Phyna floors Blessing, Efe knocks out Darlington in Lagos bo - Punch Newspapers
Reality TV star, Josephina Otabor, aka Phyna, and skit maker, Carter Efe, emerged victorious in their respective celebrity boxing bouts at Balmoral Promotions’ Chaos in the Ring event, while Ghana’s Seth “Freezy Macbones” Gyimah dethroned Nigeria’s Godday “Zodsolo” Appah in the main event. The event, held at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, on October 1, 2026, featured professional boxing and celebrity contests. Phyna defeated actress, Blessing, in a four-round contest, while Efe stopped artiste, Speed Darlington, by technical knockout. In the main event, Gyimah defeated Appah by unanimous decision to win the WBO African Light Heavyweight Continental Championship. Staged by Ezekiel Adamu’s Balmoral Group Promotions, the event was part of the Chaos in the Ring series, which combines professional boxing with celebrity bouts. For Phyna and Blessing, the contest brought an end to weeks of online exchanges that began with a disagreement over a proposed collaboration. The dispute became public on September 17 when Blessing criticised Phyna in an Instagram video, accusing the reality star of repeatedly engaging in online disputes and questioning her conduct. Phyna responded by releasing screenshots of their earlier conversations and accusing the actress of attacking her for declining to feature in her film.See more Punch stories on Google.Add Punch on Google The following day, Balmoral Promotions announced their proposed boxing bout, turning the disagreement into one of the most anticipated celebrity contests on the card. The pair later confronted each other at Pretty Mike’s All White Party and clashed during an appearance on The Morayo Show. Tensions escalated at their September 29 press conference and face-off in Victoria Island, where they exchanged words before becoming involved in a physical confrontation that was broken up by security personnel. Phyna reveals tactics behind Nkechi Blessing knockout Soyinka taught me never to be late — RMD Joshua, Fury to earn record-high career paydays Ahead of the fight, Phyna predicted that she would stop Blessing in the second round. However, the bout went the scheduled four rounds before Phyna secured victory in the final round. Speaking after the fight, Phyna said she had deliberately conserved her energy and allowed her opponent to tire before making her move. She also challenged actress, Etinosa Idemudia, to a bout, and the latter accepted. Phyna received N50m for the victory and indicated that she intends to pursue professional boxing, suggesting that the bout could mark the beginning of a longer journey in the sport. In the second celebrity bout, Efe dominated Darlington throughout their four-round contest before the referee stopped the fight after the musician stopped moving, handing Efe a technical knockout victory. The victory extended Efe’s unbeaten run in the Chaos in the Ring celebrity boxing series. Efe had previously defeated singer Habeeb “Portable” Badmus in a celebrity boxing contest on May 1, 2026, at the same venue. He won the three-round contest by unanimous decision after all three judges scored it 30-27 in his favour. While the celebrity bouts provided the entertainment and spectacle, the night’s main event delivered a championship change. Rather than dwell solely on his victory, Gyimah, who once worked as a chef in the United Kingdom before making his mark in boxing, used his post-fight remarks to encourage young Africans to remain committed to their dreams. “No drugs, no women, no cigarettes, no bad friends. Stay focused. Listen, it may take a long time, but never give up. I was a kitchen porter, and now I’m a WBO Africa champion. Everything is possible. Keep working.” Singer, Waje, performed the national anthem before the main event. Naomi Chima Naomi Chima is an entertainment and lifestyle correspondent at Punch Newspapers with over three years of experience. She covers Nigerian entertainment, culture, and social events, conducts personality interviews, and contributes to features across desks. Her work demonstrates hands-on newsroom experience, editorial judgment, and a commitment to engaging, accurate, and audience-focused journalism.
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