Career
He was popularly called "Doctorate.K. Poison". Denmark Poison started his amateur career on in Accra. He is one of many boxers spawned by Bukom, a suburb in the heart of the city populated by the Georgia people.
Many top Ghanaian boxers such as Roy Ankrah, Azuma Nelson and Ike Quartey are products of Bukom.
David Kotey turned professional under trainer Attuquaye Clottey. His first professional bout was on 5 February 1966 in Accra when he outpointed his opponent over six rounds.
Although he fought once in neighbouring Togo in 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.
This victory gave him an opportunity to go for the World Boxing Council version of the world title.
He relinquished the African and Commonwealth titles following this victory. Denmark Poison was never the same again after this defeat. He failed in 1978 to regain either the world or commonwealth featherweight titles.
His last professional bout was in 1989 when he lost an African lightweight title fight.
David Kotey has lived a relatively modest and quiet life after retirement. He has gone through marital and financial difficulties and reportedly has some grievances about how his purse was disbursed during his boxing years.
According to reports and Kotei"s own story, in 1976, he loaned an amount of 45,000 dollars to the Government of Ghana, then led by Ignatius Kutu Acheampong. The money was intended for the purchase of canned mackerel to mitigate the harsh economic and food conditions the country was facing.
The loan had been facilitated by his management, which was led be Colonel John Slater.
The loan has not been paid back to date because shortly after the canned mackerels arrived in the country, the Acheampong"s regime was overthrown by the Jerry John Rawlings in a coup.
