Celebrity Boxing: Phyna Floors Nkechi Blessing As Carter Efe Outclasses Speed Darlington
A fourth-round knockout made a reality television star the first woman to win a celebrity bout in Nigeria, while the reigning champion kept his title on an Independence Day card that settled several bitter feuds.
Two of the country’s most talked-about entertainers left the ring beaten in the early hours of Friday.
The skit maker Carter Efe outpointed the rapper Speed Darlington, and the reality television star Phyna knocked out the actress Nkechi Blessing at the Chaos in the Ring card, staged by Balmoral Promotions at Balmoral Hall in the Federal Palace Resort on Victoria Island. The event was part of Independence Day celebrations on Thursday, October 1, and ran past midnight. It was broadcast live on SuperSport and DAZN.
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Phyna, whose legal name is Ijeoma Josephina Otabor, floored Nkechi Blessing Sunday, known professionally as Nkechi Blessing, in the fourth and final round of their scheduled four-round contest, and Nkechi Blessing could not beat the referee’s count.
The result made Phyna the first winner of a female celebrity boxing match in Nigeria. She collected a car and a ceremonial cheque for 50 million naira (approximately $36,500), and she told the crowd she had played with her opponent through the first three rounds before getting serious in the fourth. Phyna also said she intends to pursue professional boxing.
Within minutes, Phyna had named her next target. She challenged the Nollywood actress Etinosa Idemudia, claiming Etinosa Idemudia had been crowding her direct messages, and Etinosa Idemudia came to the stage and accepted on the spot. Another celebrity bout now looks likely.
In the main celebrity attraction, Carter Efe, whose full name is Oderhohwo Joseph Efe, retained his celebrity title with a unanimous decision after four rounds against Speed Darlington, whose legal name is Darlington Okoye.
The announcer confirmed Efe as the winner and still champion. Efe, a streamer, said he had not trained for the fight and credited his partner, Taylor Jasmine, with pushing him through. He then reached well beyond Nigeria for his next opponent, naming the American rapper DDG, whose legal name is Darryl Dwayne Granberry Jr., and the former world champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. His unbeaten run in the series continues.
The pairing grew out of an earlier fight. Efe won the celebrity title on May 1 by beating the singer Habeeb Badmus, known as Portable, on all three scorecards, 30-27, ending Portable’s unbeaten record in the format. Darlington mocked Portable afterward and challenged Efe, even though Portable had stopped him in an earlier bout when Darlington could not continue into the second round.
Burna Boy, the Grammy-winning singer whose legal name is Ebunoluwa Ogulu, reportedly rewarded Portable with 20 million naira (approximately $14,600) after that win. Darlington has feuded with Burna Boy for some time, was arrested in November 2024 over accusations of cyberstalking him, and was released in January after about two months in custody.
Days before the fight, Darlington declared himself Burna Boy’s enemy for life. Efe said a remark Darlington made about Burna Boy was his main motive for wanting to beat him.
Tempers had already boiled over at Tuesday’s press conference at the Balmoral Convention Centre in Ikeja. Efe asked Darlington whether he had lost his mind to take him on after failing to beat Portable. Darlington answered by claiming Efe’s belt as his own, telling him, “Your belt is mine.”
He then kicked a birthday cake that had been presented to Efe onto the floor, and bouncers pulled the two men apart. Fireworks set off by Efe’s entourage briefly started a fire that security staff put out with extinguishers. Efe also defended his earlier call-outs of the singer Wizkid, whose legal name is Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, describing them as part of the show.
The women’s rivalry ran hotter and longer. Accounts of its origin differ in detail, but it reportedly began when Nkechi Blessing asked Phyna for her rate card about a possible film project, and Phyna replied late that evening. Nkechi Blessing later called Phyna a nuisance on Instagram, and Phyna answered by calling her a grandmother and an old woman.
The two then confronted each other during a taped appearance on The Morayo Show, hosted by Morayo Afolabi-Brown, where the argument reportedly turned physical before crew members stepped in. Both women eventually signed contracts to settle the matter in the ring.
At the press conference, eggs were thrown as officials kept them apart. Nkechi Blessing said she was fully prepared and promised to end the fight early. Phyna replied in Pidgin, “I go break your head.” Dr Ezekiel Adamu, the founder of Balmoral Promotions, said the feud had become “really personal.”
Nkechi Blessing broke her silence on Instagram after the loss. She described herself as a champion and suggested that anyone who watched the fight knew who she believed had really won.
The professional undercard produced its own change at the top. Seth Gyimah, also known as Freezy Macbones, of Ghana beat Nigeria’s Godday Appah (Zodsolo) on points over 10 rounds, taking the WBO African light heavyweight title and ending Godday “Zodsolo” Appah’s reign.
Michael Babalola (Killerboy) beat Lucky Oyibo by unanimous decision in a four-round super-welterweight bout, and Yusuf Adisa Adeniji beat Ghana’s David Tagoe by unanimous decision over eight rounds.
Israel Makinde knocked out Abiodun Muyideen in the first round, Basit Adebayo (Joker Boy) stopped Toheeb Kehinde in the sixth, and Muibi Lekan took a unanimous decision over Eworitse Ezra Arenyeka.
