Phyna Marks BBN Anniversary After Stunning Boxing Win

Posted by Chinenye on Fri 02nd Oct, 2026 - tori.ng

Phyna is celebrating another big win after beating actress Nkechi Blessing in a celebrity boxing match.

(Ijeoma Otabor aka Phyna. Photo credit: Phyna/Instagram)

Big Brother Naija winner Phyna has marked the fourth anniversary of her reality TV victory, days after winning Nigeria's first female celebrity boxing bout.

Phyna, whose real name is Ijeoma Otabor, won the seventh season of Big Brother Naija, Level Up, on October 2, 2022.

Four years later, she celebrated the date after beating Nollywood actress Nkechi Blessing by knockout.

The fight took place at Balmoral Promotions' Chaos in the Ring event at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Thursday.

In a post on Friday, Phyna said October 2 will always be a special date in her life.

She said it is the day she won BBN and now also the day she celebrates another historic win as the first female boxer to step into that ring and win.

She said her move from reality TV to boxing came from her wish to challenge herself, break barriers and show there is more to her than people see.

She dedicated the win to every woman who has been told she could not.

She thanked Balmoral Promotions and Bet9ja for the opportunity and called October 2 a date of victory, courage and new beginnings.

She took home ₦50m as winner of the bout and says she wants to go professional, hinting this could be the start of a longer boxing career.

After the fight, Phyna named Nollywood actress Etinosa Idemudia as her next opponent, accusing her of disturbing her through direct messages.

She said it is time to teach her a lesson.

Etinosa, who watched from ringside, accepted the challenge and said she has been advising Phyna to carry the Edo name with pride and that she does not run from any fight.

The same night, skit maker Carter Efe beat musician Speed Darlington by technical knockout in their four-round celebrity bout.

The event also had a professional fight, where Ghana's Seth Freezy Macbones Gyimah defeated Nigerian champion Godday Zodsolo Appah by unanimous decision to win the WBO African Light Heavyweight Continental Championship.