On September 12, 2025, the bright lights of the Bukom Arena lit up for another night of boxing. Fans thronged the venue, expecting thrills, drama, and a decisive winner when Jacob Dickson squared off against Ernest Akushey, better known in Bukom as Bahubali.
What unfolded that night, however, would change Dickson’s life forever.
The fight itself was tense but decisive.
Bahubali absorbed heavy punishment before the referee stepped in to wave it off. Dickson’s hand was raised in victory, yet the cheers of the crowd masked the true story that was still unfolding.
Eleven days later, on September 23, Bahubali passed away at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.
Ghanaian boxer Bahubali is dead
The sport of boxing in Ghana was left in mourning, and Dickson was left carrying a weight no victory could erase.
As such, GhanaWeb’s Joel Eshun caught up with the boxer, where he revealed that the experience has left him deeply shaken and unwilling to continue boxing.
“I’m done with boxing, I will find something else to do,” he said. “I started boxing at 14 years old. I’ve fought with many people, none of them has heard that I’ve fought with someone and he’s died. This is my first time.
How will you feel if it was you?”
For Dickson, the tragedy was even more painful because of the relationship he shared with Bahubali.
There had been no animosity, no grudge. In fact, he insists he did not even want the fight in the first place.
“Honestly, I didn’t want to fight. It was Bahubali who pushed for the fight. He went to look for a promoter, and that’s how it happened. We were very cordial; there was no bad blood between us. After the fight, we even met again. Everything was cool,” he explained.
But beneath the calm exterior, trauma lingers. Dickson admits he cannot see himself stepping into the ring anytime soon.
“If I want to box again, I think I have to go sit down, think, relax, have people talk to me. But for now, I’m done. I don’t have the heart to continue after this,” he said quietly.
The story of Bahubali’s tragic death has already left an indelible mark on Ghanaian boxing.
For Dickson, it has become something even heavier, a personal burden that may spell the end of a career he began as a teenager.
Watch the interview with Jacob Dickson below:
FKA/JE
Meanwhile, watch interviews with Bahubali’s twin sister and promoter below
