Nollywood actor, Charles Okocha and street-pop singer, Portable will face off in a celebrity boxing rematch on Friday at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island Lagos.
Their rematch, dubbed “Unfinished Business”, comes after Okocha’s previous bout with Portable was claimed to be unfairly judged in the latter’s favour.
The rivalry has intensified in the run-up to the fight with the pair exchanging words at a number of face-offs, including the final weigh-in earlier this week.
Tempers flared on both sides as both fighters traded fresh words ahead of the contest, after multiple face-offs, including the final weigh-in held this week.
“I’m gonna be going against Portable, and it’s gonna be chaos. Kill or be killed in that fight I promise. Not by noise and show. We are going to meet in the ring,” Okocha said.
He said he got into training camp not only because of Portable. “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,” he said.
Portable, who is prone to theatrics, lived up to his reputation at the events, knocking over a table as he taunted Okocha and repeated the boasts he made ahead of his previous bouts.
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“You whom I have beaten before, I will break your bones. “Fight is coming,” Portable said, claiming he was the better fighter and he would prove it again in the ring.
The build-up to the fight, according to the organisers, has generated over 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 fight is unfinished business between the pair, said the promoter of the event, Dr Ezekiel Adamu. He said Okocha had activated his rematch clause after feeling he was previously denied a fair platform and that Portable had accepted the challenge.
The card will also feature an influencer fight between Mr Real and Idowest who have been disputing the ownership of the term “Legbègbe” on social media for long. Adamu said there would also be a professional bout between Yusuf Adeniji and Rilwan Lawal.
Adeniji said he spent more than three months in the camp and warned Lawal to brace for a tough night, while Lawal dismissed the threat and said he would emerge victorious.
Adamu said EV Automobiles had donated two brand-new electric vehicles as prizes for the winners, one for the Portable-Okocha and Mr Real-Idowest fights, while Bet9ja has become one of the headline sponsors of the event along with EV Automobiles.
