Popular streamer and skit maker Carter Efe has defeated rapper Speed Darlington in the men’s celebrity boxing contest at Chaos in the Ring in Lagos, while reality TV star Phyna knocked out actress Nkechi Blessing Sunday in the women’s bout to claim a ₦50 million prize and a car.
The celebrity boxing event was held at Balmoral Hall, Federal Palace Resort, Lagos, on Thursday, October 1, as part of Nigeria’s Independence Day celebrations. The fights continued into the early hours of Friday, October 2.
Carter Efe, whose real name is Oderhohwo Joseph Efe, retained his celebrity boxing title after defeating Speed Darlington, also known as Darlington Okoye, in a four-round contest.
Following his victory, the Twitch streamer called for an international opponent, specifically mentioning American rapper DDG and former world boxing champion Floyd Mayweather.
“I want an international opponent. I want to fight DDG, Mayweather,” Carter Efe said after being declared the winner.
The skit maker also credited his partner, Jasmine, for motivating him to win the fight, despite admitting that he had not trained for the encounter.
“My babe Jasmine gave me the motivation to win this fight cos I didn’t even train, all I was looking at was Jasmine’s face, and I won,” he said.
Phyna Knocks Out Nkechi Blessing, Wins ₦50 Million and a Car
In the highly anticipated women’s celebrity boxing contest, Big Brother Naija reality TV star Phyna defeated Nollywood actress Nkechi Blessing Sunday with a fourth-round knockout.
Phyna, whose real name is Josephina Otabor, knocked Nkechi Blessing to the canvas in the early hours of Friday, October 2, securing victory in the women’s bout.
Speaking after her win, Phyna disclosed that she had initially planned to play with her opponent during the first three rounds before becoming more serious in the fourth round.
Her victory earned her a car and a ceremonial cheque worth ₦50 million.
The reality TV star subsequently challenged actress Etinosa Idemudia to a celebrity boxing match, alleging that the actress had been sending her direct messages and expressing her desire to defeat her in the ring.
Etinosa later appeared on stage and accepted Phyna’s challenge, potentially setting the stage for another celebrity boxing contest.
Carter Efe, Speed Darlington Clash at Press Conference
The victories followed heated exchanges between the celebrities at the pre-event press conference held on Tuesday, where Carter Efe and Speed Darlington traded insults and threats ahead of their highly publicised fight.
Carter Efe questioned Speed Darlington’s decision to challenge him, referencing the rapper’s previous defeat to singer Portable.
“Speed Darlington, are you insane? You want to fight me when you could not beat Portable. You should not be in the ring with me at all, and that is why I will beat you,” Efe said.
The streamer also defended his controversial comments about Nigerian music star Wizkid, insisting that his call-outs were part of the entertainment surrounding celebrity boxing rather than an act of disrespect.
“Some people think me calling out Wizkid is disrespectful too, but it is not. It is entertainment. It is not disrespectful. I do not know why people think that. It is a sport, and we will entertain fans and make money,” he stated.
Speed Darlington, however, maintained that the championship belt Carter Efe had won after defeating Portable belonged to him.
“Be careful with that belt. Your belt is mine. Do not scratch it now,” Speed Darlington responded.
The confrontation escalated when Speed Darlington kicked a birthday cake presented to Carter Efe to the ground. Security personnel and bouncers intervened to separate the celebrities as tensions threatened to turn into a physical altercation.
Phyna and Nkechi Blessing Exchange Words
The rivalry between Phyna and Nkechi Blessing also intensified during the pre-event press conference, with both celebrities exchanging verbal attacks ahead of their highly anticipated bout.
The confrontation added to the publicity surrounding the women’s contest, which was promoted as the first female celebrity boxing bout organised by Balmoral Promotions.
The press conference also witnessed a brief fire after firecrackers set off by Carter Efe’s entourage ignited a blaze. The fire was quickly put out using fire extinguishers.
Balmoral Promotions Speaks on Celebrity Boxing Event
Speaking ahead of the Independence Day boxing event, Balmoral Promotions Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ezekiel Adamu, expressed confidence in the organisers’ preparations, confirming that the fighters and relevant sanctioning bodies were ready.
“All the fighters are around, the sanctioning bodies are around, the zone is around, and we’re ready to rumble,” Adamu said.
He described the Phyna and Nkechi Blessing contest as the event’s first female celebrity boxing bout, noting that it had attracted significant public attention.
“For the first time, we have a female celebrity bout, which I think has gone very viral. Many people are looking forward to that. There’s still Carter Efe and Speed Darlington,” he said.
Adamu further disclosed that the rivalry between Phyna and Nkechi Blessing had become increasingly personal, adding that several other matchups on the card had generated considerable excitement.
“I think it has become personal. It was personal before. I think it has become really personal now. We saw Carter and Speedy as well. It is going to be very crazy chaos,” he said.
The event, which formed part of Nigeria’s Independence Day celebrations, brought together entertainment personalities, boxing enthusiasts and fans for a night of celebrity rivalries and sporting entertainment.
With Carter Efe retaining his title and Phyna securing a knockout victory, attention has now shifted to the potential international matchup involving Carter Efe and the proposed future contest between Phyna and Etinosa Idemudia.