Portable Apologises After Walking Out of Charles Okocha Boxing Rematch

Street-pop singer Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, has apologised to fans, organisers and everyone affected after he walked out of his celebrity boxing rematch against Nollywood actor Charles Okocha in Lagos. The singer’s abrupt exit led to his disqualification and sparked another round of drama around one of Nigeria’s most attention-grabbing celebrity rivalries.

The apology was issued on Saturday through his management, Zeh Nation/Dr Zeh. In the statement, Portable expressed regret over the way the contest ended and thanked the organisers, Balmoral Group, the event team and supporters who turned out for the fight. He also said the team had taken note of the feedback and promised that lessons had been learned.

The statement framed the incident as an unfortunate ending to a highly anticipated bout. Portable’s camp said it appreciated the organisers for putting together the event and apologised for any inconvenience caused. The message suggested that, despite the controversy, he wanted to leave the door open for future appearances in combat sports or similar entertainment spectacles.

The rematch itself ended in chaos after Portable walked out before the end of the opening round. That decision immediately disqualified him and overshadowed what had been billed as a serious grudge match between two entertainment personalities who have long traded insults and accusations online.

Before issuing the apology, Portable had already given his own version of events. He claimed he left the ring because Okocha allegedly bit him and choked his neck during what he described as a wrestling-style altercation rather than a proper boxing contest. He also said he saw marks on his body and believed the fight had become unfair.

In a video posted to Instagram, Portable showed injuries and insisted that the alleged biting and choking pushed him to abandon the match. He said he was no longer interested in celebrity boxing and described his music career as more valuable than any prize attached to the contest. His comments were characteristically dramatic, but they also made clear that he felt physically and emotionally wronged by how the fight unfolded.

Charles Okocha’s side has not been shy about responding to the spectacle either. The two men have repeatedly fuelled public interest in their rivalry, with earlier disputes over endorsement money, bragging rights and alleged manipulation of past results. Their rematch was therefore never just about sport; it was also about pride, entertainment and the social media attention that comes with both.

That context helps explain why the crowd reaction was so intense. Celebrity boxing in Nigeria has become a blend of sport, theatre and internet content, and Portable and Okocha are among the few public figures who can turn a match into a full-blown entertainment saga. Even before the opening bell, the tension between them had generated enough hype to make the event a major talking point.

Portable’s apology may calm some of the backlash, but it does not remove the controversy surrounding the fight itself. Fans who paid attention to the bout will likely continue debating whether he quit too early, whether Okocha fought fairly, and whether the event was always destined to end in chaos. In that sense, the apology is only one chapter in a story that has been driven as much by performance and personality as by boxing.

What remains clear is that both men understand how to keep an audience engaged. Portable’s exit, his allegations and his later apology all fed into a narrative that has already become bigger than the fight itself. For the organisers, the challenge now is to preserve the credibility of the event format. For the public, the drama has once again delivered exactly what celebrity boxing in Nigeria tends to promise: spectacle, controversy and endless conversation.