Samuel Peter facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Samuel Peter
Samuel Peter in 2007
Statistics
Real name	Samuel Okon Peter
Nickname(s)	The Nigerian Nightmare
Rated at	Heavyweight
Height	1.88 m
Reach	196 cm
Nationality	Nigerian American
Born	(1980-09-06) September 6, 1980 (age 44) Akwa Ibom, Nigeria
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	47
Wins	38
Wins by KO	31
Losses	9

Samuel Okon Peter (born September 6, 1980) is a professional boxer from Nigeria. He was a heavyweight champion, holding the WBC title in 2008. He won this title by defeating Oleg Maskaev in six rounds. Samuel Peter was famous for his fights against the Klitschko brothers. He fought Wladimir Klitschko twice and Vitali Klitschko once.

Many people in Nigeria see Samuel Peter as a sports hero. The Punch newspaper named him one of the 20 greatest athletes in Nigeria's history in 2023. His WBC title win was also called a top sports moment by Premium Times in 2020. From 2005 to 2008, The Ring magazine ranked him among the top ten heavyweights. He reached his highest ranking as world No.2 in 2007. Peter is known for his powerful punches. About 78.9% of his wins were by knockout.

Samuel Peter: The Nigerian Nightmare

Early Life and Amateur Boxing

Samuel Peter first loved football. But in 1992, when he was 11, some boxers came to his school. He watched them train and asked to join. He was matched against an experienced amateur boxer and knocked him out. This was the start of his successful amateur boxing journey.

He won the Nigerian Amateur Heavyweight Championship. He also won the Africa Zone 3 Heavyweight Championship. Peter faced tough opponents. He even knocked out Mukhtarkhan Dildabekov from Kazakhstan. Dildabekov later won a silver medal at the 2000 Olympics. Peter's success led him to represent Nigeria at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

At the Olympics, Peter lost in the quarterfinals to Paolo Vidoz from Italy. Even though he lost, his performance was impressive for a young boxer. Many people were more excited about his future than about the eventual gold medalist, Audley Harrison.

Starting His Professional Career

After the Olympics, Samuel Peter became a professional boxer. Ivaylo Gotzev became his manager and Andy "Pops" Anderson became his coach. They signed a deal with Duva Boxing.

Peter's first professional fight was on February 6, 2001. He fought Georgi Hristov in Kazakhstan. Peter won by knockout in the first round. In 2001, he had seven fights and won all of them. Most of his wins were in the first round.

In 2002, Peter faced tougher opponents. His first fight was against Marion Wilson. Wilson was known for being tough and hard to knock out. Peter won this fight by a unanimous decision. This meant all judges agreed he won.

Nineteen days later, Peter fought Julius Joiner. This was Peter's first fight shown on TV, on ESPN2. Joiner did not come out for the second round, so Peter won. Peter had three more fights in 2002. He won each by knockout in the second round. Two of these fights were also shown on ESPN2.

Peter then took an 8-month break. He returned to fight Dale Crowe for the WBC Youth heavyweight title. Crowe had a good record and had only been stopped once. This was Peter's first professional fight planned for 10 rounds. Peter won every round and stopped Crowe in the fourth round.

Three months later, Peter fought Lyle McDowell. This fight was shown on HBO. Peter won by knockout in the fourth round. He finished 2003 with two more wins. His record was 16 wins in 16 fights, with 15 knockouts.

Climbing the Ranks

Peter vs. Shufford and Pudar

After two more knockout wins, Peter had 18 wins. He then faced Charles Shufford on May 17, 2004. Shufford had challenged for a world title before. This was Peter's first main event fight. Peter won by unanimous decision. He fought for 10 rounds for the first time.

Three months later, Peter fought Jovo Pudar. Pudar had never been knocked out. Peter won by unanimous decision. He bloodied Pudar's nose, showing his power.

Peter vs. Williams and Diaz

In December 2004, Peter fought Jeremy Williams. Williams was a former world title challenger. Both boxers started aggressively. In the second round, Peter landed a powerful left hook. Williams was knocked out cold for several minutes. Peter won the WBC-NABF heavyweight title. This win was nominated for "Knockout of the Year" by ESPN.

On January 22, 2005, Peter faced Yanqui Díaz. Díaz was a promising boxer. Peter knocked Díaz down five times in the fight. Díaz's corner stopped the fight in the fifth round. Peter won the IBF-USBA heavyweight title. By April 2005, Peter was ranked high by major boxing organizations.

Peter then defeated Gilbert Martinez by knockout in the third round. By June, The Ring magazine ranked Peter as a top heavyweight. Many compared him to Mike Tyson because of his strength.

Peter vs. Sykes

On July 2, 2005, Peter fought Taurus Sykes. Sykes was a heavyweight champion. Sykes had accused Peter of avoiding him. Peter's manager said Peter never looked for an early knockout. But he was confident in his power. Peter also shared that the president of Nigeria supported his career.

In the second round, Peter hurt Sykes with a right hook. Peter then threw many punches, knocking Sykes down. Sykes could not get up, and Peter won. With this win, Peter held regional titles from three major boxing groups.

Peter vs. Wladimir Klitschko I

On September 24, 2005, Peter fought Wladimir Klitschko. This was a very important fight for the IBF title. Many thought Peter would win because he was undefeated. Wladimir's team was worried about the fight. But Wladimir wanted to fight Peter to prove himself.

Peter hurt Klitschko in the third and fifth rounds. He knocked Klitschko down twice in the fifth round. However, Peter was outboxed in the middle rounds. In the tenth round, Peter knocked Klitschko down again. In the end, Klitschko won by a unanimous decision. All judges scored the fight 114–111 for Klitschko.

Peter vs. Hawkins and Long

After losing to Klitschko, Peter fought Robert Hawkins on December 15, 2005. Peter knocked Hawkins down in the first round. Peter won the fight by unanimous decision. At the end of 2005, The Ring ranked Peter as the No.9 heavyweight in the world.

On April 28, 2006, Peter fought Julius Long. Long was 7'1" tall. Peter quickly knocked Long down in the first round. He then knocked him down again with a three-punch combination. The referee stopped the fight, and Peter won by knockout.

WBC World Heavyweight Title Journey

Peter vs. Toney I

Peter's promoter wanted him to fight James Toney. Toney was a famous boxer. The fight was set for September 2, 2006. The winner would get to challenge for the WBC title. Peter respected Toney, calling him a "great champion." Toney, however, often spoke badly about Peter.

Peter weighed 257 pounds for the fight, his heaviest ever. Toney weighed 233 pounds. Peter went forward from the start, hitting Toney's body. Toney tried to counterpunch. Peter hurt Toney in the third round. In the ninth round, Peter lost a point for hitting Toney in the back of the head. Peter won the fight by a split decision. This meant some judges thought Toney won. Many boxing fans disagreed with the decision.

Peter vs. Toney II

Because of the disagreement, the WBC ordered a rematch. The rematch happened on January 6, 2007. Peter weighed 249 pounds, lighter than the first fight. Toney weighed 234 pounds.

Peter started the fight very fast. He knocked Toney down in the second round. Peter was the first person to knock Toney down since 1994. Peter stayed in control for most of the fight. Toney's eye began to swell. Peter won by unanimous decision. This time, most people agreed Peter was the clear winner. Peter earned $1.5 million for this fight. This win made Peter the official challenger for the WBC title.

Peter vs. McCline

While waiting for his title shot, Peter fought Jameel McCline on October 6, 2007. McCline was a late replacement for Oleg Maskaev, who was injured. Peter started the fight well. But McCline knocked Peter down three times in the second and third rounds. This was the first time Peter had been knocked down in his career.

Peter's corner told him to box smarter. Peter then started to control the fight. He kept McCline away with his jab. Peter won the last three rounds. He was declared the winner by unanimous decision. Peter said he fought with a broken left hand. He hid it from officials because he wanted to fight. People praised Peter for overcoming the knockdowns and winning.

WBC World Heavyweight Champion

Peter vs. Maskaev

As the interim champion, Peter was next in line for the WBC belt. The champion, Oleg Maskaev, had been out due to injury. Their fight finally happened on March 8, 2008, in Mexico. Peter won by knockout in the sixth round. Peter and Maskaev traded heavy punches from the start. Peter hurt Maskaev in the third round. In the sixth round, Peter landed a big right hand. Maskaev was hurt, and Peter continued to punch him. The referee stopped the fight. Peter became the WBC heavyweight champion.

Peter vs. Vitali Klitschko

After winning the title, Peter challenged Wladimir Klitschko. He wanted to unify the titles. But Wladimir suggested Peter fight his brother, Vitali, first. Vitali Klitschko had retired as WBC champion in 2005. He had the right to challenge for the title again. If Vitali won, both Klitschko brothers would be champions at the same time. If Peter won, he could then fight Wladimir for more titles. Peter agreed to fight Vitali. The fight was on October 11, 2008, in Berlin, Germany.

Vitali Klitschko had not fought in four years. But he looked sharp from the beginning. Peter tried to box, but Vitali controlled the center of the ring. Peter landed some hard punches in the second round, but they did not hurt Vitali. After four rounds, Peter's face was swelling. His corner told him to fight harder. In the seventh round, Vitali landed many punches on Peter. Peter seemed unable to follow his corner's advice. After the eighth round, Peter told his corner he did not want to continue. The referee stopped the fight, and Vitali Klitschko won. Peter lost his WBC heavyweight title.

Later Career and Comebacks

Defeat to Chambers and Return to Form

After losing his title, Peter fought Eddie Chambers on March 27, 2009. Chambers outboxed Peter for most of the fight. Chambers won by a majority decision.

Peter then had three wins against less experienced boxers. He knocked out Marcus McGee, Ronald Bellamy, and Gabe Brown.

He then fought Nagy Aguilera in an important fight. Peter weighed 237 pounds, his lightest in a long time. He knocked Aguilera down in the second round and won by knockout. Peter then wanted a rematch with Wladimir Klitschko.

Peter vs. Wladimir Klitschko II

On September 11, 2010, Peter fought Wladimir Klitschko again in Germany. This was for the IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles. Peter weighed 241 pounds, and Klitschko weighed 247 pounds. Both boxers promised knockouts. Peter started very aggressively. Klitschko landed hard punches in the second round. The fight became one-sided after four rounds. Peter's right eye started to close. He was tired and taking many punches. In the tenth round, Klitschko landed a powerful combination. Peter was knocked down, and the referee stopped the fight. Klitschko won by knockout. This loss ended Peter's time as a top-level boxer.

Peter vs. Helenius

After this loss, Peter fought Robert Helenius in Germany on April 2, 2011. Peter weighed 260 pounds, much heavier than his last fight. He did not have his usual trainers with him. Peter did well in the first half of the fight. But he became very tired. Helenius knocked Peter down in the ninth round. Peter could not get up, and Helenius won by knockout. Many people thought Peter should retire after this fight.

2014 Return and Later Fights

Peter returned to boxing on September 27, 2014. He weighed 271 pounds, his heaviest ever. He quickly knocked out Ron Aubrey in the first round.

He had several fights planned that were canceled. In 2016, at age 36, Peter returned again. He fought Juan Carlos Salas in Mexico and won in three rounds.

On December 3, 2016, Peter fought Kubrat Pulev in Bulgaria. Peter was aggressive but struggled with Pulev's punches. Peter dislocated his right shoulder in the third round. He had to stop the fight, and Pulev won.

Peter fought again on February 22, 2019, in Mexico. He knocked out Gerardo Escobar in just 44 seconds. On April 13, 2019, Peter fought Mario Heredia. Peter knocked Heredia down in the third round. But Heredia continued to fight. Peter lost the fight by a split decision.

Personal Life

Samuel Peter is a devoted Christian. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. Peter is also the nephew of a famous Nigerian professional wrestler, Great Power Uti.

Professional Boxing Record

Professional record summary
47 fights	38 wins	9 losses
By knockout	31	6
By decision	7	3

No.	Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round, time	Date	Location	Notes
47	Loss	38–9	Arslanbek Makhmudov	TKO	1 (10), 2:23	Dec 7, 2019	Bell Centre, Montreal, Canada	For WBC-NABF heavyweight title
46	Loss	38–8	Hughie Fury	TKO	7 (12), 2:07	Jul 12, 2019	King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
45	Win	38–7	Alejandro Garduno	KO	1 (10), 2:32	Apr 27, 2019	Cheers Bar & Grill, Tijuana, Mexico
44	Loss	38–8	Mario Heredia	SD	8	Apr 13, 2019	Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, US
43	Win	37–6	Gerardo Escobar	KO	1 (10), 0:44	Feb 22, 2019	Cheers Bar & Grill, Tijuana, Mexico
42	Loss	36–6	Kubrat Pulev	RTD	3 (12), 3:00	Dec 3, 2016	Arena Armeec, Sofia, Bulgaria	For vacant WBA Inter-Continental heavyweight title
41	Win	36–5	Juan Carlos Salas	RTD	3 (4), 3:00	Oct 23, 2016	As Boxing Arena, Tijuana, Mexico
40	Win	35–5	Ron Aubrey	TKO	1 (8), 2:34	Sep 27, 2014	OKC Downtown Airpark, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, US
39	Loss	34–5	Robert Helenius	KO	9 (12), 1:50	Apr 2, 2011	Gerry Weber Stadium, Halle, Germany	For WBO Inter-Continental, and vacant WBA Inter-Continental heavyweight titles
38	Loss	34–4	Wladimir Klitschko	KO	10 (12), 1:22	Sep 11, 2010	Commerzbank-Arena, Frankfurt, Germany	For IBF, WBO, IBO, and The Ring heavyweight titles
37	Win	34–3	Nagy Aguilera	TKO	2 (12), 2:24	Mar 12, 2010	Gaylord Texan Resort Hotel & Convention Center, Grapevine, Texas, US
36	Win	33–3	Gabe Brown	TKO	4 (8), 2:58	Dec 19, 2009	Beeghly Center, Youngstown, Ohio, US
35	Win	32–3	Ronald Bellamy	TKO	2 (8), 1:36	Sep 15, 2009	Plaza de Toros, Cancún, Mexico
34	Win	31–3	Marcus McGee	KO	3 (8)	Jul 25, 2009	Palenque del Recinto Ferial, Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico
33	Loss	30–3	Eddie Chambers	MD	10	Mar 27, 2009	Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, Los Angeles, California, US
32	Loss	30–2	Vitali Klitschko	RTD	8 (12), 3:00	Oct 11, 2008	O2 World Arena, Berlin, Germany	Lost WBC heavyweight title
31	Win	30–1	Oleg Maskaev	TKO	6 (12), 2:56	Mar 8, 2008	Plaza de Toros, Cancún, Mexico	Won WBC heavyweight title
30	Win	29–1	Jameel McCline	UD	12	Oct 6, 2007	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, US	Won vacant WBC interim heavyweight title
29	Win	28–1	James Toney	UD	12	Jan 6, 2007	Hard Rock Live, Hollywood, Florida, US	Retained WBC-NABF heavyweight title
28	Win	27–1	James Toney	SD	12	Sep 2, 2006	Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, US	Retained NABF heavyweight title; Won IBA heavyweight title
27	Win	26–1	Julius Long	KO	1 (12), 2:35	Apr 28, 2006	Mohegan Sun Arena, Montville, Connecticut, US	Won vacant WBC-NABF heavyweight title
26	Win	25–1	Robert Hawkins	UD	10	Dec 15, 2005	Hard Rock Live, Hollywood, Florida, US	Won vacant WBA–NABA heavyweight title
25	Loss	24–1	Wladimir Klitschko	UD	12	Sep 24, 2005	Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, US	Lost WBC-NABF heavyweight title; For vacant WBO–NABO heavyweight title
24	Win	24–0	Taurus Sykes	KO	2 (12), 2:07	Jul 2, 2005	Events Center, Reno, Nevada, US	Retained WBC-NABF, and IBF-USBA heavyweight titles; Won WBA–NABA heavyweight title
23	Win	23–0	Gilbert Martinez	TKO	3 (10), 2:05	Apr 29, 2005	Union Plaza Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, US
22	Win	22–0	Yanqui Díaz	TKO	5 (12), 0:54	Jan 22, 2005	American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida, US	Won vacant IBF-USBA heavyweight title
21	Win	21–0	Jeremy Williams	KO	2 (12), 0:27	Dec 4, 2004	Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada, US	Won vacant WBC-NABF heavyweight title
20	Win	20–0	Jovo Pudar	UD	10	Aug 5, 2004	Hard Rock Live, Hollywood, Florida, US
19	Win	19–0	Charles Shufford	UD	10	May 17, 2004	Bally's Las Vegas, Paradise, Nevada, US
18	Win	18–0	Jose Arimatea Da Silva	TKO	2 (8), 2:20	Mar 6, 2004	Foxwoods Resort Casino, Ledyard, Connecticut, US
17	Win	17–0	Chris Isaac	TKO	7 (8), 0:29	Jan 22, 2004	Glendale Arena, Glendale, Arizona, US
16	Win	16–0	Jason Farley	TKO	2 (10)	Sep 27, 2003	HSBC Arena, Buffalo, New York, US
15	Win	15–0	Daniel Frank	KO	2 (8)	Aug 30, 2003	Sam's Town Hotel and Gambling Hall, Tunica, Mississippi, US
14	Win	14–0	Lyle McDowell	TKO	4 (6), 2:12	Jun 21, 2003	Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, US
13	Win	13–0	Dale Crowe	TKO	4 (10), 1:08	Mar 7, 2003	City Center Pavilion, Reno, Nevada, US	Won vacant WBC Youth heavyweight title
12	Win	12–0	Cornelius Ellis	TKO	2 (4), 0:32	Jul 24, 2002	Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada, US
11	Win	11–0	Francis Royal	TKO	2 (6), 2:24	Jun 7, 2002	Rawhide Arena, Scottsdale, Arizona, US
10	Win	10–0	Terry Porter	KO	2 (4), 2:54	May 24, 2002	Brady Theater, Tulsa, Oklahoma, US
9	Win	9–0	Julius Joiner	RTD	1 (4)	Mar 22, 2002	Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix, Arizona, US
8	Win	8–0	Marion Wilson	UD	4	Mar 3, 2002	Catholic Youth Center, Scranton, Pennsylvania, US
7	Win	7–0	Curtis Taylor	KO	1 (4)	Nov 10, 2001	Fernwood Resort, Bushkill, Pennsylvania, US
6	Win	6–0	Giles Knox	TKO	1 (4), 1:58	Sep 28, 2001	Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada, US
5	Win	5–0	Freddy Gatica	TKO	1 (4), 1:30	Aug 25, 2001	Flamingo, Laughlin, Nevada, US
4	Win	4–0	Shannon Head	TKO	1 (4)	Jul 28, 2001	Exhibition Hall, Fort Myers, Florida, US
3	Win	3–0	George Chamberlain	TKO	1 (4)	May 25, 2001	Estadio Carlos Dittborn, Arica, Chile
2	Win	2–0	James Lester	TKO	3 (4)	May 10, 2001	Biltmore Hotel, Phoenix, Arizona, US
1	Win	1–0	Georgi Hristov	KO	1 (4), 1:30	Feb 6, 2001	Baluan Sholak Sports Palace, Almaty, Kazakhstan

Television Viewership

Germany

Date	Fight	Viewership (avg.)	Network
October 11, 2008	Samuel Peter vs. Vitali Klitschko	9,670,000	RTL Television
June 8, 2010	Wladimir Klitschko vs. Samuel Peter II	9,700,000	RTL Television
April 2, 2011	Samuel Peter vs. Robert Helenius	2,550,000	Das Erste
	Total viewership	21,920,000

Nigeria

Date	Fight	Viewership (min.)	Network	Source(s)
March 8, 2008	Oleg Maskaev vs. Samuel Peter	30,000,000	N/A
	Total viewership	30,000,000

United States

Date	Fight	Viewership (avg.)	Network
September 24, 2005	Samuel Peter vs. Wladimir Klitschko I	2,036,000	HBO
March 8, 2008	Oleg Maskaev vs. Samuel Peter	1,236,000	HBO
	Total viewership	3,272,000