Carter Efe and Speed Darlington to clash in celebrity boxing bout

Carter Efe and Speed Darlington will settle their growing celebrity-boxing rivalry in Lagos on Oct. 1, when they meet at the Federal Palace Hotel for “Chaos in the Ring.”

Balmoral Promotions officially announced the bout on Instagram. The fight will take place on Nigeria’s Independence Day and will stream live on DAZN. It will be the first boxing meeting between Efe and Darlington, although both entertainers have already appeared in Nigeria’s expanding celebrity boxing circuit.

Efe enters the contest after defeating singer Habeeb “Portable” Badmus by unanimous decision in May. In the three-round fight, held at the same hotel’s Balmoral Hall, Efe used movement, uppercuts, body shots and cleaner combinations to contain Portable’s aggressive style. All three judges scored the bout 30-27 for Efe. Businessman Emeka “E-Money” Okonkwo later paid Efe a promised ₦50 million.

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IT’S OFFICIAL! CARTER VS SPEED. Two African stars. One ring. No excuses. On October 1, the ring decides who stands tall. Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos. Live on @daznboxing. This isn’t just a fight. It is CHAOS!

That victory ended Portable’s unbeaten run in celebrity boxing. Portable had previously defeated actor Charles Okocha and Speed Darlington. Darlington faced Portable in 2025 and lost by technical knockout after failing to continue into the second round. Their fight followed a public dispute after Darlington reportedly offered Portable ₦500,000 to perform at an event and Portable rejected the offer.

Darlington later blamed supernatural forces, saying “juju” or charms had played a role in his defeat. After Efe beat Portable, Darlington mocked the singer and challenged Efe, arguing that he represented a different test. The challenge has now become the next contest on the celebrity boxing calendar.

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juju