Olawale "Kryptonite" Afolabi officially retires.

IntentionalButt · Mar 15, 2016

Statement delivered in social media:

Around 16 years ago, I was hungry and partially homeless when I stumbled into a boxing gym in Hollywood, out of all places. With no prior training or experience in boxing, I decided to give it a go.

At the ancient age of 20, I worked hard every day. I would deejay in a shady club on some days, and on other days, I'd work as an overnight receptionist at a student hostel in exchange for a bunk bed in a shared room of six foreign students.

I would then hit the gym with barely enough sleep to spar with world champions like James Tony, Francois Botha, Julia Gonzales and other experienced up and comers. I did this for two years before getting discovered in 2002 by my managers, Victor Martinez and Pedro Rosado. These two amazing men fed me and housed me, and for that, I will be forever thankful. R.I.P to Pedro who recently passed away. I wish he was still around so we could all sit down at dinner and reminisce, and laugh about my career.

In 2002, I had my very first fight. It was a 4-rounder, but by this time I had been sparring up to 12 rounds.

I was so nervous. I remember thinking, What if I lose? What if these people, especially my managers, discovered that I was a fraud? I'd be homeless and hungry again. I had been going toe to toe with the likes of James Toney and others, but I went out there and drew with an average fighter. Still today I'm pretty sure I lost but got the draw.

Three years later, I took a fight against a comeback veteran and ex-world champion who had just drawn in his last fight against the current world champion. He had a record of 57 wins, 9 losses and 1 draw. I had a record of 10 wins, 3 draws and 1 loss. I took the fight with one weeks notice and I was just supposed to be his tune-up fight leading to his rematch with the champion.

I ended up knocking him out in the seventh round.

After this, no one would fight me and I went three years without a fight. If it wasn't for my managers, training clients and becoming a sparring partner, I wouldn't have made it. Meanwhile, while making a living sparring, I suffered a detached retina in my right eye, then I suffered an injury to my fourth cranial nerve which left me with permanent double vision. My injuries was also coupled with the fact that I didn't fight from the age of 25 to 28. This means I missed my prime as a boxer. The years I was supposed to do my best work and feel my strongest were lost.

Three years later and I receive a call asking if I would fight a young up and comer with the record of 11 wins, no losses and 10 wins by KO. He had knocked out a young ex-world champion in 50 seconds. He was a killer.

By then, my weight had ballooned up to 245 lbs. which was 45 lbs above my fight weight. With no other option and being the first offer in three years, I took the fight with four weeks notice. I lost the 45 lbs. within those four weeks and went on to knock him out in the tenth round. At the age of 29, I hadn't totally missed all my prime years, just the best parts of it.

Soon after that fight, I got another offer for a tune-up fight in Manchester England. About a week before the fight, I was having my last sparring session with a little-known heavyweight at that time named Tyson Fury. During that last session, I suffered a detached retina in my left eye. Two days before the biggest fight of my career, I was in an emergency room having surgery on my eye. The surgery was successful but I wasn't to have physical contact for at least two weeks.

Two days after the surgery, I was fighting a guy with a 29 and 1 record with 23 coming by way of KO. I knocked him out in the ninth round and became the interim world champion. A few months later, still at the age of 29, I got the chance to become a full world champion.

I had to fight in Germany for the first time. I remember being in the locker room, having déjà vu of my very first fight. Again, I thought, What if I am really a fraud? I'll go back to sparring and training people for a living. If I lose, I'll retire. Im making $175,000, the most I had seen at that point. Don't worry, you'll have enough to start a decent life with.

I went out there and lost by a close decision, a fight that I thought might have been a draw. I accepted the loss as he was the champ, and to become the champ, you have to clearly beat the champ. I didn't, so I lost.

Right after that loss, I got lucky enough to sign with the Klitchos and Tom Loeffler from K2 Boxing. For the first time and almost at the end of my prime, I'd have someone looking out for me, and I'll be fighting more often. The fights didn't get easier or harder but they kept me active.

In 2011 while sparring Vladimir Klitcho in preparation for his fight with David Haye, I badly tore my right shoulder muscle which popped out my shoulder. I went on to fight the UK world champion and even in the locker room while warming for that fight, my shoulder popped out again. I didn't tell anyone as I couldn't afford to pull out of the fight. I went out 20 minutes later and knocked him out in the first round with the sweetest right hand I had ever thrown.

They wanted me to have surgery to fix my shoulder but that would have meant having to be off for a year. I couldn't afford that in my 30's because it may have been the end of my career. I chose therapy instead. Since then, I re-injured my shoulder at least 2 or 3 times during every training camp for the rest of my career.

Two years later, I was 32 years-old, and possibly in the last year of my prime, I fought Huck again in Germany. More confident and more active, I won the fight and became a full world champion. However, because of home cooking it was called a draw, robbing me of my dream.

A rematch was ordered but I had to wait a year. Boxers get old overnight. I was 33 now. With one year of rust from not fighting and a busted shoulder, I ended up losing the rematch.

I kept fighting and picked up the IBO world championship in the Mecca of boxing, Madison Square Garden!

At the age of 35, I got an opportunity to fight for the WBC world title, thanks to K2 Boxing. I gave up my IBO belt for this fight. On the way to the fight, we went through Mexico where I got Montezuma's revenge from the water. Unaware of my sickness, I was completely dehydrated from going to the toilet at least 40 times in the two days leading to the fight. I lost the by decision. Seven months later, I had to fight an Olympic gold medalist with a record of 24 and 1 in order to get the belt I had given up back. I knocked him out in the fourth round.

Defending my belt against Huck set me up for my last fight.

Less than a month away from my 36th birthday, I was never a devastating puncher, I was just tricky and with good reflexes and timing. When you get old, the first things you lose are timing and reflexes. Although I tried my very best and worked really hard, I lost the fight.

This is why I have to wrap it up. I have always been a realist. Boxing has been painful, but it has also brought me so many positives that outweigh the negatives. I see my idols like James Toney and Roy Jones with damages like slurred speech and balance problems still fighting in their 40's for 100k or less. These are guys with talents and status I could only dream of. If it can happen to them it will definitely happen to me. I will not let it happen to me.

The only regret I have not fighting at least ones in either of my own hometown. #Lagos/#London

I accomplished more with no experience, help or protection than most fighters with all the advantages in the world did.

So after two retina surgeries, double vision and a bad shoulder, I must say goodbye to #boxing at 36 years-old. I have enough money to live on, so I'll get out while I can and still live a healthy life and be smart with money.

Thank you so much to everyone that helped and supported me on this long hard road.

Life gave me lemons and I turned them into a ****ing chocolate milkshake!

-Ola Afolabi

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Pac a G · Mar 15, 2016

:happy:happy:happy

I hope Ola has made enough money that he can choose to invest it wisely for the future.

:happy:happy:happy

The Shockmaster · Mar 15, 2016

“Life gave me lemons and I turned them into a ****ing chocolate milkshake!”

nice!

Clinton · Mar 15, 2016

IntentionalButt said: ↑

Statement delivered in social media:
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Heart of a lion. May he enjoy his retirement.

UnleashtheFURY · Mar 15, 2016

Respect..... Ola played an integral role in the action packed and underrated CW division for several years.

Robney · Mar 15, 2016

Good luck in your post boxing career Ola :good

Sugar 88 · Mar 15, 2016

I remember seeing him flatten Enzo In Manchester. I must have been one of the only people in the arena to have had a bet on him to win. I can't claim any credit for picking him though, it was Choi who told me he was nailed on to win.

eltirado · Mar 15, 2016

Those 46 rounds with Marco Huck :toney

UnleashtheFURY · Mar 15, 2016

Sugar 88 said: ↑

I remember seeing him flatten Enzo In Manchester. I must have been one of the only people in the arena to have had a bet on him to win. I can't claim any credit for picking him though, it was Choi who told me he was nailed on to win.
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If I remember correctly Enzo was ahead too... Good win for Ola. Everyone knocks Enzo for his chin but he wasn't a bad CW and aside from Haye, Lebedev and the loss to Swaby very early in his career every time he's been starched he was either ahead or in a really competitive fight. So that's a quality win for Ola and probably his best on paper.

Rock0052 · Mar 15, 2016

:happy:happy:happy

Ola's what boxing is all about. Ultimate respect for this warrior, and I'm glad to see him walking away at the right time. He's come through the hard way and doesn't need to be anyone's punching bag.

UnleashtheFURY · Mar 15, 2016

Rock0052 said: ↑

:happy:happy:happy

Ola's what boxing is all about. Ultimate respect for this warrior, and I'm glad to see him walking away at the right time. He's come through the hard way and doesn't need to be anyone's punching bag.
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:deal

Hope he sticks to his guns and doesn't mount a comeback at some point like so many others in the past have... The CW division is really heating up and while he can still compete with most of them there's no need in getting beaten up by the top guys anymore.

IntentionalButt · Mar 15, 2016

Funny thing is, many thought he was done (or there was already clear writing on the wall) after his loss to Ramírez...but had Ola listened to people and not stubbornly refused to accept that he was past it - blaming a number of external factors and doing everything but give Ramírez credit or acknowledge he was losing his touch - he never would have picked up that KO5 over Chakhkhiev, arguably the crown jewel result of his career. :think

CST80 · Mar 15, 2016

It was time, its sucks but the reality is, he took a severe beating from Ramirez, he was taking a huge beating from Chakhkiev before he gassed and a hellacious beat down from Huck, he clearly was a step off his game, and that was against guys who are slightly past it as well, I can't imagine the number guys like Usyk, Makabu, Briedis or even Glowacki might do to him.

theanatolian · Mar 15, 2016

Good luck champ, ultimate respect.

IntentionalButt · Mar 15, 2016

CST80 said: ↑

It was time, its sucks but the reality is, he took a severe beating from Ramirez, he was taking a huge beating from Chakhkiev before he gassed and a hellacious beat down from Huck, he clearly was a step off his game, and that was against guys who are slightly past it as well, I can't imagine the number guys like Usyk, Makabu, Briedis or even Glowacki might do to him.
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:deal

Plus he was sounding off about every other guy he sparred with comments like "God damn this MF punches hard!"

...not to say that guys like Gassiev can't really hit or that he was just flattering, but I think it further points to his deteriorating resistance (and everything else)

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Olawale "Kryptonite" Afolabi officially retires.

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IntentionalButt Guy wants to name his çock 'macho' that's ok by me

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Olawale "Kryptonite" Afolabi officially retires.

IntentionalButt Guy wants to name his çock 'macho' that's ok by me

Pac a G Guest

The Shockmaster SOG has 4 children...he pulls out of nothing banned Full Member

Clinton Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

UnleashtheFURY D'oh! Full Member

Robney ᴻᴼ ᴸᴼᴻᴳᴲᴿ ᴲ۷ᴵᴸ Full Member

Sugar 88 Woke Moralist-In-Chief

eltirado Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

UnleashtheFURY D'oh! Full Member

Rock0052 Loyal Member Full Member

UnleashtheFURY D'oh! Full Member

IntentionalButt Guy wants to name his çock 'macho' that's ok by me

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theanatolian Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

IntentionalButt Guy wants to name his çock 'macho' that's ok by me