Nigerian singer Habeeb Okikiola, often known as Portable, has apologized to organizers and fans for abruptly pulling out of his celebrity boxing rematch against actor Charles Okocha after the first round on Friday night.
The apology came hours after the highly anticipated celebrity boxing battle, organized by Balmoral Group, ended in disappointment when Portable refused to continue after the first round, disappointing supporters at the site.
In a statement made on Saturday by his management, Zeh Nation/Dr. Zeh, the artist apologized to the organizers, event staff, supporters, and everyone who attended the event, calling the outcome disappointing.
“We sincerely apologize to the organizers, Balmoral Group, the entire event team, our fans, friends, family, and everyone who came out to support Portable at tonight’s celebrity boxing event,” the management said.
The management acknowledged the disappointment caused by Portable’s decision to leave the contest after the opening round but urged Nigerians to respect his choice.
“We understand the disappointment caused by the outcome of the fight and by Portable’s decision to step away after the first round. While emotions can run high in moments like these, we respectfully ask everyone to respect his decision and perspective,” it said.
It accepted responsibility for the incident, saying it regretted the disappointment caused to stakeholders and supporters.
“On behalf of Portable’s management, we take full responsibility for the disappointment this may have caused. We remain grateful for the unwavering love and support shown to him throughout this journey,” it added.
It also thanked the organizers for staging the event despite the controversial ending.
“We appreciate Balmoral Group and everyone involved for putting together a great event, and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused,” it said.
The management assured fans that lessons had been learned and promised an improved outing in future contests, saying, “We have taken note of the feedback, and we are committed to learning from this experience. We promise to come back stronger and do better next time.”
Friday’s rematch sparked considerable interest because Okocha invoked the rematch option following his defeat to Portable in their first celebrity boxing battle in December 2023.
Ahead of the fight, both artists traded verbal barbs on social media and promised to settle their feud inside the ring.
Portable also entered the battle wanting to rebound from his first celebrity boxing loss earlier this year to content creator Carter Efe, while Okocha sought vengeance for his prior setback.
However, the fight ended unexpectedly when Portable declined to continue after the first round, eliciting massive fan outrage and resulting in a public apology from his management.
