National Post (National Edition)
Def iagbon’s dream realized in Canada
Nigerian-born boxer who won silver medal dies at 48
There was a scene at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics when a small group of Canadian journalists surrounded National boxing team head coach Yvon Michel after his heavyweight, David Defiagbon, had qualified for the medal round under controversial circumstances.
Defiagbon had just fought the highly-regarded Frenchman Christophe Mendy and advanced to the medal round because Mendy was disqualified for punching the Canadian in the groin, even though TV replays showed that Mendy’s blow appeared to land on Defiagbon’s upper thigh. Defiagbon rolled round the ring in apparent agony until the referee stopped the fight and a furious Mendy was DQ’D.
Afterwards, Michel was asked by skeptical reporters how bad Defiagbon’s injury was. The French Canadian national team coach replied: “His penis. It is swollen.” How swollen, Michel was asked. The coach replied with a straight face that he wasn’t sure how swollen it was because he had no idea how big Defiagbon’s penis was beforehand (words to that effect).
To the hard boiled scribes covering the Games, it was one of the best lines ever. To his credit, the Nigerian-born Defiagbon fought valiantly in the semifinal to defeat American Nate Jones to qualify for gold, where he lost to Cuban legend Felix Savon. Defiagbon went on to enjoy a solid pro career (21-2 12KOS) and remains the last Canadian to win an Olympic boxing medal.
Sadly, word has come out of Las Vegas that Defiagbon has passed away at age 48 as a result of heart complications. Former world light heavyweight champion Montell Griffin, who trained with Defiagbon, announced the fighter’s passing on his Facebook account. Mandy Evans, who has a daughter with Defiagbon, confirmed the boxer died last Saturday, adding that a service will be held on Dec. 8 in Las Vegas.
Defiagbon’s former coach Wayne Gordon, who had kept in touch with his fighter over the years, was supposed to meet up with Defiagbon in Las Vegas in May of 2017 but after arriving in Nevada, couldn’t reach the fighter.
“He had told me before that his life was not the best,” said Gordon. “He got involved in drugs and alcohol and the nightlife where he was working as security guard. But the last time I talked to him, everything was sort of good. He said, ‘I got my life straightened out, I’m not drinking anymore, the party scene is behind me.’ I couldn’t wait to see him.”
The story of how Defiagbon came to fight for Canada is one for the ages. Nicknamed ‘The Dream,’ Defiagbon first met national team coach Taylor Gordon (Wayne’s father) when the Canadian boxing team touched down in Nigeria during a tour of Africa in 1989.
Defiagbon had won a gold medal for Nigeria at the 1990 Commonwealth Games (beating Canadian Greg Johnson in the final) but desperately wanted to escape the poverty and brutal military government of Nigeria. Whenever Gordon and Defiagbon ran into each other over the next few years at various tournaments, Defiagbon would plead with coach Gordon to take him to Canada. Finally, at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, the Nigerian boxer saw Taylor Gordon at the athletes village, dropped to his knees and begged him to take him to Canada.
“There must have been 200 people there and all of a sudden I have this 6-foot-five guy grabbing me around the legs and begging for my help,” Gordon told the Toronto Sun’s Jim O’leary in 1996. “He had tears running down his face.”
The former Canadian navy man came through, arranging Defiagbon’s passage to Canada where he moved in with Wayne Gordon and his family in Halifax. Defiagbon received his Canadian citizenship in time to compete for the Great White North at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
After those games, Defiagbon turned pro and his career as a prize fighter lasted until Jan. 15, 2005 when he suffered a TKO loss to Juan Carlos Gomez. Former national team fighter Domenic Filane remembers Defiagbon approaching him at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in New Zealand.
“He came over and sat down beside me and started talking away as if we had been friends for years. He told me how one day he would defect from Nigeria where his life is tough and move to Canada and compete for us and be my teammate. He was very sincere,” said Filane.
“... Fast forward to 1996 Atlanta Olympics and I’m sitting in line for the weigh-ins with David by my side. He says to me with a soft tone and infectious smile. ‘See Domenic, I told you I would be your teammate.’ I will never forget that guy.”