonzalez of Houston in a scheduled ten round welterweight match on July 22, 1994.
He went into a coma and was diagnosed with blood clot in his brain. Two days later, on July 24, 1994 at 10.30 pm local time, the Kenyan boxer sucumber to massive cerebral hemorrhage at the University Medical Center in Las Vegas.
His was the first death resulting from a boxing match in Nevada State since 1982 when South Korean Deuk-Koo Kim died of head injuries sustained in a bout against WBA lightweight champion Roy Macini of the USA.
The outcry resulting from Kim's death saw world title bouts being reduced from 15 to 12 bouts.
"What puzzled many Kenyans is how Wangila who had a record of 22-5 as a pro could be paid only 2,500 dollars for that tragic bout. Was he that desperate?" queries boxing promoter Thomas Mutua.
By the time of Wangila's death, he was very broke and all he owed was a 1988 Honda and a house in Nairobi.
Nonetheless, there was a protracted court battle over his burial, pitting his wife and the Muslim community against his mother and two men, each claiming to have fathered him.
The case dragged on for 48 days until Nov. 17, 1994 at 10.00 am when Justice Andrew Hayanga ruled that his mother should bury him according to Muslim customs.
Like Mike Tyson, Wangila was an example of many youths who routinely emerge from the squalor and hard life in the slums propelled to instant stardom and riches but failure to adjust to new-found status end up as paupers a few years down the line. Endi
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