Chaos in the Ring: Balmoral Boss Ezekiel Adamu Opens Up on Portable Fight, Disappointment and Lessons Learnt
Balmoral Promotions boss Ezekiel Adamu has described the controversial Portable-Charles Okocha bout as a major learning experience, insisting the incident will shape how future celebrity boxing events are organised.
The highly anticipated clash between Nigerian singer Portable and actor Charles Okocha ended in controversy after Portable walked out of the ring, leaving spectators and stakeholders disappointed.
However, Adamu said he does not view the incident as a disappointment but as an opportunity to improve the promotion of boxing in Nigeria.
Speaking to sportsbeat.ng on the development, the Balmoral boss said he believes every event provides lessons that can help organisers improve their future programmes.
“I don’t believe in disappointment. I believe in learning, and I don’t believe in perfection,” Adamu said.
“I believe in momentum and I believe every event gets you to a certain level where you get better.”
According to him, the experience has taught Balmoral Promotions important lessons, particularly concerning the need to ensure fighters and spectators have a better experience at future events.
“I think we learned a lesson recently with the fight with Portable and Charles Okocha. I think that’s a huge lesson,” he added.
Adamu stressed that such an occurrence would be difficult to repeat, as promoters must ensure fighters understand their obligations before entering the ring.
“I don’t think we’ll be having that kind of fight where a fighter will just walk out of the ring, we have to tighten some loose ends of the contracts ” he said.
“We will definitely try to ask those guys and make sure that the fighters and spectators coming to the arena and those watching at home get the best experience.”
The Balmoral Promotions chief also explained the distinction between a promoter and a fighter’s manager, noting that promoters are primarily responsible for creating and staging fights while managers oversee the broader careers of boxers.
He said Balmoral operates within the relevant boxing regulations and works with managers who handle fighters’ careers, medicals and other welfare concerns.
Adamu further revealed his ambition to build stronger international relationships and create opportunities for Nigerian fighters to compete on major global boxing platforms.
He expressed confidence that Nigeria can produce more world champions through sustained investment, quality matchmaking and stronger partnerships.
For Adamu, the growth of boxing is also bigger than individual fights, as he believes sport can unite people, promote tourism, educate young people and contribute to national development.
He added that Balmoral’s journey is still at an early stage and expressed optimism about what the next three to five years could bring for Nigerian boxing.
