Okocha, Portable set for chaos in the ring clash today

Nollywood actor Charles Okocha and street-pop singer Portable will step into the ring on Friday (today) for their much-anticipated rematch at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The bout, tagged “Unfinished Business,” is a rematch of their controversial first encounter, which Okocha has insisted was not fairly judged in Portable’s favour.

After multiple face-offs, including the final weigh-in held this week, both fighters traded fresh words ahead of the contest, with tempers flaring on both sides.

“I will be going against Portable, and it is going to be chaos. I promise, kill or be killed in that fight. It is not by noise and posturing. We will see in the ring,” Okocha said.

He added that he had gone into training camp not solely because of Portable, saying, “I do not need to train to meet Portable, but I went to train to prepare for some fights ahead of me as well because Portable is removable.”

Portable, known for his theatrics, lived up to his reputation at the events, knocking over a table as he taunted Okocha and repeated the boasts he had made ahead of his previous bouts.

“You that I have beaten before, I will break your bones. Fight is coming,” Portable said, insisting he remained the better fighter and would prove it once again inside the ring.

The build-up to the fight, according to the organisers, has generated more than two billion video views and 4.2 billion digital impressions across previous editions of the franchise, helping to raise the profile of Nigerian boxing.

The promoter of the event, Dr Ezekiel Adamu, described the fight as unfinished business between the pair, noting that Okocha had activated his rematch clause after feeling he was previously denied a fair platform and that Portable had accepted the challenge.

Adamu said the card would also feature an influencer bout between Mr Real and Idowest, who have long disputed ownership of the term “Legbègbe” on social media, as well as a professional clash between Yusuf Adeniji and Rilwan Lawal.

Adeniji, who said he had spent more than three months in camp, warned Lawal to prepare for a difficult night, while Lawal dismissed the threat and insisted he would emerge victorious.

Adamu said EV Automobiles had committed two brand-new electric vehicles as winners’ prizes, one each for the Portable-Okocha and Mr Real-Idowest bouts, while Bet9ja had joined as one of the event’s headline sponsors alongside EV Automobiles.

The card will also include professional bouts between Shiloh Defreitas and Eric Quarms, Basit Adebayo and Said Chino, and Samuel Antwi and Suleiman Jafaru.

Adamu said the promotion went beyond boxing, explaining that Okocha had trained in London with rising heavyweight prospect Moses Itauma and world champion Daniel Dubois, both of Nigerian descent, alongside fighters such as Anthony Joshua and Lawrence Okolie.

“What we are doing is proper global storytelling. We are building champions here in Nigeria and Africa that belong to Africa,” Adamu said, adding that fighters would walk to the ring alongside musicians, including Reminisce and Ice Prince, with all fighters and crew wearing native attire.