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In his days of glory, Samuel Peter, popularly known as the Nigerian Nightmare, was popular for his punching power and had a knockout-to-win ratio of 78.9%. BoxRec ranked the Nigerian as part of the world’s top 10 heavyweight boxers from 2004 to 2007, with his highest ranking coming in 2006 when he placed number 4 in ranking. In his professional boxing career, Peter has been involved in 47 fights, winning 31 matches by knockout, and 7 wins by decision. He has suffered a total of nine losses, 6 through knockouts and 3 through unanimous decision.
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The story of Peter’s rise to glory is an interesting one. It is the story of a kid whose major interest was in football, the most popular sport in Nigeria. At the age of 11 in 1992, this kid decided to stop by and asked boxers who had come to train in his school if he could join them. Put up against an experienced amateur, Peter who is the nephew of Nigerian boxer, Great Power Uti, won the fight and that was the beginning of greatness for the young lad. With an opportunity to represent Nigeria at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 (aged 19), his star shone brightly despite being knocked out at the quarter-finals by Italian boxer, Paolo Vidoz. The rest they say ‘’is history.’’ The Olympics announced Peter’s presence on the global stage and he has never looked back since then. Nigeria’s boxing history is incomplete without the mention of Samuel Okon Peter. Sources: Wikipedia Fight Nights Featured Image Source:
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