Praise Olagbegi RYAN FROM THE 6IX interview on provincial gold

Praise Olagbegi RYAN FROM THE 6IX interview followed the Atlas Boxing Club fighter’s first provincial tournament, where he won gold after four fights. Olagbegi also discussed his trip to nationals with Team Ontario, the sponsors helping him get there and why he sees the 2028 Olympics as a route toward his goal of becoming a world champion.

How did Praise Olagbegi win gold at his first provincial boxing championship?

Praise Olagbegi won gold at his first provincial boxing tournament after four fights. He said he was the only boxer in his division who had to fight four times, and the schedule meant managing his energy and avoiding too much damage each day while making the 143-pound weight limit.

Four fights at provincials

Olagbegi entered with tournament experience, but he had not previously fought on four consecutive days. He said his first opponent had won the Quebec Open tournament by knocking out an opponent in its final. Seeing that matchup, while other boxers in his division had three fights scheduled, added pressure.

His approach was to treat provincials as another tournament rather than dwell on what was at stake. He said he had fought 11 times the previous year and 13 times in the current year, including appearances in four tournaments. Staying active helped him keep the event in perspective.

Making weight and celebrating the gold

The hardest part, he said, was staying away from food while hungry. He had to make 143 pounds each day of the tournament. After winning gold, he went with his brother and a friend for ice cream and smoothies. He said the chance to eat and hydrate after the tournament initially excited him more than the medal. Olagbegi also said he had won every tournament he entered in Ontario.

Why did Praise Olagbegi start boxing after moving from Nigeria to Canada?

Praise Olagbegi said watching Ryan Garcia fight Gervonta Davis convinced him to try boxing. He had followed fighters while living in Nigeria, then moved to Canada at 19. Seeing two boxers he already knew face each other made him decide to enter a gym; he said he had been training for about two years.

Watching Anthony Joshua and the younger fighters

As a teenager in Nigeria, Olagbegi saw the attention given to Israel Adesanya and Anthony Joshua. Joshua drew him toward boxing, and he later watched Garcia and Davis. He also mentioned Devin Haney among the fighters he encountered while learning about the sport.

At first, he thought he could compete with the boxers he watched. His brother, who was already training, warned that boxing was harder than it looked. Olagbegi said his first day in a gym proved that point: he quickly realized how much technique he lacked, including how to throw a punch correctly.

What did Praise Olagbegi learn at Atlas Boxing Club and in his first fight?

Praise Olagbegi said Atlas Boxing Club gave him a place to develop after an exhausting first attempt on the heavy bag. His coach told him those swings were not proper punches and offered to teach him. About five months after starting boxing, Olagbegi won his first bout by TKO.

The first day at Atlas Boxing Club

Olagbegi said he valued training at a gym he associated with Lennox Lewis and with provincial and former national champions. He arrived with ambitions well beyond learning the basics. When his coach asked why he wanted to box, Olagbegi said he wanted to become a world champion like the fighters he admired.

He also remembered attacking the heavy bag so hard that he ran out of energy in roughly 10 seconds. His coach’s response showed him the gap between throwing hard and boxing effectively. Although Olagbegi felt comfortable with the physical side of fighting, he said the sport’s technique was much more demanding than he had expected.

A TKO after five months of training

After roughly three months of sparring, the gym told him he was ready to prepare for a bout. On the way to that first fight, he told his brother he was unsure whether he still wanted to do it. His brother reminded him of his ambition to face fighters such as Garcia and Davis. Olagbegi went ahead, won by TKO and came away believing boxing was something he could pursue.

How is Praise Olagbegi preparing for nationals with Team Ontario?

Praise Olagbegi said nationals were scheduled three weeks after provincials, leaving little time for another fight. Instead, he continued sparring and training while keeping his weight under control. He attended a Team Ontario sparring session and expected to be the only boxer from his gym making this trip to nationals.

Olagbegi described an open sparring session before provincials and a Team Ontario session about a week after the tournament. Training alongside boxers at a similar level gave him another chance to work before nationals. He said he had not taken a fight in the short gap between events.

The trip to Nova Scotia would also be a new experience for him: he said he had not previously traveled out of the province to fight or flown to a fight. His brother was not going on this trip. For Olagbegi, staying in the gym mattered more than treating the provincial win as a break from preparation.

What are Praise Olagbegi’s 2028 Olympics and world title goals, and who is funding his trip?

Praise Olagbegi wants to become a boxing world champion and sees nationals as an important step toward a possible path to the 2028 Olympics. He said the cost of traveling to Nova Scotia could keep qualified boxers from attending. Sponsors and individual donors helped pay for his trip, and he planned to travel with his coach.

He has kept the world-title goal since he first joined a gym. Olagbegi described the Olympics as the smoothest route he could see toward it, while making clear that reaching the national team was still an ambition, not an accomplishment. He also said he was going to school and considering other pursuits, though boxing remained his main focus.

The travel bill made support essential. Olagbegi said people contributed through a GoFundMe fundraiser and gave additional donations. His coach helped find sponsors and arrange the trip. He said he knew of provincial competitors who could not go to nationals because of the expense.

Olagbegi credited his coach with believing in him despite people who doubted he was ready for provincials or championship-level competition. Explaining why that support mattered, Olagbegi put it plainly:

This is a team sport

He could not bring everyone who supported him to Nova Scotia, he said, but their help made it possible for him and his coach to go.

Which boxers does Praise Olagbegi study, and what does he enjoy about fight nights?

Praise Olagbegi studies fighters with styles he can apply to his own boxing, including Richardson Hitchins, Dmitry Bivol and Thomas Hearns. He also enjoys the energy of a live crowd, particularly when spectators begin a fight backing his opponent and change their reaction as the bout unfolds.

Studying range and movement

Between Garcia and Davis, Olagbegi said he leaned toward Davis, though he had found their matchup difficult to pick. He also mentioned watching David Benavidez and studying Hitchins’s long-range style. Because his coach is Ukrainian and teaches him movement, Olagbegi watches Bivol as well. He looks back to older fighters, including Hearns, whose reach interests him for his own division.

Music, warm-ups and an outdoor fight

On the way to a show, Olagbegi prefers calm music and may sleep. Closer to fight time, he switches to music that gets him energized. He said experienced fighters at his gym first get space to warm up alone before their coach joins them for pads and a review of the game plan.

Olagbegi has fought outdoors once, by a beach. He liked seeing passersby notice the crowd and come over, though he said weather would determine whether he would want to do it again. He described enjoying the moment when a crowd expecting him to lose starts cheering for him instead. That experience, he said, helps him approach nationals without being overwhelmed by its stakes.

Who is Praise Olagbegi?

Praise Olagbegi is a boxer focused on refining his striking, improving his defense and building discipline as he pursues competitive success and continued growth in the sport.