Raphael Akpejiori

Bio

Raphael Akpejiori is a huge Nigerian-born heavyweight who came to boxing late, by way of basketball and the University of Miami, and who hits extremely hard when he gets his range right.

The numbers tell you the story: eighteen of his nineteen wins have come by knockout. That is a punch output profile you simply cannot teach. When the jab is working and he is using his length, he is a nightmare for anybody under 6ft 5in.

The flip side is defensive. He fights tall and upright, the guard drops when he loads up, and he has now been stopped by heavy-handed opponents more than once. On 12 September 2026 in Las Vegas he entered against Da'Mazion Vanhouter at 19-4 and was knocked out cold by two right hooks inside two minutes.

There is still a role for him — he is a genuinely dangerous night for any prospect being moved too quickly, and he only needs one clean shot. But at this level the margin is gone.