By TheDailyNewsHub News Desk | October 2, 2026
Reality television star and former Big Brother Naija winner, Josephina Otabor, popularly known as Phyna, has defeated Nollywood actress Nkechi Blessing Sunday by knockout in a celebrity boxing contest held in Lagos, marking a major milestone in the Balmoral Promotions’ celebrity boxing series.
Phyna stopped Nkechi Blessing in the fourth and final round of their scheduled four-round contest at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, during the Independence Day edition of the ‘Chaos in the Ring’ event on Thursday, October 1. The contest continued into the early hours of Friday, October 2.
The victory made Phyna the first winner of a female celebrity boxing bout under the ‘Chaos in the Ring’ series organised by Balmoral Promotions. It also gave the former reality TV champion another public milestone on a date that already holds personal significance for her.
In a post shared on October 2, Phyna reflected on the coincidence, noting that the date marks the anniversary of her victory in the seventh season of Big Brother Naija in 2022.
“October 2 will forever be a special date in my life. Today marks the anniversary of the day I won BBN, and now, years later, I’m celebrating another historic victory by becoming the first female boxer to step into this ring and win this fight,” she wrote.
She added that her transition from reality television to the boxing ring reflected her willingness to take on new challenges and demonstrate that her public identity extends beyond entertainment.
“From reality TV to the boxing ring, I’ve always been willing to challenge myself, break barriers and prove that there is so much more to Phyna than what people see,” she stated.
The former BBNaija winner also dedicated the achievement to women who have been discouraged from pursuing unfamiliar opportunities, thanking Balmoral Promotions and Bet9ja for providing the platform for the contest.
Reports from the event said Phyna received ₦50 million in prize money, a championship belt and a new car following her victory.
The contest followed weeks of public disagreements between the two entertainers. Their dispute reportedly began after discussions about a possible work collaboration deteriorated into exchanges on social media.
The disagreement became more public in September, with both women trading criticisms and responding to each other’s comments. Their rivalry later featured confrontations during public appearances, including the build-up to the boxing event.
At a press conference and face-off on September 29, the pair exchanged heated words and reportedly had to be separated by security personnel.
The fight offered a different setting for the dispute, with the two celebrities settling their rivalry through a scheduled sporting contest rather than continuing their public exchanges.
According to reports from the event, Phyna relied on movement and speed during the earlier rounds before securing the decisive blow in the final round. Nkechi Blessing went down after the punch and was unable to beat the referee’s count, bringing the contest to an end.
The women’s bout was one of the attractions at the Independence Day edition of ‘Chaos in the Ring’, which also featured other celebrity and professional boxing contests.
In another celebrity contest on the card, skit maker and streamer Carter Efe defeated singer Speed Darlington. Ghanaian boxer Seth ‘Freezy Macbones’ Gyimah also defeated Nigerian fighter Godday ‘Zodsolo’ Appah by unanimous decision in the main event to claim the WBO African Light Heavyweight Continental Championship.
Following her victory, Phyna turned her attention to another possible contest, calling out Nollywood actress Etinosa Idemudia, who was present at the venue. Etinosa accepted the challenge, although no date or formal details for a possible fight had been announced at the time of reporting.
Phyna’s victory adds another dimension to the growing crossover between entertainment and combat sports in Nigeria. Celebrity boxing events have increasingly provided entertainers with a platform to turn public rivalries into organised contests, attracting audiences beyond traditional boxing fans.
For Phyna, the result also adds a new achievement to a public career that began with her participation in Big Brother Naija. She won the reality show’s seventh season, tagged ‘Level Up’, in October 2022, before expanding her profile through entertainment and other public engagements.
Her latest victory over Nkechi Blessing has now placed her at the centre of one of the most talked-about celebrity boxing events in Nigeria this Independence Day period.
[…] a new car. The result was another major moment in Balmoral’s celebrity boxing series, following Phyna’s ₦50 million victory over Nkechi Blessing, as previously reported by […]