Nollywood actor Charles Okocha and street-pop singer Portable are set to return to the ring on Friday (today) for their highly 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 maintained was not fairly decided in Portable’s favour.
Following several face-offs and the final weigh-in earlier in the week, both fighters exchanged heated words ahead of the contest, with tensions rising between them.
“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.
The actor added that his training camp was not solely focused on the rematch, saying he had also been preparing for other fights.
“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, known for his flamboyant personality, also brought his trademark theatrics to the build-up, knocking over a table while taunting Okocha and repeating his claims of superiority.
“You that I have beaten before, I will break your bones. Fight is coming,” Portable said, insisting that he remained the better fighter and would prove his claim in the ring.
According to the organisers, the build-up to the event has generated more than two billion video views and 4.2 billion digital impressions across previous editions of the franchise, helping to increase the visibility of boxing in Nigeria.
The promoter of the event, Dr Ezekiel Adamu, described the rematch as “unfinished business” between the two entertainers. He said Okocha activated his rematch clause after believing he was denied a fair opportunity in their first bout, while Portable accepted the challenge.
The fight card will also feature an influencer bout between Mr Real and Idowest, who have been involved in a long-running dispute over ownership of the term “Legbègbe” on social media.
A professional bout between Yusuf Adeniji and Rilwan Lawal is also scheduled, with both fighters confident of victory. Adeniji, who said he had spent more than three months in camp, warned his opponent to expect a difficult contest, while Lawal dismissed the threat.
Adamu disclosed that EV Automobiles had provided two brand-new electric vehicles as prizes for the winners of the Portable-Okocha and Mr Real-Idowest bouts. Bet9ja is also listed as one of the headline sponsors alongside EV Automobiles.
Other professional bouts on the card include Shiloh Defreitas against Eric Quarms, Basit Adebayo against Said Chino, and Samuel Antwi against Suleiman Jafaru.
Adamu said the event was designed to go beyond boxing and promote Nigerian and African fighters on the global stage. He disclosed that Okocha had trained in London alongside rising heavyweight prospect Moses Itauma and world champion Daniel Dubois, both of Nigerian descent, as well 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.
He added that the fighters would walk to the ring alongside musicians, including Reminisce and Ice Prince, while fighters and crew would be dressed in native attire.
