Nollywood actor Charles Okocha and street-pop singer Portable are set to square off in a celebrity boxing rematch on Friday at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The contest, tagged “Unfinished Business,” follows their earlier bout which Okocha claimed was unfairly decided in Portable’s favour.
The rivalry has intensified in the build-up to the fight with the pair exchanging words during a number of face-offs, including the final weigh-in held 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. I promise you that in that fight you kill or get killed. Not by noise and posturing. 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.
Read Also: EU Unveils Plan for New Maritime Rescue Centre in Eastern Libya
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 made ahead of his previous bouts.
“You whom I have beaten before, I will break your bones. “Fight is coming,” Portable declared, maintaining he was the better fighter and he would again prove it inside 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.
Dr Ezekiel Adamu, the promoter of the event, said the fight was 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 will 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 claimed to have spent over three months in the camp, warned Lawal to prepare for a tough night, while Lawal dismissed the threat and said he would come out victorious.
Adamu said that EV Automobiles had donated two brand-new electric vehicles as prizes for the winners, one each for the Portable-Okocha and Mr Real-Idowest bouts, while Bet9ja joined EV Automobiles as one of the headline sponsors of the event.
