Contestation of the cruel fight in the ring between Portable and Carter Efe, by Tony Erha

This time, I am forced to shift my gaze from the backward politics and insecurity that are of great concern to Nigerians. Must it always be bitter politics and unresolved insecurity? There is an intense migraine, where there is no respite and no end to the afflictions. Unfortunately, renegade politics, economic problems and insecurity have permanently dominated the airwaves and tend to ruin people’s lives.

Unbridled reports of death, mutilation and crime compete with political maneuvering, in this disgusting season of political transition and unrest in 2027. There is no more sanctity of human life and normality. What has become normal is the incessant reports of heavy death tolls, defacements, political manipulations, fires and looting. Unfortunately, this is one such insurrection, a definition of our national life that is worse than a full-scale war.

For days, the non-professional boxing match between Portable and Carter Efe has dominated the news charts of a country that is derisively searching for peace. News of the freestyle boxing match between the two major artists climbed the national charts to number one. The meeting continuously generates fervor, excitement and polarization of Christian fetishes and dogmas, where Portable boasted of using “juju power” to defeat Carter Efe and he (Carter Efe) professed that he would use “Jesus power” to silence his rival.

Well, the outcome of the fight, with Carter Efe crushing Portable, seemed to fit the main narrative that “Jesus” defeated “Juju.” The hangover ranges and rages, where Portable, who had claimed to have defeated his previous opponents with the same “Juju”, now finds himself on the receiving end.

Whereas Joseph Oderhohwo Efe (Carter Efe) is a comedian, online streamer and singer-songwriter; Habeeb Okikiola Badmus (Portable) is a musician of the ZaZoo genre. Both men have a penchant for engaging young people and other entertainment fans with their brands, which sometimes lean towards excessive showmanship and magnetism. In the fiercely contested and grueling bout, held on Saturday, May 2, 2026, Carter Efe won Portable via unanimous decision in the highly publicized event, titled “Chaos in the Ring 4′

In a comment circulated on social media, one poster called it “ruthless fight of ram heads”, a brand by which some undisciplined moneybags influence the youths to money, materialism, violence and illusions of importance, in which hundreds of millions of Naira have been sunk”, another pointed out that it is similar to the “BBA reality show, which is disappearing”.

But it is not far from the usual amusements of the past organized by the outlaw American cowboys, as a precursor to the main clash between the gangs of gunslingers. It is also suitable for shooting scenes, known in American films, once popularized by American cowboy actors of memory – such as John Wayne, Ben Johnson, Clint Eastwood, Gary Cooper, Tom Mix, Gene Autry and Sam Elliott.

Yet Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, informs us that “Ram Fighting” is a bloody sport between two rams, held in a ring or in an open field. It is commonly in the culture of Africa, Asia and Europe. Also in Nigeria, Uzbekistan and Indonesia Wikipedia says it is gaining popularity among locals.

I have witnessed “ram fights” in Nigeria, where fighting rams die, having shed blood, and spectators cheer. In this way the organizers of the fights bet and collect the winnings or losses of the fights. Such fights represent “Cruelty towards Animals”. As an advocate against cruelty to “Animals”, together with the Animal Kindness Club of the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), animals should be treated with dignity.

The Portable versus Carter Efe duel is an ephemeral ceasefire and respite for the overwhelmed government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Lucky Jababan – which addresses the restless public agitation over the avalanches of economic woes, insecurity and social problems facing Nigerians.

It is compared to a drunkard’s alibi, according to which drinking alcohol makes him forget his problems. But what he doesn’t say is whether the problem no longer exists when the alcohol has worn off and he is himself.

To stop problems it is not necessary for one to cause others, while humanity is full of five best strategies to solve problems. Unfortunately, the ill-advised fight between Portable and Carter Efe is a thuggish official endorsement of the growing violent social conduct saturating Nigeria. For critical thinking, where do violent encounters prevail in dealing with a society’s attitudinal fistfight?

It is like a rule that gives a people the choice to die or live. This is the advertorial about cigarettes and their addiction. “The Federal Ministry of Health warns that smokers risk dying young.” The question is: Is it inappropriate or impossible to ban smoking altogether?

For blood sports like boxing, wrestling, kickboxing, etc., with lethal side effects like Parkinson’s disease, brain and tissue damage, and premature deaths, there are rules.

Once upon a time, I wanted to prove to my wife that the wrestling fights she often watched on network television, including hand-to-hand; the free-for-all fights weren’t fake. I bought her a ticket to watch a wrestling tournament, organized by Felix Okugbe, a late sports journalist and some other promoters, with Raypower/AIT giving live coverage at an indoor sports hall at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

It turned out to be a terrible accident of regrets that I still haven’t gotten over. The Greco-Roman wrestling of somersaults and American freestyles began with shivers, ovations and cat calls. My wife was coming to terms with the things I had told her, when the worst happened.

A young fighter called Indomitable Fearless died instantly, in one of the support slams, after doctors failed to revive him. It was a painful moment for everyone, and torture to comfort my wife and get her out of the club, in the blink of an eye. To this day, wrestling matches are rarely watched in my house.

But bloody sport has its warning, just as young people are warned not to carry out the physical fighting actions they see on television in schools and at home.

However, entertainment exercises that insult sensibilities and are fraught with danger, where even the rules of the games are strictly enforced, should be avoided.

Obviously, there are doubts about the sloppy battle between Portable and Cater Efe. However, the issue was raised by a Nigerian woman, identified on Facebook as Nne Sophia; “Boxing is a regulated and dangerous sport.”

He condemned the way the two celebrities, who are not professional boxers, were allowed to fight each other, without following some boxing rules. He reported a dangerous punch that Carter Efe gave Portable, to the back of the head, called a “rabbit punch.” “This is a very dangerous thing to do as it can lead to serious disability or death. The back of the head, ‘occiput’, is where the brainstem is located which controls vital functions of our body such as breathing and heart rate.”

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