Isaiah Olugbemi (L), seen with a USA Boxing official after winning the National Golden Gloves. Photo from Olugbemi’s Facebook
A national amateur boxing champion whose career was on the upswing was shot and killed on Monday night in what police are calling a ‘targeted’ shooting.
Isaiah Olugbemi, who won the National Golden Gloves championship last month at heavyweight, was shot multiple times in his hometown o Odenton, Md., according to reports. Officers responded to a shooting at 9:45 p.m. at the cross section of Meadowmist Way at Stehlik Drive – the block where the 27-year-old lived – and found him on the ground with six bullet wounds.
Olugbemi was taken by helicopter to Shock Trauma in Baltimore, where he later died.
Justin Mulcahy, a spokesperson for the Anne Arundel County Police, tells The Ring that the investigation is still in its early stages and that there were no updates available regarding suspects or motive, though police believe that the shooting was a targeted incident, and not a random shooting.
The murder comes two days after Olugbemi competed in what was supposed to be his final amateur bout before turning professional. Olugbemi had defeated Matthew Allen by unanimous decision in a three-round super heavyweight bout at Columbus Gardens in Nottingham, Md. as part of the inaugural Baltimore Boxing Hall of Fame event.
“He was a good guy. Had a future not only in boxing but in life. Horrible news,” said Jake Smith, who promoted Saturday’s event.
Olugbemi, a stocky, 6-foot aggressor, surprised many last month when he won five straight at the 2024 National Golden Gloves in Detroit to become the country’s 203-pound champion. There he had to defeat a number of more experienced boxers, including New Jersey’s Malachi Georges, who had won the National Golden Gloves the year prior, plus the U.S. Olympic trials and had been on the USA Boxing national team.
Ray Georges, the father and trainer of Malachi Georges, recalled Olugbemi as a humble young man who he noticed had read his Bible before his matches. He said Olugbemi had come up to him prior to their quarterfinal bout on May 16 and admitted he was having doubts heading into the fight.
“He told me that he was nervous. He came to me in the back during the event, he knew that he was fighting Malachi in the next bout. He said ‘I gotta put God first to give me the courage to overcome what your son brings to the table,’” recalled Georges.
“Then he wins a 3-2 split decision.”
Olugbemi’s National Golden Gloves final bout against Alonzo Sanchez
It was a remarkable rise for Olugbemi, who had his first bout in June of 2022, amassing a record of 15-7, according to USA Boxing’s Match Tracker. He was a three-time Washington D.C. Golden Gloves champion and competed at the 2023 National Golden Gloves and the 2023 Last Chance Qualifier in an attempt to make it to the U.S. national team.
Prior to picking up boxing, Olugbemi had been a standout in other sports, becoming county wrestling champion at Arundel High School in Gambrills, Md., where he had a record of 45-2 in his senior year. He had also been county champion in outdoor track and was all-county in football as well.
Later, Olugbemi went on to play football and wrestle at Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, Texas.
Anyone with information or surveillance video regarding the shooting are being asked to contact police at 410-222-4731, or anonymously through the Anne Arundel County Police Tip Line at 410-222-4700 or through Crime Stoppers at 866-7LOCKUP or line at metrocrimestoppers.org.
Ryan Songalia has written for ESPN, the New York Daily News, Rappler and The Guardian, and is part of the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism Class of 2020. He can be reached at [email protected].