Chaos as Carter Efe, Speed Darlington face-off ahead clash - Punch Newspapers

The official press conference for Chaos in the Ring’s Independence Day card degenerated into chaos on Tuesday at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Sheraton, Ikeja, Lagos, as skit maker Carter Efe and rapper Speed Darlington traded threats ahead of their October 1 clash, while a birthday cake presentation for Efe ended with Speed Darlington kicking it to the ground. The face-off, which also featured fiery exchanges between Phyna and Nkechi Blessing, further descended into disorder when firecrackers set off by Efe’s entourage sparked a brief fire, which was quickly doused with extinguishers. Efe opened the confrontation by questioning Speed Darlington’s decision to step into the ring with him after his win over Habeeb “Portable” Badmus in May. “Speed Darlington, are you insane? You want to fight me when you could not beat Portable. You should not be in the ring with me at all, and that is why I will beat you,” he said. He also referenced past comments about Wizkid, insisting they were not meant to cause offence. “Some people think me calling out Wizkid is disrespectful too, but it is not. It is entertainment. It is not disrespectful. I do not know why people think that. It is a sport, and we will entertain fans and make money,” Efe added.See more Punch stories on Google.Add Punch on Google Speed Darlington did not back down from his rival’s threats and turned his attention to Efe’s belt, won against Portable, saying, “Be careful with that belt. Your belt is mine. Do not scratch it now.” Elsewhere at the face-off, actress Nkechi Blessing issued a stern warning to her opponent, Phyna, ahead of their bout. “I will beat you. You won’t do it again. This disrespect is too much. I am three million per cent prepared for the fight. My body is ready. “I would have liked to start the fight here now. No one in her family can stop her from getting the beating. October 1st, come watch and see,” Nkechi Blessing said. Fury enrols for drug testing ahead Joshua fight Boxing legend Mercer hits Lagos for ‘The Street Rumble’ Season 2 White joins Fury to cast doubts on Joshua fight Phyna responded in a similarly combative fashion. “I go break your head. We will see in the ring. I go make you faint. Any small thing, respect, respect. I go disrespect you for ring. If you stand up after second round, change my name,” she said in pidgin. Founder of Chaos in the Ring and Balmoral Group Promotions, Dr Ezekiel Adamu, described the rivalry between Phyna and Nkechi Blessing as having taken a genuinely personal turn. “I think it has become personal. It was personal before. I think it has become really personal now. We saw Carter and Speedy as well. It is going to be very crazy chaos. We saw Freezy and Godday as well. I mean, there is a lot of war over the night. Another edition of chaos at the press conference. Can’t wait,” Adamu said. He said the level of drama on display had not been anticipated by organisers. “I think it is going to be a war. I think Nkechi is really pissed. She cannot wait to get her hands on Phyna now, and I think Speedy as well, too, based on the stunt that Carter just pulled. I think it is going to be a proper war,” he said. The October 1 event will be headlined by Godday Appah’s defence of his WBO African Light Heavyweight Continental Championship against Ghana’s Seth “Freezy Macbones” Gyimah, with Efe facing Speed Darlington and Phyna facing Nkechi Blessing on the undercard. Efe enters the bout off the back of a unanimous decision win over Portable at the same venue in May, a victory that earned him a promised ₦50m reward from businessman Emeka “E-Money” Okonkwo. The event will be broadcast live on SuperSport and DAZN, with the card powered by Bet9ja. Peter Akinbo Peter, who has been covering sports for PUNCH for close to two years, focuses on combat sports reporting, special features and human angle stories

All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.

Stay informed and ahead of the curve! Follow The Punch Newspaper on WhatsApp for real-time updates, breaking news, and exclusive content. Don't miss a headline – join now!

Stay in the know—fast. Get instant alerts, breaking headlines, and exclusive stories with the Punch News App. Download now and never miss a beat.