•Speed Darlington and Carter Efe
Speed Darlington and Carter Efe will settle their rivalry in the boxing ring on October 1, while Nigerian cruiserweight Godday “Zodsolo” Appah takes on Ghanaian-born British boxer Seth “Freezy Macbones” Gyimah in the headline professional bout at Chaos in the Ring.
The event is scheduled for the Balmoral Convention Centre, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, as part of Nigeria’s Independence Day celebrations.
With the fight less than three weeks away, the tension was already evident at the press conference, as the fighters traded words ahead of their respective bouts.
Carter Efe, whose real name is Oderhohwo Joseph Efe, enters the celebrity bout after defeating Portable by unanimous decision in May. Speed Darlington, born Darlington Okoye, lost to Portable in 2025 but has continued to dispute the outcome.
The rapper, known for his outspoken personality, maintained that energy at the press conference as he spoke about his fight and took fresh shots at Burna Boy and fellow content creator Peller.
When Carter asked Speed Darlington, “How old are you?”, the rapper replied, “I’m 170 years old,” before adding, “I’m going to beat you.”
The professional headline bout also came with its share of confidence and predictions.
Appah, who holds the WBO Africa cruiserweight title, promised to stop Gyimah within two rounds.
“I’m knocking Freezy out in two rounds, straight up,” Appah told reporters.
The Nigerian heads into the contest after defeating Eworitse Ezra Arenyeka by majority decision in May. He said a victory would mean more than just another win on his record.
“The win brings a lot of glory to my people, the Niger Delta people, the Nigerians, and I’m representing Nigeria for October 1st,” he said.
“I am the king of Africa, and I am coming to be a world champion, and this fight, I am going to show them that I have what it takes.”
Gyimah, who was born in Ghana and is based in the United Kingdom, has a professional record of 12 wins and one defeat. He also stopped Jamiu Animashaun in the first round of their April bout.
The British boxer, however, was unwilling to reveal how he plans to deal with Appah.
“I’m not going to be in public telling him what I’m going to do,” Gyimah said.
“I’ve been working so hard behind the door.”
Other bouts on the card include Arenyeka against Lekan Muibi, Basit “Joker Boy” Adebayo against Fatiu Ijomoni, and Yusuf Adeniji against David Tagoe.
Adebayo and Ijomoni also exchanged words at the press conference, with both fighters confident of coming out on top.
“I think this will be his toughest fight for him,” Ijomoni said. “I’m coming with full force.”
Adebayo responded: “I won’t lie to you, I’m better than you. You are not up to my capacity.”
The exchange later led to a proposed side wager, with Ijomoni offering to stop Adebayo within six rounds. The proposed stake eventually rose to ₦2 million.
Promoter Dr Ezekiel Adamu said the event is part of a wider effort to give African boxers a bigger platform and connect them with audiences outside the continent.
He also outlined the promotion’s ambition to bring major world title fights to Nigeria and other parts of Africa, pointing to previous results on its cards, including Nigerian fighter Jabaru’s knockout victory over former British champion Samuel Antwi.
“It’s never about perfection. It’s always about momentum,” Adamu said.
According to the promoter, the event has also recorded significant growth in viewership. He said the previous edition in October attracted about 40,000 viewers on YouTube, while the promotion now reaches an audience estimated at between 60 million and 65 million.
The event is backed by Fearless Energy Drink, GMH Luxury and Optera Capital, while BetNaija is the betting partner.
Chaos in the Ring will also be broadcast internationally, with DAZN and SuperSport among the platforms scheduled to carry the event.
