Henry Adetokunboh Akinwande was born on 12 October 1965 and is a British former WBO boxing world champion who competed from 1989 to 2008.
13 Facts About Henry Akinwande
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Henry Akinwande held the WBO heavyweight title from 1996 to 1997, as well as the Commonwealth heavyweight title in 1993, and the European heavyweight title from 1993 to 1994.
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Henry Akinwande returned to England in 1986 aged 21, and he began boxing soon after.
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Henry Akinwande then challenged Axel Schulz for the vacant European heavyweight title in Berlin, Germany in 1992.
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Henry Akinwande was to defend the title twice, against Biagio Chianese and Mario Scheisser.
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Henry Akinwande defeated fellow Briton and future WBO cruiserweight champion Johnny Nelson, former IBF heavyweight title holder Tony Tucker, Frankie Swindell, Brian Sargent, Calvin Jones and Gerard Jones, all from the USA, during this period.
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In 1996 Henry Akinwande faced American Jeremy Williams for the WBO World Heavyweight Title which had been vacated by Riddick Bowe, a fight which Henry Akinwande was to win via a 3rd round stoppage.
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Henry Akinwande went on to defend the belt twice, with victories over Russian Alexander Zolkin by TKO and a decision over fellow Briton Scott Welch, who had won the WBO Intercontinental Title with a stoppage over the 46-year-old Joe Bugner.
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The WBO belt was then vacated so that Henry Akinwande could pursue a challenge to WBC champion Lennox Lewis in 1997.
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Henry Akinwande was strangely subdued and spent much of the fight attempting to clinch Lewis.
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Henry Akinwande won his next 8 fights, his victims included top contenders Orlin Norris and Maurice Harris, as well as Peter McNeeley, Kenny Craven, Russel Chasteen, Reynaldo Minus, Chris Sirengo and Najee Shaheed.
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Henry Akinwande recovered from this to win his next 9 bouts, including notable victories against Timo Hoffman, Ed Mahone, Cisse Salif and Anton Nel, all for the IBF Intercontinental Title, as well as Curt Paige, Sam Ubokane, Raman Sukhaterin, Alexander Vasiliev and Tipton Walker.
13.
In late 2006 he dropped a split decision to Oleg Platov, a bout in which Henry Akinwande received a point deduction in 8th round for holding, and Platov received a point deduction in 9th for head butt.