On Friday night, controversial singer Habeeb ‘Portable’ Okikiola defeated his rival, singer Darlington ‘Speed Darlington’ Okoye, in a highly anticipated celebrity boxing match.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the bout, tagged ‘Chaos in the Ring’, stemmed from an online feud between the singers.
The feud began when Speed Darlington offered Portable N500,000 to perform at his show. Portable declined and publicly mocked the offer, labelling Speed Darlington a ‘poor being.’
The bout took place at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, where both artistes displayed their boxing skills to the delight of fans.
In a viral video, the two entertainers are seen trading punches during the opening round, showcasing impressive footwork and determination.
However, the 31-year-old Portable knocked out (TKO) Speed Darlington, who failed to rise for round two.
TKO occurs when the referee stops the fight because one fighter cannot continue. This can happen for several reasons, such as injury or the referee’s decision.
The referee declared Portable the winner after the ‘In Love with My Hand’ crooner couldn’t get up after the first round.
Portable retained his self-proclaimed ‘King of the Streets’ title after defeating Speed Darlington.
Towel throwing
Speed Darlington threw in the towel after just the first round of the match.
Throwing in the towel is when a fighter’s corner, typically the coach or trainer, throws a towel into the ring to signal that their boxer should no longer continue the fight.
The video captured him being escorted out of the arena with his hand visibly bandaged and reportedly broken.
Meanwhile, before the match, a video showed both singers boasting about their abilities and confidence in winning.
In the clip by Tunde Ednut, Portable described himself as a lion while dismissively referring to Speed Darlington as a mosquito.
Appearing aggressive and eager to engage in a physical confrontation, Portable was restrained by some of the organisers to prevent him from attacking Speed Darlington.
He boasted that he would kill Speed Darlington once the match began, while Speed Darlington claimed he would kill Portable, bury him in a coffin, and take his championship belt.
He stated there was no need for excessive talk and challenged Portable to prove his worth once the fight commenced.
Following his defeat, Speed Darlington appreciated the boxing promoter in a video posted on his Instagram page on Saturday.
He wrote: “Last night, I was going in. God bless the boxing promoter for this opportunity. I truly enjoyed it, Dr. Adamu. Thank you. This is my first time, his second time, and I’m very proud of myself.”
In another video he posted, he didn’t show the hand that was bandaged while he was leaving the ring.
Background
This is not the first time the ‘Spider-Man’ crooner defeated a fellow celebrity in a boxing match.
This newspaper gathered that in December 2023, Portable defeated Mr Okocha in a bout sanctioned by Heritage Boxing Entertainment.
The match, which took place at Landmark Beach, Victoria Island, Lagos State, lasted approximately 40 minutes.
Similar to the situation with Speed Darlington, the boxing match between Mr Okocha and Portable stemmed from a financial dispute.
Portable accused Okocha of embezzling N20 million, alleging that the actor short-changed him in a joint deal and remitted only a fraction of the agreed amount.
Following the disagreement, they engaged in a heated exchange on social media, eventually settling their differences in the boxing ring.
Reactions
Portable’s victory over Speed Darlington caused a buzz on social media.
Some netizens attributed the outcome to voodoo, while others argued that if the singer could defeat actor Charles Okocha, he would probably beat Speed Darlington.
Below are some of the comments.
“I don’t know what exactly happened, maybe it was the juju that Portable brought. I wasn’t tired, but my hand got dislocated.”
-Speed Darlington addresses fans, over his defeat to Portable last night. pic.twitter.com/iDISfQqGKF
— CHUKS (@ChuksEricE) April 19, 2025
i am so happy portable did this to speed darlington. even the commentator begged on his behalf. pic.twitter.com/XqdB3SpOpd
— benny. (@BENNY7GG) April 19, 2025
Person wey dem Dey tell to warm up before the match for en IG live en say no…say e go make am dey tired say wetin en need na cold beer
Now dem don break the hand
— Chuks-7G (@chuks_7g) April 19, 2025
I like as Portable and Speed Darlington use real fight settle their internet beef pic.twitter.com/4utTtPuMPt
— Provii (@provii8) April 19, 2025
Portable beat Akpi sotey baba first sit down dey think about his life. Speed Darlington this shall pass pic.twitter.com/VXhNZg7W0I
— Derayo (@derayobaby) April 19, 2025
Later they’ll say Yoruba people only have mouth. See how Portable defeated speed Darlington last night pic.twitter.com/d8GdPe6cgJ
— Olori (@OloriOfOloris) April 19, 2025
If Speed Darlington cannot beat Portable, is it Burna Boy he’ll beat?? Burna go mend am wetin no good.
— Pharaoh (@MrMekzy_) April 19, 2025
Bruh, Portable nearly wan kpài Speed Darlington last night
— Peng (@Acedouglas01) April 19, 2025
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