Five-belt champion Emeka Nwokolo, son of Nigerian legend Charles Nwokolo, talks about his boxing career, escaping death, and more in this interview with PETER AKINBO
Can you tell us about your journey that started about four years ago, which has already gained you five titles?
It’s an emotional story. I moved to America at 23 years old, I was born and raised in Benin City. I grew up primarily with my mother and never knew my dad for a long time. The first time I saw my dad, I was 17 years old. He came to the stadium in Edo and gave boxers some equipment. At the time, I wasn’t used to boxing and didn’t like it. My younger brother was the one who had the talent. When my dad was introducing us to boxing, he was in Nigeria for two weeks. We were hanging out with him, going to the studio, and he was teaching other boxers. I wasn’t really interested and sometimes didn’t even go to the studio with him. I was more focused on playing football. My dream was to stay on the football path.
So what prompted the switch from football to boxing?
Along the line, I stopped playing football for maybe a year. I started doing various things, hairdressing, comedy, and working as an MC in shows. I moved to Lagos and was still pursuing entertainment. When I was 23, in December 2016, I moved to the United States. After arriving, I felt more comfortable chasing my football dream. I was going to different camps and training. I had an opportunity to do a trial, an LA Galaxy trial. I didn’t make the team because I picked up an injury. I got injured during the trial and couldn’t continue.
Interestingly, the injury gave me a chance to pay more attention to my dad’s gym. Because I couldn’t play football anymore, I started going to my dad’s gym. I would jump rope with one good leg and practice power boxing for exercise, just to have something to do. I began helping my dad train his clients and working with some amateur fighters, not really sparring, but moving around with them.
Was that when you started taking boxing more seriously?
Yeah, I didn’t know anything about boxing. I just knew I was stubborn. I could fight in regular fights, but not skillfully. I wasn’t talented; I could just go in and wrestle. I had that fire in me, but I didn’t like boxing. One day, after two months of being in the ring and doing my diet, I decided to try amateur fights. I got my first amateur fight and lost it. After about six months, I put up for another amateur fight and won. That second amateur fight was a belt fight. They didn’t give me the belt because they said I was older. I was 26 years old when they said I should have been 20. They told me they would send my belt via mail, but I never received it. I was kind of sad about not getting the achievement I wanted.
Can you tell us about the life-changing accident you had some years back?
When I was 27, one of my dad’s clients, a filmmaker who knew I loved making films, offered me a chance to work as a production assistant. She said if I came to work by 6 am, I would get paid. So I made sure to get there early. After working on the film set, I had an accident. My car fell from a cliff, dropping almost 300 feet. I was in the car for about an hour, hoping it wouldn’t explode. At the time, I had a pair of scissors in the car from when I previously had surgery on my toe ligament. It was around 7 pm, raining, windy, and cold. I was desperately trying to escape from the car, pushing the door for an hour. Eventually, I managed to squeeze myself out and realised I was in a deep, remote spot where only a helicopter might be able to see me.
At that moment, I told myself that anything coming here wants to kill me, so I’ve got to fight to survive. I saw myself as an angel who could get a new life – which is why I have an angel tattoo on my chest. I used the scissors to climb the mountain while it was raining. I finally reached the top. My phone was ringing about a minute away from my car, but I couldn’t go back. The first car that passed by stopped at a distance and asked what I was doing there. When I explained the accident, they were shocked, saying that if my car was down the mountain, I wasn’t supposed to be alive. They called 911, put me in their car, and turned on the heater. The police arrived and checked me for drugs or alcohol, seeing that I was clean. The police response was minimal, which I don’t want to attribute to racism but I know it’s something that happens to us blacks. They suggested I could sleep at the station, but I refused. I tried giving them numbers to call, but nobody was answering, the gym number was closed since it was around midnight.
Then something unexpected happened. A homeless guy, who seemed to be a drunken addict with some mental challenges, approached me. He had overheard my conversation with the sheriff and offered to help if I bought him food and gas. Despite his appearance and condition, I was desperate, so I agreed. The next day, I went back to the accident site in broad daylight to retrieve my belongings. News crews were there, and everyone came to see what had happened. After about a week, the pandemic hit, and with all gyms closed, I found myself training for fun. I told my dad I wanted to prepare for Golden Gloves, but the pandemic caused its cancellation.
How did the accident change your mindset?
At that moment, my body was telling me to take boxing seriously and get used to the training. I told my dad I wanted to turn professional. My dad was sceptical. He didn’t think I could do it professionally, saying I had no experience and didn’t like boxing. He believed I didn’t have the skill at that level. He never forced me but tried to discourage me by highlighting the challenges. Then he took me to a professional fighter, and I started intense sparring – three times a week, training every single day. In 2021, I got my first professional fight and won by TKO. From there, I just kept fighting and kept training. It became something I couldn’t stop doing. If I didn’t train, I felt something was wrong. I became so dedicated that no matter what I was doing, I had to give 100 per cent. In 2022, I fought my first belt fight and lost. I was competing against someone with more experience. But that loss didn’t stop me. People asked why I continued, and I explained I was doing it for love because it was a life-changing miracle. I didn’t let the loss bother me because I believed I was following God’s direction. After losing that fight, I fought again and won. Then I just kept fighting for belts and kept winning.
How did your mum feel about you taking boxing seriously?
My mum in Nigeria didn’t like that I was boxing. When I first started, she thought I wasn’t strong enough. I would tell her that I knew how to fight in the streets for hours, but she saw boxing differently. She viewed it as something for talented kids, not something a grown man should just be starting. Even now, she doesn’t want me to stop, but she’s not entirely happy about me getting hit. She’s there spiritually to protect me, and she’s become a bit calmer about it over time. When I have a fight coming up, she tends to ignore it. She won’t watch the fights unless she hears that I’ve won. During my last fight for the NABA and WBA belts, she was actually in the hospital. When she heard about my victory, she was in the hospital and was told I had won.
Which belts do you hold now?
I have five belts, the WBF International, WBA-NABA belt, UBO International, the American Boxing Federation, and the UBO world title.
What would you say is your favourite belt from your five belts?
The UBO World title and the WBA NABA are my favourites. The WBF is dope, but I think the UBO is the biggest one I have now because it’s a world champion belt. The others are also world belts but some are not yet recognised, though they are recognised on paper.
Who are your role models in boxing?
As for my role models in boxing, interestingly, the first fight I watched was (Floyd) Mayweather and (Manny) Pacquiao, but they didn’t inspire me. When I started, I didn’t see any fighter that truly inspired me. I felt confident in my skills and the hard work I’d put in. If I had to name fighters I look up to now, I’d say Canelo Alvarez, ‘Tank’ (Gervonta Davis). But more than specific fighters, I was inspired by my journey and potential.
What’s your happiest moment in boxing?
My happiest moment is having my dad in my corner. Growing up, I didn’t know much about boxing, and my dad had been betrayed by other fighters before. Now, he sees his son becoming a professional boxer, and there’s a sense of pride in our relationship.
What’s your saddest moment?
My saddest moment is realising no one advised me to try boxing earlier. I believe if I had started when I was 10, I could have been a world champion in multiple weight classes by now.
What are your next goals?
I’m focused on defending my belt. I’m currently dealing with a hand injury, but I want to defend my title once it’s healed. My ultimate goal is to get opportunities for bigger fights and potentially become a world champion.
What do you want to do after boxing?
I want to create a boxing academy in Nigeria. It won’t just be about boxing, but about creating a cool, educational environment for young people. I want to help kids from my hometown and create something special that combines boxing with personal development.