The name Francis Aiyegbeni, may not ring a bell as a boxer, but what he failed to achieve as a boxer, he made up for it in terms of promoting boxing in Nigeria through sponsorship until he died on May 7, 2016 at 69.
Unarguably, his invaluable contributions to the growth of both amateur and professional boxing in the country would continue to be a reference point.
At his D’Rovans Hotel now Wallan Hotel, he demonstrated his passion for boxing by establishing a gymnasium there, where youngsters are being trained to become professional boxers till date.
He also engaged the services of ex-international boxers to impart knowledge to these aspiring pugilists.
Chief Aiyegbeni, in his bid to provide succour for some ex-boxers also placed them on the payroll combining hotel services aside from coaching potential boxers at evenings.
His hotel located along the MKO Abiola way, Ring Road, Ibadan was synonymous with boxing for over two decades as he staged regular bouts there regardless of what will come in as gate takings.
He provided support for the legendary Bash Ali during his preparation for the world title fight in 1996 against Ralf Rocchigiani in Germany.
The Irrua, Edo State-born Aiyegbeni, also a highlife musician will always be remembered for promoting both amateur and professional boxing in the country.
He hosted and promoted a number of national title fights during his time, one of which was the national heavyweight title fight between the 1992 silver Olympic medallist, Richard Igbinegu and Abiodun Adewale, a.k.a Abbey Tiger on March 29, 2003, which the former won via a fifth round knock out.
Aiyegbeni told this writer after the fight the effort he made to ‘revive’ the career of the Olympian Richard Bango.
“I got to know that Richard was earning peanuts in the United States and I felt disturbed about it given his pedigree. Imagine, he was offered as low as $100 to fight and when it got to that, I advised him to come back home. I told him you had no business in US again as a boxer and you must give your career a new lease of life. I’m happy to see him box the way he did today, it showed that he is still a crack boxer,” Aiyegbeni, had submitted after the fight, which had the late former Commonwealth champion, Dele Jonathan, also at the ring side, among others.
Some of other notable Nigerian boxers whose fights were once promoted by the late Aiyegbeni, included Joe Lasisi, the late Babatunde Alimi, Kola Abimbola, Sunday Yau, Sunday Aderoju a.k.a. Sunny King.
In fact, shortly after the Abimbola/Yau bout, he announced the donation of N50,000 to the family of the late boxer, ASP Bashiru Thompson, who died during his bantamweight clash with Aruna jinadu at the National Stadium, Lagos, in 2007.
Interestingly, during one of the fights he hosted a decade ago, worried that the light heavyweight bout was going the distance, Aiyegbeni brought out a bale of N100,000 notes and showed his boxer, the late Babatunde Alimi, who also had his dad at the ringside that the money served as a gift should he win that night. Thereafter, the late Alimi came back with renewed vigour to eventually secure a knockout victory over his opponent.
The last encounter this writer had with the late boxing promoter was at the indoor sports hall of the National Stadium, Lagos, during the 16th National Sports Festival, Eko 2012. He was at the ring side with one of his staff members, who quickly identified me.
“Baba, this is the Tribuneman, who always covered our fights in Ibadan,” the man uttered.
The late Aiyegbeni in a jiffy hugged me too and from there, we began to talk about the standard of boxing in the country then.
Aiyegbeni, then jokingly told the the first and only woman boxer to represent Nigeria at the Olympics, [London 2012], Edith Agu-Ogoke, who was also at the ringside, that he will produce a boxer who will conquer her and the latter too joking said, “Chief, I’m waiting for the person to come, but I’m sure not in Nigeria”.
Also, the late late hotelier, sports philanthropist and boxing promoter always hosted the annual dinner of the Oyo State chapter of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), free of charge, the tradition which is being maintained by his children.
Two months after his death, the family of Aiyegbeni donated the gymnasium owned by their late dad to the Oyo State Amateur Boxing Association (OSABA).
The gymnasium which comprised boxing ring, bathroom and toilet was handed over to the Baron Akintunde-led OSABA, at a colourful ceremony in Ibadan.
“On behalf of the family, I hereby wish to put the boxing ring alongside the gymnasium left behind by our father under the management of the Oyo State Amateur Boxing Association. I will like to stress that the boxing facility is open for use by all boxers in Oyo State and will be privately managed by the association.
“By doing this, we sincerely hope that the boxing legacy of Chief Francis Aiyegbeni will be preserved and could continue to contribute to the development of boxing even in his sleep,” his daughter, Bolade Aiyegbeni, had said on behalf of the family.
The first event to celebrate the exit of the boxing aficionado, was the Francis Aiyegbeni Boxing Memorial Boxing Tournament, tagged “Night of Fury” which was also held at his hotel on Boxing Day in 2016.
One of the boxers from the Aiyegbeni Boxing Gym, Rilwan ‘Scorpion’ Oyekola, consolidated the legacy of Aiyegbeni as he at the 2017 edition of the GOtv Boxing Night in Lagos, beat his opponent Hogan Jimoh Jnr in just 37 seconds.
Two years on, secretary general of the Nigerian Boxing Board of Control (NBB of C), Mr Remi Aboderin, said the boxing fraternity especially in Nigeria will continue to miss Aiyegbeni.
“The boxing fraternity will always remember Aiyegbeni for his invaluable roles to the growth of the sport in Nigeria, but one of the remarkable things is that in spite of his exit, his family has kept his boxing legacy on,” Aboderin told Tribunesport.
Today, one of Aiyegbeni’s daughters, Edna, has turned a boxing administrator cum promoter to sustain the legacy of her late dad, as she is the vice chairman, Oyo State chapter of NBB of C.
“Against all odds, Chief Francis Aiyegbeni Boxing Gym produced yet another champion, Rilwan, who defeated Hogan Jimoh Jnr in just 37 seconds. Thanks everyone for your support. Another one for you ‘Daddddd’. Miss you,” an elated Edna, had posted through the social media after the victory of her boxer in Lagos.