Speed Darlington blames tribalism for loss to Portable in boxing match

Following his defeat to Portable in the much-anticipated celebrity boxing match tagged “Chaos In The Ring,” controversial singer Speed Darlington has taken to social media to express his displeasure, blaming tribalism for his loss.

In an emotional Instagram Live session shortly after the April 18, 2025 bout at the Balmoral Convention Centre in Lagos, Speed Darlington vented his frustration, accusing the organizers and judges of bias in favor of Portable, a Yoruba native.

“Yoruba judges, Yoruba is everything, of course, Yoruba gang will win. Don’t pretend tribalism is not in Nigeria, of course he will win when Yoruba is the judge, everybody inside the ring is Yoruba, the stage we are fighting in is Yoruba, of course, he will be awarded the win,” Speed Darlington said during the live broadcast.

The celebrity match ended with Portable being declared the winner in the second round knock-out.

Recall in the aftermath of Portable’s victory, Grammy-winning singer Burna Boy, who has been at loggerheads with Speed Darlington, gifted him N20 million.

Portable disclosed this via his Instagram story on Saturday when he wrote, “20 million from @burnaboygram.

“If you wanna be like Odogwu, can you do like Odogwu? God bless your family.”

Vanguard News