Even though it is not an entirely novel initiative, celebrity boxing has continued to percolate across the world. In Nigeria, where it is taking root, other variants of combat sports are also gaining ascendancy while stakeholders hope that they draw attention to the pathetic state of boxing, which has been in death throes for a while now, reports Assistant Sports Editor, GOWON AKPODONOR.

The concept of celebrity boxing matches has been around for decades, and until recently, it had been limited to charity events and short-lived novelty TV shows.

The quality and intensity of these matches range widely from an unexpectedly feisty matchup in 2002 between UK comedians Ricky Gervais and Bob Mortimer to a tepid but symbolic bout in 2015 between United States Senator Mitt Romney and five-time world heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield.

In 2023, the trend of celebrity fighting reached new levels when Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg and Tesla founder and owner of social media platform X, Elon Musk, appeared to agree to a “cage fight.”

Musk took to his own platform to announce that, following conversations with Italy’s Prime Minister and Culture Minister, “they have agreed on an epic location”, adding, “everything in the camera frame will be ancient Rome.”

Although the match never came to fruition, the episode demonstrated how popular the concept had become.

The first celebrated celebrity boxing bout in recent times was the matchup involving Mike Tyson, a 58-year-old former heavyweight champion who recently recovered from a stomach ulcer, and 27-year-old YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in the United States in 2024.

Over the years, celebrity boxing has grown worldwide to the point that it is now one of the ways to settle scores and, at the same time, allows contenders to make money from a vocation that is not their original calling.

It has also become so attractive because it blends high-stakes drama with amateur athletism and allows the audience to see their “idols,” some of whom have created a sort of notoriety around their persona, in action.

In some developed countries, celebrity boxing is structured as regulated, charity-focused events. In the United Kingdom, for instance, celebrity boxing requires trained coaches, medical examinations, and strict adherence to safety protocols.

There, the game is primarily regulated as white-collar or charitable amateur boxing, with participants required by law to undergo medical examinations by approved doctors and to train with coaches affiliated with bodies such as England Boxing.

While Sport Relief’s “Celebrity Boxing” in the United Kingdom raises money for charity and highlights the benefits of amateur boxing, it is the exact opposite in the United States of America, where celebrity boxing is a high-revenue entertainment product that bridges the gap between professional sports and influencer culture. It has fundamentally shaped the country’s industries, transforming boxing through revolutionised broadcasting via pay-per-view models, fueling growth in the betting market and modern endorsement strategies, resulting in a market valued at over $7.7 billion in 2025.

Before then, on August 15, 2019, the combination of film, ticket sales, and the rise of mass media turned boxing into a truly enormous business in the United States.

A year later, on November 28, 2020, a fight card headlined by 54-year-old Mike Tyson and 51-year-old Roy Jones Jr. became one of the top 10 bestselling boxing cards in world history.

Ultimately, celebrity boxing sits at a crossroads between opportunity and exploitation, though the attention and money it generates cannot be overlooked.

With heavyweight fighters like Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul building multi-million-dollar brands, the business of celebrity boxing has become as competitive as the top football leagues worldwide.

Significantly, celebrity boxing is now a new way to boost revenue and visibility for the sport, attracting younger audiences and generating substantial income through betting and sponsorship, including the reported $17 million in betting revenue from one match.

In Nigeria, celebrity boxing has evolved into a fledgling commercial entertainment, featuring influencer matchups and influencer-driven, or “street king,” grudge matches. In addition to its massive revenue, it has, in a way, dwarfed traditional professional boxing purses, with fighters making millions for a few minutes of action.

These events bridge entertainment and boxing, drawing viewers who wouldn’t typically watch boxing, often capitalising on social media feuds.

While it sparks interest, celebrity boxing also draws criticism for diluting the sport’s integrity and posing serious health risks, prompting experts to advise strict training and safety measures.

For some stakeholders, celebrity boxing makes a mockery of ranking systems and poses dangers to untrained participants, while others embrace it for creating a hybrid event model that aims to provide both entertainment and serious sport.

Perhaps, not many Nigerians followed the trend of celebrity boxing until May 2, 2026, when Nigerian singer, Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, engaged comedian and entertainer, Carter Efe, in “Chaos In The Ring” held at Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. Portable suffered his first “career” defeat.

Before then, Portable, known for his aggressive, high-energy, and often controversial fighting style, had had 2-0 victories in high-profile celebrity boxing matches.

In December 2023, Portable outpunched actor Charles Okocha in a four-round fight at Landmark Beach, Victoria Island, Lagos. The fight arose from a dispute over a business deal.

And on April 18, 2025, Portable recorded his second win in celebrity boxing over Speed Darlington, also known as “Akpi.” He won by a technical knockout (TKO) in the first round at the Balmoral Convention Centre in Lagos. The fight was titled

“Chaos In The Ring.”

Efe defeated Portable by unanimous decision to be crowned celebrity boxing champion after all three judges scored the bout 27-30 in his favour.

The celebrity fight, as it were, is just an added item on the growing menu for lovers of combat sports, which has been growing of late. There is also Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), which is becoming another moneymaker for youths, promoters and sundry others associated with the sport.

One of the most popular variants of this sport, which has taken root across the country, is the African Knockout Championship, an MMA fight league that began in 2020 as a reality television show in Lagos during the twilight of the COVID-19 lockdown.

Managed by Ryan Fayad, the African Knockout Championship, which formally started in May 2023, has since hosted fighters from 18 countries.

The MMA gained ground in Nigeria with the emergence of Israel Adesanya and Kamaru Usman, who at one time held the UFC middleweight and welterweight titles, respectively.

Usman helped spread the sport when he arrived with his partners to promote it across the country.

Speaking recently with AFP, Fayad disclosed that the African Knockout is “driven by the fact that Africa doesn’t have any platform totally oriented for African talent to showcase themselves to the world and progress to reach those international stages.”

He said that the “drive behind all this… is to find the next Kamaru Usman and the next Israel Adesanya and promote them all the way to the international stages.”

According to AFP, about 5,000 fans watched the last edition in April in person, and several thousand more streamed the fights online.

“It’s not about money,” said Jibrin Inuwa Baba, 28, a four-time national kickboxing gold medallist. I decided to do this sport because of my love of the sport and love of competition.”

Apart from the MMA, Dambe, a centuries-old Hausa traditional martial art, is experiencing a rapid resurgence, transforming from local community entertainment into a professionalised global combat spectacle.

Propelled by the Dambe Warriors League, it now features structured rules, digital broadcasting, and, as of May 2026, holds the 2025 Global Recognition Awards for its modernisation, attracting millions of online viewers.

The Dambe Warriors League has formalised the sport, introducing weight classes, three-round matches, and safety protocols, moving away from unregulated, open-ended, and often dangerous traditional matches.

“We’ve gone from having our content watched by 200,000 people in 2017 to over 24 million in 2019,” Dambe promoter Anthony Okeleke said in a recent interview.

According to Okeleke, “Over 60 per cent of our views are from outside Nigeria. Our top five countries include Indonesia, the Philippines and the United States.

“Generally speaking, Asia is a martial arts continent, so it is easy for them to relate to Dambe.”

While it may be growing, Dambe’s prize purse compared to other combat sports is still comparatively low.

Victorious fighters can earn between $20 to $500 in addition to individual gifts from spectators.

“I have land, motorcycles and goats,” says Kehinde Alabi, a fighter with Dambe Warriors. “I have so many things I got while fighting Dambe.”

With the rising popularity of these ‘novel’ sports, one of the drawbacks, according to some stakeholders, is the inadequate facilities for their development.

The MMA and Celebrity Boxing can be staged in event centres and other such halls, but a sport like Dambe requires an arena mapped out and, sometimes, ringed for it to happen.

Sometime in 2019, former Sports Minister, Sunday Dare announced a partnership to set up a national league. Officials were in the process of designing a framework for the league when the coronavirus pandemic struck.

In June 2024, then Minister of Sports, John Owan Enoh, approved the upgrading of Dambe from an optional to a compulsory sport for the 22nd National Sports Festival (NSF). The Dambe Warriors League (DWL) also received official endorsement and, in August 2024, partnered with the Ministry of Arts and Culture (along with the Ministry of Tourism) to promote Dambe.

Taking a look at the changing milieu, professional boxer Oto ‘Joe Boy’ Joseph, said that the introduction of celebrity boxing won’t take the shine off their business.

Joe Boy, who won the African Boxing Union (ABU) title multiple times between 2017 and 2020, said: “I watched the fight between Portable and Efe, and I must say the promoters did a great job. That is not to say that our main boxing has gone under. No, we remain the leading sports. What boxing lacks in Nigeria is promoters. We are the real professional boxers, and we should be encouraged.

“Celebrity boxing is fast spreading like fire, with huge money on the table. If we get good promoters, the way Ghanaians do, professional boxing will be great. We are suffering from neglect, and it should not be so.”

Speaking on the fight, he said: “Nigeria is blessed… There is money in this country. Our population is a blessing. That’s why all these thieves have not wrecked this country—we keep rising again. I’m not encouraging them o.

“Look at that fight—the crowd! Even outside the venue, there were plenty of people. Anything you do in this country, as long as you can attract attention, an audience, and a bit of addiction, you will make money.

“I must commend the organisers. The packaging was beautiful, the commentary excellent. Nigerians are unique. Imagine telling people to sit down in a boxing arena, anticipation everywhere. (The Guardian)

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