Grammy-winning singer Burna Boy has gifted controversial musician Portable N20 million following his victory over Speed Darlington in their celebrity boxing match, while the defeated American-based Nigerian artiste has demanded a rematch, claiming his opponent used “juju” to secure the win.
The “Chaos In The Ring” bout, which took place on April 18, 2025, at the Balmoral Convention Centre in Lagos, ended abruptly in the second round when Speed Darlington was unable to continue after claiming he suffered a dislocated shoulder.
“20 million from @burnaboygram. If you wanna be like Odogwu, can you do like Odogwu? God bless your family,” Portable wrote on his Instagram story on Saturday, confirming the substantial reward from Burna Boy, who has been at loggerheads with Speed Darlington.
In a video posted on Instagram following his defeat, a visibly upset Speed Darlington attributed his loss to supernatural forces.
“Portable, I want a rematch, it breaks my heart you are carrying that money. It is so unfair, you have up to two experiences fighting. I have not entered ring before, I never learned how to fight, I did not come from poverty,” he lamented.
“You do not deserve that money, I need a rematch, not this month or next month. I want to train hard for two months, I need at least 30 days of training, and then I will do my own juju,” he added.
Speed Darlington further accused the organisers of tribalism, claiming the event favoured Portable because of his Yoruba heritage.
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“Yoruba judges, Yoruba is everything, of course, Yoruba gang will win. Don’t pretend tribalism is not in Nigeria,” he said during an emotional Instagram Live session after the match.
However, these claims appear misplaced as the outcome was determined by Speed Darlington’s inability to continue fighting rather than by judges’ scorecards, with medical personnel attending to him after the reported shoulder dislocation.
Reacting to the accusations, Portable sarcastically embraced the juju allegations, saying, “I am not a loser, I am a winner. He (Speed Darlington) is saying I used juju. Yes, na juju, go find your own juju.”
The boxing match was the culmination of a heated rivalry that had been brewing between the two musicians, stemming from when Speed Darlington reportedly offered Portable N500,000 to perform at an event, which the “Zazuu” crooner considered insulting.
The day before the fight, security had to intervene during their weigh-ins when a mini-tussle broke out between the two artistes.
This victory adds to Portable’s boxing record, following his previous win against Nollywood actor Charles Okocha in December 2023.
Credit: PUNCH
