Not everyone can redefine their legacy by going straight from the sports arena to the broadcasting table. Then again, not everyone is Chiney Ogwumike.
WNBA fans have known this personality for the better part of a decade now, ever since she was picked 1st overall in the 2014 WNBA Draft. From securing Rookie of the Year to 2x WNBA All-Star honors, it seemed that basketball was truly her calling. However, after joining ESPN in 2017, one could see that her opinions and views on the sport were more her niche. Her views impacted not just how people understood the sport, but also highlighted issues for players of the league, women’s basketball, and just Black women in general. In Ogwumike’s own words, “being able to have a mic, and a seat at the table to really shape conversation in an authentic way for my peers, literally for my sisters, that changed the game for me.”
Despite her strong presence on our television, not everyone would be much aware of the former WNBA star’s personal life. Therefore, without any further ado, let us do just that.
Who is Chiney Ogwumike’s husband, Raphael Akpejiori? What does he do for a living?
Chiney Ogwumike has been happily married to Nigerian professional boxer Raphael Akpejiori for almost a year and a half now.
Raphael Akpejiori was born back in October 1990, in Lagos, Nigeria. He was raised alongside his five other siblings, named Okhiaofe, Ilamosi, Eshemokha, Ideoghena, and Eboshogwe. Sports was in the family’s blood, as Raphael’s father, Pius, was a player for the New Nigeria Bank Football Club. Meanwhile, his mother, Clara, was a track and field sprinter competing for Edo State.
Believe it or not, but Raphael once played basketball as well. When he was 17 years old, he moved from Nigeria to Wichita, Kansas, on a basketball scholarship. Raphael attended Sunrise Christian Academy, and 2 years after that, he was recruited by the University of Miami. According to his official profile on the University of Miami Athletics page and Sports Reference, Raphael played in 85 games throughout 4 seasons between 2010 and 2014. He averaged 1.1 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 0.1 assists, through 0.3-0.8 (42.4%) field goals, 0.0-0.0 (0.0%) 3-pointers, and 0.5-0.8 (61.2%) free throws.
When still in college, Raphael transitioned to American football in 2014. He was good enough to earn an invitation to the Miami Dolphins’ training camp in 2015. Boxing didn’t enter the athlete’s life until 2018. Raphael Akpejiori first embarked on an amateur career, during which he had 14 fights in a year. Later, he was told by former light heavyweight champion Glen Johnson that he would get more out of sparring pros than having amateur fights. Soon, Raphael was doing rounds with Filip Hrgovic and Bakhodir Jalolov.
Raphael Akpejiori adds another ruthless knockout win to his record after calling for a ‘dream’ fight against Tyson Fury https://t.co/IseRWe1UGm pic.twitter.com/AzdOAj8Bt4
— Box Fan Expo (@BoxFanExpo) July 12, 2021
The boxer made his professional debut on September 14th, 2018, after having signed with CES Boxing. He started off his career with a bang by scoring a first-round technical knockout (TKO) victory over Omar Acosta. By June 2024, he had won 17 of his 18 fights in his professional career, with 16 knockouts and 1 win by decision. The first loss of his career came when he was stopped by Arslenbak Makhmudov in July 2023. As highlighted by Boxing Scene, the loss taught Raphael that he needed to find another level again.
How long have Chiney Ogwumike and Raphael Akpejiori been married?
Chiney Ogwumike and Raphael Akpejiori first met on Hinge. According to ESSENCE, Chiney had to be persuaded to try the app. Bored on a flight home, she began searching for Christian men, 6’5″ and above, and her eyes landed on the boxer.
“I saw he was educated from the University of Miami, and I knew he was a Nigerian when I came up to one of his photos and he was holding a poster that said, ‘End SARS,’ part of the Nigerian protest that went global. And so, I was like, oh, he’s really Nigerian,” said Chiney in an interview with ESSENCE. “He looks dashing, strong, strapping, athlete, all of the above, and so I knew, I was like, oh, this is someone that is Nigerian, tall, educated. Match!”
The duo instantly bonded. They talked for more than six months before she invited him to be her date at a Burna Boy concert in Los Angeles, California.
Raphael proposed to Chiney in December 2022, after Christmas Eve mass. The couple eventually got married in November 2023. The wedding took place in Houston, Texas, and was a lavish Nigerian-Western-themed ceremony that spanned five days. This included a welcome party, followed by a traditional Nigerian wedding ceremony honoring Chiney’s Igbo and Raphael’s Edo cultures.
The event itself brought out 1,000 guests, along with Afrobeats star Adekunle Gold and former WNBA star Lisa Leslie. After that, there was a Burna Boy concert the next day, marking a full circle moment for the couple. Finally, a white wedding, or Western celebration, concluded the ceremony. The menu for the festivities included everything from traditional dishes like jollof rice, kola nuts, and egusi soup, to Texas barbeque, Italian meatballs, and egg rolls.
Bridal Bliss: WNBA Star Chiney Ogwumike Married Boxer Raphael Akpejiori With A Week’s Worth Of Celebrations In Houstonhttps://t.co/36nMc0uKfB
— ESSENCE (@Essence) December 18, 2023
Due to their hectic work schedules, the newlywed couple chose to skip their honeymoon. Instead, they took up a series of “mini-moons” until 2024, which Chiney said consisted of extended weekend trips to places including Bora Bora and Aruba. The highlights of the trips were shared by the couple on social media.
Do Chiney Ogwumike and Raphael Akpejiori have kids together?
According to reports, Chiney Ogwumike and Raphael Akpejiori currently do not have any children. The same has been confirmed by the absence of any updates on either of the athletes’ social media pages. It’s not easy to find that one person with whom you can create a new life together. Both Chiney Ogwumike and Raphael Akpejiori have been lucky in that regard. Now, with both continuing to make a mark in their respective fields, it remains to be seen what the future will have in store for them.
The post Is ESPN’s Chiney Ogwumike Married? All About Analyst’s Relationship Status appeared first on EssentiallySports.
