Big Brother Naija Season 7 winner Phyna has defeated Nollywood actress Nkechi Blessing by fourth-round stoppage in a highly anticipated celebrity boxing bout in Lagos.
The contest took place on October 1 at Balmoral Hall, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, as part of the Independence Day edition of Balmoral Promotions’ “Chaos in the Ring” series. The bout marked the first female celebrity boxing contest organised under the series.
Phyna, whose real name is Josephina Otabor, relied on speed and movement during the early stages of the scheduled four-round fight as Nkechi Blessing applied pressure and attempted to engage her at close range. Phyna maintained her strategy before delivering the decisive blow in the final round, sending the actress to the canvas. Blessing was unable to beat the referee’s count, bringing the contest to an end.
Following her victory, Phyna called out actress Etinosa Idemudia, who was watching from ringside. “I came in, and I kept my cool and did the thing. Now I would like to fight Etinosa,” Phyna said. Etinosa subsequently accepted the challenge.
The victory reportedly earned Phyna ₦50 million, along with a championship belt and a new car. She has also indicated an interest in exploring boxing beyond celebrity contests.
The result is significant because it places Phyna at the centre of Nigeria’s growing celebrity boxing scene while marking a milestone for female participation in the Balmoral series. The event also featured Carter Efe against Speed Darlington, while Ghanaian boxer Seth “Freezy Macbones” Gyimah defeated Nigeria’s Godday “Zodsolo” Appah in the professional main event.
Phyna and Nkechi Blessing had exchanged public criticisms in the weeks leading up to the fight, turning their disagreement into one of the event’s most closely followed match-ups.
