Portable vs Speed Darlington: NBF Issues Health Warning to Organisers Ahead of Showdown
- Portable vs Speed Darlington's boxing match is scheduled for April 18, but the organisers of the event have been warned
- The NBF cautioned over the health status of the celebrities and expressed concerns over the limited preparation time
- It comes barely one week after Nigerian boxer Olusegun 'Success' Olanrewaju collapsed and died during a fight in Ghana
The Nigerian Boxing Federation has fired a health warning to the organisers of the celebrity boxing match between Portable and Speed Darlington, popularly known as Akpi.
Interim president of the regulation body Azania Omo-Agege, urged those planning the event to prioritise safety ahead of the encounter.
This comes barely a week after Nigerian boxer Olusegun 'Success' Olanrewaju collapsed and died during a boxing encounter in Ghana.
Source: Instagram
According to Brila, an autopsy performed on the late Nigerian boxer confirmed that he died from sudden cardiac arrest during his bout.
The tragic incident has left the Nigerian and Ghanaian boxing fraternities in mourning, with his opponent Jon Mbanugu considering early retirement.
NBF warns ahead of Portable vs Speed Darlington
Meanwhile, ahead of the upcoming bout between Portable and Speed Darlington, NBF boss Omo-Agege expressed concerns about the preparation time.
He said, as per Punch:
“First of all, I want to thank Portable for bringing awareness to boxing using his celebrity status. I want to advise their promoters to please encourage them to train.
"Personally, I think the two weeks that they want to start fighting is too soon because you don’t know their health status at this time, how fit they are.
“These are artistes, I’m not there, but I’m sure they do take alcohol in their system. So they might not be very healthy right now to have that kind of stamina to fight in the ring.
“I will also advise the promoters to make sure this time around, Portable and Speed Darlington wear headgear.
"They can’t leave their head bare like what they did with Okocha. That’s completely wrong."
The deep-seated rivalry between Portable and Speed Darlington intensified after 'Akpi' allegedly proposed ₦500,000 for the 'Zazuu' crooner to perform at his event, an amount Portable deemed offensive.
Ahead of the encounter, Portable has been spotted sharpening his skills in an open-air, improvised boxing ring.
Source: Instagram
The street-pop sensation, who famously defeated Nollywood star Charles Okocha in a celebrity boxing bout in December 2023, has since brushed off Okocha’s persistent demands for a rematch.
Segun Olanrewaju's mother cries for justice
Legit.ng earlier reported that the mother of Nigerian boxer Segun 'Success' Olanrewaju, who collapsed and passed away while in action in Ghana is crying out for justice.
In viral footage on social media, the late boxer's mother alleged foul play in the tragic incident, saying her son had faced threats to step down.
According to her, Segun sent a text message some hours before they learnt he had passed away as she called on President Bola Tinubu to take up the case, saying her son was only 5 years old when his dad died.
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Source: Legit.ng
