November 7, 2019

Meet Raphael Akpejiori of Road Warrior Sports & Entertainment in Coral Gables

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Raphael Akpejiori.

Raphael, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I came to the United States at the age of 17 on a basketball scholarship from Nigeria.

I attended Sunrise Christian Academy in Wichita, KS, where I got recruited to play basketball for the University of Miami.

I moved to Miami in 2010 to on a 4 year basketball scholarship to the University of Miami, graduating in 2014 with a Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering, a Bachelors of Science in Economics.

I spent my last 2 years in graduate school, obtaining a Masters in Mechanical Engineering, and spending my last year on the University of Miami football team, earning me a professional football opportunity on the 2015 Miami Dolphins training camp, after which I gave up football to pursue life as an engineer and a professional boxer.

I spent the next two years on the amateur boxing circuit with a decent number of amateur bouts, and turned professional in September of 2018.

I am currently a professional boxer with a 5-0 boxing record, and 5 Knockouts, projected by many boxing analysts & purists to be the heavyweight champion of the world in a few short years.

I am also a full time mechanical engineer & energy analyst with the University of Miami.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
My path has been everything but a smooth road, but it has been a very interesting one. I have met a lot of good people on my path, from my friends who believed in me back in Nigeria when I started playing basketball on the streets all around Lagos, to the host family who took me in during my brief stay in Kansas, to my college basketball and football coaches & teammates.

My college football teammates at the University of Miami are the best collection of people I had ever come across in my entire life. A group of 100+ young men who took it upon themselves individually to teach me how to play football in less semester, and cheered me every step of the way from the University of Miami practice squad to the Miami Dolphins. I have also met a lot of good people in my professional world, and in the sport of boxing.

I have also had quite a few run-ins with bad people along my path. The personalities in boxing, especially the promoters I have dealt with have generally turned out to be bad news

With that being said, I never let bad actors dictate my actions or the frequency of good that comes out of me.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Road Warrior Sports & Entertainment – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I am a professional boxer, currently signed to Road Warrior Sports & Entertainment.

I partner as the COO of the company with the promoter, Glen Johnson (retired IBF Light heavyweight World Champion) to host boxing professional and amateur boxing events in Miami.

Our company’s mission is to bring the best of boxing of all levels to the city of Miami, and turn the attention of underprivileged kids to see combat sports as a way out of violence and vices, and hopefully a source of livelihood in their future.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
My goal is to be the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the world in the nearest future, and hold that title for many years.

I am also working to obtain my professional engineering (PE) license from the state of Florida.

Road Warrior Sports & Entertainment will host it’s first boxing event in February at a suitable location in Miami.

We will have some very exciting professional boxers from the city of Miami on our show, many of which will bring an immense sense of pride to our city, as the likes of Jorge Masvidal of the UFC, Glen Johnson, and Luis Ortiz have done.

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