Nigerian streamer Carter Efe emerged victorious over singer Portable in a celebrity boxing match dubbed. “Chaos in the Ring 4” at the Federal Palace Hotel in Lagos on Saturday morning.
All three judges scored the bout 30-27 in favor of Efe after a weird fight. That lasted three full rounds and less than half a minute in the fourth, but was still judged as having gone the distance.
The fight more than lived up to its billing. As chaos in the ring was preceded by chaos outside the ring. With police firing tear gas to disperse ticketless fans trying to access the venue. Prompting British boxer Joe Laws to pull out of his scheduled fight with Ghana’s Elvis Ahoorga.
But that was after the ongoing fight between Baseet Adebayo and Loren Japhet was paused temporarily. After both fighters and the referee began coughing and wheezing due to exposure to the tear gas.
The contest
Portable took to the ring with a bit of a reputation to protect. He had beaten actor Charles Okocha in December 2023 and singer Speed Darlington in April of last year. And was bullish going into this fight as well, assuring Efe that both opponents were bigger than him, yet he still won.
He brought that bravado into the opening round, attempting to gain an early foothold with trademark aggression. But he struggled to land meaningful shots, and his opponent largely contained the onslaught with composure and some opportune movement.
The second round continued in the same vein, but Efe began to hurt Portable with countering jabs to the face. Portable tried again and again to land a haymaker, but that only served to open him up to Efe’s jabs. At one point, an Efe punch sent Portable spinning, prompting laughter from the streamer.
The third round featured a lot of clinching, but both fighters spent most of it on the defensive. Tho portable gallantly tried to fight through damage being inflicted on him by Efe’s relative precision. In frankly astonishing scenes, the fighters kept hitting each other even after clinching.
The fourth round lasted only twenty seconds before the referee ended the fight, shortly after which the judges declared Efe the winner.
Efe had promised to knock Portable out with one punch as the pair exchanged words in the build-up to the fight, but it proved a bit more complicated and dramatic than that.
Portable rejects the result
“Tony Montana” hitmaker Portable took to Instagram Live after the fight and wasted no time rejecting the verdict. He claimed the judges and referee were biased against him and accused Efe of strangling him with “his long arms.”
He then demanded 200 million Naira for his part in the spectacle. “Just give me my money before I cause trouble,” he threatened, his customary bravado unbroken in defeat. He then asked Efe for a rematch, but Efe would not commit.
The victor was busy calling himself “Carter Mayweather”. After a fan likened him to former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, one wonders what the American great would think of Efe’s performance.
Lagos socialite E Money had promised the winner 50 million Naira. And doubled down on his pledge after the fight, calling himself a man of his word.
The bigger picture
The bout came about from a public online rivalry between the two entertainers that began last month.
It was promoted by the international platform DAZN as part of its push into the Nigerian market, in conjunction with the Balmoral Group and Amir Khan’s AK Promotions.
The Nigerian Boxing Board of Control’s sanctioning of the fight added to its credibility, as boxing authorities globally seek to attract new eyeballs by blending fighting with entertainment.
The 2020s, in particular, have witnessed the rise of celebrity fights, pioneered by YouTube influencers Jake and Logan Paul. Jake even fought Mike Tyson in November 2024.
Traditional fight fans are not exactly enthusiastic about the phenomenon, but there is no denying that it draws new audiences to the sport.
Similar fights have taken place in Uganda, pitting local artistes Rickman Manrick and Grenade against each other, as well as the former against Shakib Cham.
The most recent fight pitted Shakib against Barista Timo. It remains to be seen whether DAZN will venture into the East African market as well, but it would be unsurprising if it did.
