High expectations held by Nigerian-born Republic of Ireland heavyweight boxer, Adam Olaniyan for a major bout this weekend in Paris, France have been put on hold, following the failed drugs test of the main attraction, Lawrence Okolie.
Sports247 gathered that, with Okolie having been confirmed to have failed a doping test ahead of the night of fights in Paris, Olaniyan’s bout is among the many affected, after Frank Warren’s promotion company cut the entire bill.
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Okolie’s heavyweight fight with Tony Yoka was the first to be cancelled, after the former world cruiserweight champion failed a drug test just four days before the bout in France, following which Queensbury and DAZN called off the whole package.
The promoters stated: “Due to circumstances outside of our control, Queensbury and DAZN have regrettably made the decision to cancel this Saturday’s scheduled event in Paris. For refunds, please contact your ticket purchaser.”
It means that as well as Okolie vs Yoka, the super welterweight head-to-head between Bakary Samake and Ermal Hadribeaj is also off, along with Khalil El Hadri vs Liborio Solis (heavyweight).
Also cancelled are Adam Olaniyan vs Andre Youmbi Oyen (heavyweight), Luis Vela vs Yeison Juarez (super lightweight), Enzo Marguerite vs Jeremy Alvarez (super welterweight), and Mourad Aliev vs Jhan Carlo Delgado (heavyweight).
The cancellations come less than a month after Olaniyan started his professional career in emphatic fashion, after a high-achieving stint as an amateur, where he won the World Youth Championships among many achievements.
In March, he featured on the Jazza Dickens vs Anthony Cacace bill in Dublin, where he faced 44-year-old Jan Bezouska of Czech Republic, and Olaniyan sent him to the cleaners in the first round.
A citation for Adam Olaniyan by The Ring stated in part, “The heavyweight, who turned 20 in February, has been tipped for superstardom in the pros, given he won the World Youth Championship in 2024 and a pair of European golds as an amateur.
“Olaniyan’s journey in the paid ranks was to start on Saturday night after he decided to eschew the chance of qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics in favour of a professional deal with Frank Warren and Queensberry Promotions.
“His last outing after that agreement (took) place at Dublin’s 3Arena, only a short bus ride away from the south west suburb of the city where it all began for him and his boxing brother Josh.
“Olaniyan was only seven when he followed Josh, himself a boxer of much promise, into the gym. Their mother, fed up with their antics, decided the boxing gym would be the best place for them to channel their youthful exuberance.
“It was Josh who competed first and it was only then that their father told the boys that the sweet science ran in their blood, given he had boxed in the Nigerian army. Not only that, but he had already taken them out on runs and held pads for them.”
Olaniyan told The Ring, “Up until that point, he had never told us about any of it. He showed us pictures of him boxing and all of that stuff. We didn’t know it, but he was training us when we were kids.
“We would go with him on his training jogs and teach us how to hit the pads but we just thought it was a bit of fun. We didn’t take it seriously, but he had a plan and that was to teach us how to box. It’s mad how it all worked out. He knew what he was doing.”
