Habeeb ‘Portable’ Badmus and Carter Efe came within inches of settling their rivalry early when the two social media stars met face-to-face at a heated face-off in Ikeja, Lagos on Tuesday, with both men trading sharp words and needing to be separated by bouncers as over 50 fans gathered to witness the confrontation ahead of their May 1 celebrity boxing bout.
Portable, who arrived displaying spiritual charms (juju) to signal his confidence in the outcome, wasted no time making his intentions clear, drawing his thumb across his neck as he addressed his supporters directly.
“My fans, I will beat him, I will finish him,” he declared, his trademark energy drawing loud cheers from the crowd.
The Zazu singer, who has previously beaten both Charles Okocha and Speed Darlington in celebrity exhibition bouts, was so fired up that he attempted to start proceedings on the spot, forcing bouncers to intervene before things escalated beyond a war of words.
Carter Efe was equally combative, refusing to be intimidated and matching Portable’s aggression with his own brand of defiance.
“You, you this small thing. We will meet in the ring and I will beat you,” he fired back.
When the bouncers stepped in to hold him back, Efe pushed against them, shouting, “Leave me, let me give him a taste here, leave me.”
In a touch that captured the personalities on display, Efe arrived at the face-off dressed in white garments, armed with a Bible and anointing oil as his spiritual preparation, a direct contrast to Portable’s traditional charms, with both men making clear that their preparations extended well beyond the gym.
Balmoral Group Promotions CEO Ezekiel Adamu said the energy on display at the face-off was exactly what he had anticipated from two entertainers who had been circling each other for months.
“This is Africa’s moment. We’ve built this card to showcase our own talent, the warriors who have come through the ranks here in Africa. When you put two people like this in the same room, you already know what you’re getting on May 1. Lagos is going to erupt,” he said.
The bout, sanctioned by the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control, headlines the Chaos in the Ring 4 card at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, promoted by Balmoral Group Promotions in association with former world heavyweight champion Amir Khan’s AK Promotions, and will be broadcast live worldwide on DAZN.
The professional undercard is headlined by the WBO cruiserweight Peace Fight between Ezra Arenyeka (15-2, 12 KOs) and Godday Appah (14-2, 13 KOs), billed as a symbolic contest between the Itsekiri and Ijaw communities of the Niger Delta.
The card also features Ghana’s Elvis Ahorgah against Newcastle’s Joe Laws, British southpaw Michael McKinson against Algerian prospect Mohammad Sahnoun, teenage sensation Raheem Animashaun against Tanzanian veteran Emmanuel Amos, and several other professional bouts rounding out what promises to be a landmark night for boxing in Nigeria.
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