Phyna celebrates fourth BBNaija anniversary after boxing triumph
Big Brother Naija winner Ijeoma Otabor, popularly known as Phyna, has celebrated the fourth anniversary of her reality TV victory after making history as the winner of Nigeria’s first female celebrity boxing bout.
Phyna won the seventh season of Big Brother Naija, Level Up, on October 2, 2022. Four years later, she marked the anniversary after defeating Nollywood actress Nkechi Blessing by knockout at a celebrity boxing event in Lagos.
Reflecting on the two milestones in an Instagram post on Friday, Phyna described October 2 as a special date in her life, noting that it now represents both her BBNaija victory and her historic boxing win.
The victory came during Balmoral Promotions’ Chaos in the Ring event at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Thursday. Phyna said her transition from reality television to boxing reflected her determination to challenge herself and break barriers.
“From reality TV to the boxing ring, I’ve always been willing to challenge myself, break barriers, and prove that there is so much more to Phyna than what people see,” she wrote.
She dedicated the victory to women who had been told they could not achieve certain things, saying, “We can. We will. And we absolutely should”.
Phyna thanked Balmoral Promotions and Bet9ja for the opportunity, revealing that she received ₦50 million as the winner and intends to pursue professional boxing.
Following the fight, Phyna named Nollywood actress Etinosa Idemudia as her potential next opponent, after accusing her of disturbing her through direct messages. Etinosa, who watched the bout from ringside, accepted the challenge, saying she would not run from a fight. Phyna’s victory came on the same night skit maker Carter Efe defeated musician Speed Darlington by technical knockout.
