Celebrity Boxing. What Phyna Must Do To Beat Nkechi Blessing
am not a big fan of celebrity boxing. I believe boxing is serious business. It is called the “hurt business” for a reason, and this is why there is no truly friendly bout in boxing. In recent years, people have died in the ring or from complications arising from injuries sustained in the ring. But again, boxing is entertainment. If people find celebrity boxing entertaining, then that’s it.
Most of the celebrity boxing bouts in Nigeria have hardly lived up to expectations, especially the recent fight nobody asked for between Portable and Charles Okocha. We expected more.
The promoters of celebrity boxing in Nigeria have now smuggled in another fight between former Big Brother Naija star Phyna, Ijeoma Josephina Otabor, and Nollywood actress Nkechi Blessing Sunday.
I must confess that I like the matchup because both women are controversial and fiery in nature. There is also an interesting difference in their size and age. Nkechi is 37, while Phyna is 29. Phyna is of a slim build, while Nkechi is on the bigger side.
On paper, this fight looks like a straightforward win for Nkechi because of her size. Most boxing casuals will easily put their money on her. But there is more to it. That size might eventually become her weakness. Phyna’s physique, which looks like a disadvantage, might end up being her biggest strength.
First of all, from observing Nkechi’s public persona, she appears to be an emotional and expressive person. She seems like the kind of person who can react quickly and think about the consequences afterwards. I have watched the way she responds to people who criticise her online, and I suspect she could bring some of that same temperament into the boxing ring.
She could underestimate Phyna because of her smaller frame and then become too confident in her own physical advantage. She may want to go all out and land a big punch early. That could be dangerous for Phyna.
At around 94 kg and 5ft 9, Nkechi’s size could give her significant power, but carrying more weight can also become a problem if the fight goes deep. The bigger fighter may expend more energy moving around the ring and throwing punches repeatedly. And this is where Phyna needs to be smart.
Phyna, on the other hand, appears to have a similarly fiery personality. Both women can rush into situations and make a lot of noise without necessarily having a strategic plan. That is exactly the approach Phyna needs to avoid. Her priority should be to avoid getting caught by Nkechi’s big punches. If Phyna takes a clean headshot, it could be good night, Irene.
Phyna needs to use her smaller frame to her advantage. She needs to keep Nkechi behind her jab, use her legs and stay out of striking range. Rather than standing in front of Nkechi and exchanging punches, she should move around the ring, pick her shots and score points. She needs to dance around that ring like Alexander Usyk.
An increasingly frustrated Nkechi may then be tempted to chase her around the ring. If Phyna can maintain that pace, the bigger woman could begin to tire. After three rounds, Nkechi could be breathing heavily and moving much more slowly. Her mouth will be wide open like a Fulani cow, and that is when Phyna needs to take advantage. That is the moment to step in behind a tight guard and attack the head and body with combinations.
But there is another danger. Nkechi could resort to holding and wrestling whenever Phyna gets too close. That would make the fight messy and could also sap Phyna’s energy. Phyna would need to avoid getting trapped in unnecessary physical exchanges.
If the plan works, I can see Phyna causing a major upset, possibly even stopping Nkechi in the fourth or fifth round if the fight is scheduled to go that far. And if that happens, it could produce the kind of highlight-reel knockout that celebrity boxing promoters dream about.
What Phyna needs right now is endurance training. She needs to be skipping, running, swimming and engaging in other activities that will improve her stamina. Speed and movement could be more important to her than trying to match Nkechi’s strength.
I am hoping to have a great time watching their fight. My biggest concern is that Nigerian celebrities sometimes don’t take these activities seriously enough. They don’t train properly. They go about their normal activities, post on social media and then suddenly turn up for a boxing match.
I also have concerns about how the fight is being promoted. Both women need to give us something to talk about. They need to build the rivalry, create some drama and make people genuinely interested in watching the fight. They need to watch how Portable and Carter Efe did theirs. That was legendary.
As things stand, my money is on Phyna, provided she gets a good coach and takes the training seriously. If she pulls it off, the victory will be sweet.
It will be David and Goliath all over again.
