BBNaija star Phyna knocked out actress Nkechi Blessing in the fourth round of their celebrity boxing bout at Balmoral Hall, Federal Palace Resort, Lagos. The fight ended in the early hours of Friday, 2 October.
The bout was the women’s contest at “Chaos in the Ring,” an Independence Day card that Balmoral Promotions staged on Thursday, 1 October.
Phyna, the smaller and slimmer fighter, used her speed from the first bell. She moved around the ring and landed sharp punches. Blessing pressed forward in round two, and both fighters traded punches. Neither took control in round three.
In round four, the two exchanged punches again. Phyna landed a punch that put Blessing flat on the canvas. Blessing did not beat the referee’s count, and the fight ended.
Organizers gave Phyna the championship belt, and one of the promoters gave her a new car. Guardian Life also reported a ceremonial cheque for ₦50 million.
Phyna said the knockout was her plan. She told PM News she wanted to “gas out” Blessing before going for the finish. She revealed that she planned to play with Blessing for the first three rounds and fight seriously in the fourth.
She then challenged actress Etinosa Idemudia to a fight, to which Etinosa came on stage and accepted.
At 4:20 am on 2 October, Phyna posted on X: “Today marks the anniversary of the day I won BBN, and now, years later, I’m celebrating another historic victory, becoming the first female boxer to step into this ring and win this fight.” She thanked Balmoral Promotions and Bet9ja for the opportunity.
Blessing went on Instagram Live and said she fell on purpose to recreate a scene from DJ Tunez’s “OgbaFia Dey for Ground,” and that Phyna used a charm on her, and that she wants a rematch.
Many fans have congratulated Phyna. One wrote: “If we Dey talk BBN winner with longevity, we can never ignore Phyna.”
Others doubted the fight was serious, stating that they should join MMA instead. Some of Blessing Nkechi’s fans on X believe the fight was staged.
The event also had other fights. Carter Efe beat Speed Darlington over four rounds in the men’s bout and kept his celebrity boxing title. He called for an international opponent. “I want to fight DDG, Mayweather,” he said. He also said he did not train for the fight.
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At the Tuesday press conference, Speed Darlington kicked a birthday cake presented to Carter Efe. Firecrackers from Efe’s entourage started a small fire, and staff put it out with extinguishers. Phyna and Blessing also exchanged words, and organizers separated them.
Balmoral Promotions chief executive Dr Ezekiel Adamu described the women’s bout as the event’s first female celebrity fight. “I think it has become personal,” he said of the rivalry.
