Raphael Akpejiori

Raphael Akpejiori was born on 10 October 1990 in Lagos, Nigeria to Pius and Clara Akpejiori, and grew up in the Surulere area of the city.^[2][3] He was raised alongside his five siblings – Okhiaofe, Ilamosi, Eshemokha, Ideoghena, and Eboshogwe.^[4] He developed a passion for sports and education. His father, Pius, was a player for New Nigerian Bank Football Club, and his mother was a sprinter competing for Edo State.

In 2008, at the age of 17, he moved to Bel Aire, Kansas, United States, on a basketball scholarship, where he attended Sunrise Christian Academy. Two years later, in 2010, he was recruited by the University of Miami, where he played as a forward for the university's basketball team for four seasons. During his graduate studies, he transitioned to American football in 2014 and earned an invitation to the Miami Dolphins' training camp in 2015.^[5][6]

Akpejiori holds a bachelor's and master's degree in mechanical engineering.^[7]

Akpejiori had a brief amateur career, compiling a record of 13–1 (10 KOs).^[7] He was invited by the Nigerian Boxing Federation to compete for Nigeria at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 as a super-heavyweight.^[8]

Trained by former world champion Glen Johnson,^[9] Akpejiori signed with CES Boxing and made his professional debut on 14 September 2018, scoring a first-round technical knockout (TKO) victory over Omar Acosta at the Twin River Event Center in Lincoln, Rhode Island.^[10] Following another first-round TKO win over James Advincola in November,^[11] Akpejiori scored three more first-round stoppage wins in 2019; a knockout (KO) over Leo Cassiani in June;^[12] and TKOs over Johan Lopez in July^[13] and Jose Pulido in August.^[14] Akpejiori's first fight of 2020 was a second-round TKO win against Mike Ford in January.^[15] He faced Gary Kelly in his seventh professional fight on 22 August 2020, which he won by a second-round TKO. On 7 November 2020, he beat Jared Torgeson by a second-round TKO. Akpejiori faced Joshua Tuani on 23 January 2021 and won by a first round KO. He then extended his winning record to 10–0 after beating Curtis Head on 21 April 2021, again winning by a first-round KO.

Akpejiori beat Brandon Spencer by a second-round TKO on 11 June 2021. He then faced Steven Lyons on 10 July 2021, and won by a first-round TKO. On 6 November 2021, he faced Satander Silgado Gelez and won by a first-round TKO. On 11 June 2022, Akpejiori faced Terrell Jamal Woods. it was the first time in this career the Nigerian fought past the second round, winning by unanimous decision. On 21 January 2021, Akpejiori faced Dell Long and won by another first-round KO.

Akpejiori then challenged Russian boxer Arslanbek Makhmudov for his WBC-NABF heavyweight title at Toledo, Ohio on 1 July 2023. Akpejiori lost the fight by TKO in the second round after being dropped three times.^[16]

In November 2023, Akpejiori married basketball player and NBA analyst Chiney Ogwumike.^[17]