David Kotey popularly known as “D K poison” was born on 7 December 1950 in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana
DK Poison started his amateur career in Accra. He is one of many boxers who made by Bukom, a suburb Accra popular when it comes to boxing.
David Kotey became a professional under his trainer Attuquaye Clottey.
On Sept 20, 1975, David Kotei (D. K. Poison) became the first Ghanaian Professional boxer to win a world title by beating Rubén Olivares in California, United States. achievements
Upon his first professional bout in Accra ,he crash his opponent over six rounds. He became the national featherweight champion that year. He fought once in Togo in the year 1967, all his subsequent fights through to 1971 were all in Ghana.
In 1972 however, he fought as much as seven times in Australia, winning five and losing two. He won the African featherweight title on 2 February 1974 when he knocked out Tahar Ben Hassen in the first round of a scheduled 15 round fight in Tunis, Tunisia.
Unfortunately he failed to regain either the world or commonwealth featherweight titles. His last professional bout was in 1989 when he lost an African lightweight title fight.
He fought 60 , won 49 Loss 8 and Drew 3
The government gave him a house at Teshie-Nungua, in honour of his achievements in boxing.
After Kotey won the World featherweight title in Accra in September 1975, one of Ghana’s leading highlife artists at the time, Senior Eddie Donkor released a song in Twi in his honour entitled “D. K. Poison Mo”.(Meaning Very work done).
According to reports in 1976, he loaned an amount of 45,000 dollars to the Government of Ghana, then Head of State Ignatius Kutu Acheampong.
The money was plan for the purchase of canned mackerel to decrease the harsh economic and food scarcity in the country was facing.
Recently,President Nana Akufo-Addo instructed the Finance Ministry to pay back the money to the former world boxing champion on compassionate grounds.