Adam Olaniyan is yet to make his professional debut, but the 20-year-old Irish heavyweight has already been tipped for greatness. He will make his first walk to a professional ring at the 3Arena in Dublin on Saturday night, just minutes from where he grew up. Olaniyan, who won gold at the World Youth Championships in 2024 and multiple European amateur honours, is widely regarded as a future world champion.
Boxing runs in the family; his older brother Josh is also a fighter. The pair started boxing after their mother grew tired of their play fighting and took them to a gym. Olaniyan has since signed with Frank Warren's Queensberry Promotions and is entering the heavyweight division at a time when stars like Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder are nearing retirement.
Olaniyan is excited about the division's future. 'It's almost as if the 90s Golden Era of the heavyweight division could be making a reincarnation,' he told Mirror Fighting. 'I'm buzzing for it. It's going to be electric and there's so many big names out there.'
Comparisons have been drawn between Olaniyan and fellow young heavyweight Moses Itauma, who fights Jermaine Franklin later this month. While Olaniyan welcomes the talk of a future rivalry, he insists it is too early. 'God willing, it's going to be a really big fight in the future, no doubt. But right now, I'm doing my apprenticeship, I'm learning, I'm still getting used to the pro style of boxing. So right now, that fight is a good while off for me.'
