Nigerian street-pop star Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, dramatically walked away from his celebrity boxing rematch against actor Charles Okocha after a chaotic opening round in Lagos.
The highly anticipated bout, tagged “Unfinished Business,” headlined the Chaos in the Ring event at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Victoria Island, on Friday night.
What was expected to be a boxing contest quickly descended into chaos after Portable appeared to abandon conventional boxing tactics and turn the encounter into a wrestling-style confrontation.
During the opening round, Portable grabbed Okocha and took him down onto the canvas, prompting the referee to intervene and attempt to restore order.
However, the situation escalated further when Portable continued the confrontation even after the bell had sounded to signal the end of the round.
With tensions boiling over, members of both fighters’ corners entered the ring as officials struggled to separate the two entertainers.
Portable was eventually pulled away from Okocha but remained visibly agitated as he moved around the ring.
The controversial moment took another turn when Portable left the ring and stayed outside for several minutes, despite efforts to convince him to return and continue the contest.
His failure to return meant the rematch could not resume, leaving officials with little choice but to bring the contest to an end.
Okocha was subsequently declared the winner by technical knockout (TKO) after Portable abandoned the bout.
The bizarre ending brought an anticlimactic conclusion to a rivalry that had attracted significant attention in the build-up to the rematch.
Portable had defeated Okocha in their first celebrity boxing encounter in December 2023, claiming a unanimous-decision victory. Okocha subsequently activated his rematch clause, setting the stage for another showdown.
The rematch was promoted as an opportunity for Okocha to settle the score, with both entertainers exchanging verbal jabs and making bold predictions ahead of the fight.
Instead, the highly anticipated encounter ended in dramatic fashion after just one chaotic round.
Portable’s decision to leave the ring ultimately handed Okocha the victory and gave the actor his revenge in a rematch that will be remembered more for its controversy than its boxing.
