Phyna marks Big Brother Naija anniversary after boxing victory
Reality television star Ijeoma Otabor, known as Phyna, has marked the anniversary of her Big Brother Naija victory after defeating actress Nkechi Blessing by knockout at a celebrity boxing event in Lagos. She said the win strengthened her resolve to pursue boxing and challenge expectations about her career.
Ijeoma Otabor, popularly known as Phyna, has celebrated the anniversary of her Big Brother Naija victory after adding a boxing milestone to her public career. Phyna won the seventh season of Big Brother Naija, titled Level Up, on October 2, 2022. She marked the anniversary after defeating Nollywood actress Nkechi Blessing by knockout at Balmoral Promotions’ Chaos in the Ring event in Lagos.
The bout took place on Thursday at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island. Phyna described the victory as the first female celebrity boxing win of its kind in Nigeria and said October 2 had become a date associated with both achievement and new beginnings. “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 wrote in a post shared on Friday.
She thanked Balmoral Promotions and Bet9ja for the opportunity and said the contest was intended to encourage women who had been told they could not achieve certain goals. Phyna received ₦50m for winning the bout and indicated that she plans to pursue professional boxing. After the fight, she named actress Etinosa Idemudia as a possible next opponent, saying the actress had repeatedly contacted her.
Idemudia, who watched the contest from ringside, accepted the challenge. The event also included a celebrity bout in which skit maker Carter Efe defeated musician Speed Darlington by technical knockout. In the professional contest, Ghana’s Seth Gyimah beat Nigerian champion Godday Appah by unanimous decision to win the WBO African Light Heavyweight Continental Championship.
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