Nigerian street-pop sensation Portable has claimed victory once again, this time outside the music scene—by winning a fiery celebrity boxing match against fellow entertainer Speed Darlington. The much-anticipated fight took place in Lagos and ended in a dramatic second-round technical knockout (TKO) after Speed Darlington sustained a wrist injury and was unable to continue.
The bout marked the climax of a heated online feud that began when Speed Darlington reportedly offered Portable ₦500,000 for a performance—an offer that Portable publicly ridiculed. Their back-and-forth quickly gained attention on social media, prompting organizers to settle the score in the boxing ring.
Adding to the buzz, Grammy-winning Afrobeats star Burna Boy gifted Portable ₦20 million to celebrate the win. Portable shared the news on his Instagram story, writing: “20 million from @burnaboygram. If you wanna be like Odogwu, can you do like Odogwu? God bless your family.”
Burna Boy’s gesture came as no surprise, as he’s had previous run-ins with Speed Darlington. The move was widely seen as a subtle jab, reigniting tensions between the two. Speed Darlington, in response, accused Portable of using ‘juju’ (charm) to win and took fresh shots at Burna Boy, whom he mockingly refers to as Long Face.
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The drama is far from over. Speed Darlington alleged that Burna Boy constantly monitors his social media, writing: “Nobody watches you more than your enemy. Long Face sleeps on my page.”
Whether a rematch will happen remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Portable is becoming a force to reckon with, not just in music but in Nigeria’s growing celebrity boxing scene. With back-to-back wins and bold confidence, he’s proving that he can dominate both the stage and the ring.
