Celebrity boxing: Big money for stars, tough times for pro boxers?

Celebrity boxing is making waves in Nigeria. Reports say these fights can pay up to N50m, which is way more than what most professional boxers make. This has led to discussions about fair pay and its effects on the sport. Promoters believe celebrity boxing is bringing in new fans and investments. Peter Akinbo writes about this.

Normally, boxing events have their biggest fights last. For example, the fight between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury on December 11 is set to be the main event, with both boxers getting big paydays. But in Nigeria, celebrity boxing is changing this trend. Fights featuring celebrities are becoming more popular and are now competing with professional matches for attention and money.

At the October 1 edition of Chaos in the Ring, held at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, Ghanaian boxer Seth "Freezy Macbones" Gyimah defeated Nigeria’s Godday "Zodsolo" Appah to win the WBO African Light Heavyweight Continental title. But it was the celebrity fights that got everyone talking.

Skit maker Carter Efe won against rapper Speed Darlington, and Big Brother Naija winner Phyna knocked out actress Nkechi Blessing. Phyna earned a reported N50m from Worldstreet, a trading and entertainment platform, showing how attractive celebrity boxing can be.

This kind of money is not new. On May 1, Efe beat singer Habeeb ‘Portable’ Badmus and took home another N50m. Portable later claimed he got paid N50m for just one round, with a promise of N100m if he lasted two rounds. He lost to Nollywood actor Charles Okocha in their rematch called "Unfinished Business".

The excitement has spread outside the ring. On October 2, Afrobeats singer Teni posted a video challenging fellow singer Tiwa Savage to a fight for a N1.5bn prize. Tiwa responded, saying, "Pick a date." No promoter or date has been set yet, but this shows how popular the idea has become.

Concerns from Professional Boxers

Professional boxers who have trained for years are feeling the effects of this trend. Former Universal Boxing Organisation champion Rasheed Idowu, who was named Boxer of the Month for April 2024, expressed his feelings in Yoruba, which our correspondent translated.

"No boxer won’t be bothered, especially with the amount many of these celebrities are making," Idowu said.

"How will celebrities be making so much more than we professional boxers who beat ourselves up for real? All our promoters don’t seem to value us professional boxers. They value celebrities more than us, and it’s not fair."

But he also recognized that boxers need to build their presence in the age of social media.

"The one thing I think is that we have to grow our pages and fame," he told The PUNCH.

"Nowadays, it is social media that has taken over everything. If they see you are doing well on social media, they will pay you at that level as well. So, we have to make a name to get better pay."

Bolatito "Black Tito" Oluwole, a Nigerian professional boxer and national champion, agrees.

"According to my own knowledge, the promoters need to treat it as a business. If they are to bring in celebrities, then the fans are coming to watch them, not the pro boxers," she said.

"Unless that pro boxer has popularity like the celebrity boxers, like Taiwo Esepo, and that’s the situation now. The celebrities offer more than just fighting, like promotion and bringing a sophisticated crowd, and I think this is fine and normal."

She added that boxers should market themselves well, saying, "Boxers must sell themselves so people will know them and they can make money like that too. Because if you are fighting at my event and you can’t sell tickets, then what’s the point?"

Idris Gbadamosi, who fought in the WBC Grand Prix, does not see celebrity boxing as a threat.

"To me, I don’t think it’s a bad thing," he said. "The reality is that the celebrities have their own platform and they pull crowds. But for us professional boxers, we also have to make our name and build brands to the level that we can also pull these crowds."

Promoter’s Viewpoint

Dr Ezekiel Adamu, founder of Chaos in the Ring and CEO of Balmoral Group Promotions, believes that celebrities help fund the professionals.

"We need the influencers because they give us the eyeballs," Adamu said.

"And we need the professionals because the professionals keep them watching boxing."

He mentioned Jake Paul, a former YouTuber turned boxer, as an example that this model works. He also said that since Balmoral started, pay for Nigerian fighters has increased.

"At the time we started boxing, some of these boxers were earning N50,000 to fight, even after training for so long," Adamu said.

"We’ve commercialised it. We’ve brought in the brands, we’ve brought in the eyeballs, and we’ve brought in the national interest."

He claimed that Nigerian boxers now earn more than local footballers. Adamu noted that putting on a major card can cost as much as $1m. He wants fighters to be paid like they would be abroad.

There is proof that professionals are benefiting. In June, the promotion signed the undefeated WBA Africa lightweight champion, Taiwo "Esepo" Agbaje, who is 19-0. Suleiman Jafaru’s knockout of former British champion Samuel Antwi has drawn interest from international promoters. Ticket prices for the October 1 card ranged from N25,000 to N150,000 for general and VIP seats, and N500,000 for ringside. There were also sponsorship, streaming on DAZN, and betting partnerships, according to African Celebrities Magazine.

Regulators' Take

Azania Omo-Agege, chairman of the Nigeria Boxing Federation’s pro-boxing committee, said that celebrity boxing is bringing fans back to the sport.

"First of all, boxing was in decline, but recently, with Balmoral’s celebrity boxing, it is attracting a lot of fans and audience, with crowds selling out venues again, and we are getting a lot of calls that people want to box," Omo-Agege told The PUNCH.

"So gradually, we will get to where we want to get with pro boxers through celebrity boxers."

He mentioned that professional boxers at the October 1 card were paid well.

"Even the pro boxers that fought at the October 1 card, the minimum payment they made was like N2m, N3m at those bouts," he said.

"They were treated well, and they are not even big names yet. So we know that the more they get bigger, the higher the pay."

Omo-Agege also encouraged Nigerian champions abroad, like Anthony Joshua and Efe Ajagba, to return home to fight and attract even more fans. He promised that the situation of celebrities getting paid more than professionals would change.

"If we get the right promoters involved and create the right structure, Nigerian boxers will no longer have to depend on celebrity fights to see big money in boxing," he said.

"Professional boxing itself should be profitable enough for them."

The President of the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control, Dr Rafiu Oladipo, also wants to raise baseline payments for professionals so they do not live in poverty. The board’s Secretary General, Remi Aboderin, defended celebrity boxing. He admitted that some professionals might not fully understand the situation but said that the board supports celebrity fights as long as they follow health rules.

"Our boxers may not be that understanding of the situation on the ground," Aboderin told The PUNCH.

"But the NBBofC has nothing against celebrity boxing as long as it is done with all the health requirements and rules that are part of boxing."

He explained that celebrity fights do not follow normal pro rules, lasting three rounds of two minutes. They are mainly for attracting crowds.

Aboderin said professionals are gaining from this trend.

"Formerly, our boxers collected peanuts," he said.

"But right now, things are changing, and that is because of the innovation of these celebrity boxers. Right now, they are collecting dollars."

He called the situation "a blessing in disguise."

"Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying celebrity boxing is the best," Aboderin said.

"But right now, it is one of the best things that has happened to pro boxing in Nigeria because it has brought out interest in people coming to watch boxing."

He noted that some people stayed away from boxing because they saw it as too violent. Now, they are interested in watching their favorite celebrities fight in a fun way.

Aboderin also criticized how some pro boxers and their supporters react during fights.

"The boxer loves to fight," Aboderin said.

"Instead of understanding that he has another chance to come fight another day and make more money from his rematch, he incites his crowd. That is not good for boxing."

Aboderin said that celebrity fights are bringing attention, sponsorship, and good crowds to the events. He believes that once the trend fades, boxers will understand that they do not need to attract fans who only want to cause trouble when things go wrong. They will also learn that a rematch can earn them even more money.

Good or Bad?

This debate is not new worldwide. A 2022 analysis by Parimatch found that 88 percent of the top 50 boxing purses came from professional fights, even though exhibition matches with social media stars are increasing. Critics have long complained about the changes in boxing.

In Nigeria, the answer might depend on what happens next. For now, crowds are back, sponsors are showing interest, and a skit maker can earn N50m in just three rounds. Whether this money will help professional boxers on the undercard or simply overshadow them is a question that Nigerian boxing still needs to answer.