Nollywood actress Lizzy Anjorin has accepted the celebrity boxing challenge earlier proposed by show promoter Paulo Okoye, involving her and fellow actress Iyabo Ojo. Anjorin announced her decision in an Instagram post on Sunday, May 3, 2026, bringing fresh attention to her long-running dispute with Ojo and Paulo.
“As at today, 3rd May 2026, I accept your challenge,” she wrote. The actress, however, attached new conditions to her acceptance. She said Paulo should first face her husband, Chief Lawal, in the ring before she would fight Ojo. “You (Paulo) and Chief Lawal will fight 10 rounds non-stop in the ring. Then the next day, it will be me and Iyabo Ojo in the ring,” she stated.
Anjorin also directed several personal remarks at Paulo and Ojo, asking them to publicly provide evidence of their assets and achievements. Her response is the latest development in a feud that has played out for years through social media exchanges, legal action, police petitions, and public accusations.
The disagreement between Anjorin and Ojo is believed to have started from personal and professional issues before it grew into a major public controversy. In 2024, Paulo had suggested a celebrity boxing match between both actresses, with ₦10m proposed as the prize for the winner. The feud deepened in 2025 after Ojo filed a ₦1bn defamation suit against Anjorin. The case was later struck out on procedural grounds, while Ojo indicated that she might take further legal steps.
Anjorin’s acceptance also comes at a time when celebrity boxing is gaining attention in Nigeria’s entertainment scene. Recently, street-pop singer Portable lost to comedian Carter Efe in a celebrity boxing match in Lagos, a development that drew wide reactions online.
Portable on Sunday after the match has also demanded N200m in what he described as streaming revenue from organisers of “Chaos in the Ring 4.” Efe defeated Portable by unanimous decision to be crowned celebrity boxing champion at the Chaos in the Ring 4 held at the Balmoral Hall, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. All three judges scored the bout 27-30 in favour of Efe.
Speaking after his defeat, Portable said: “To the organisers, I want my stream money amounting to about N200 million. Just give me my money before I cause trouble.” Taking to Instagram after the bout, Portable alleged that the result was unjust, accusing Efe of exploiting his height advantage illegally. “I was robbed. Efe was not professional enough. He was ‘strangling’ (me) with his long hands and height. I threw him many punches — why didn’t you people count them?”
Portable, however, found consolation away from the ring. His wife, Omobewaji Ewatomi, gave birth to a baby boy on the same night, with the child named Jamal Iremide. “My wife just gave birth to a bouncing baby boy. I value that more than a belt. You can buy the belt, but not my child,” Portable said.
The victory earned Efe an immediate financial reward, as Lagos businessman Emeka ‘E-Money’ Okonkwo confirmed on the night that he would honour a pre-fight pledge of N50 million to the new champion. “You know we put our money where our mouth is. Congratulations, Carter, on your win — N50 million for you,” E-Money said.
Efe, who used his height and reach advantage to outbox Portable across three rounds with uppercuts and sharp body shots, was ebullient after the final bell. “I am feeling like an international world star. The fight was so easy. By the first round, I had made his face swell up. By the second round, he was already shaking. Third round, he fell,” he said.
When a member of the audience called out Anthony Joshua’s name in his direction, Efe was quick to correct the comparison. “Who called me Anthony Joshua? My name is Carter Mayweather,” he said, drawing loud cheers from the crowd.
