Reality TV star Josephina Otabor, popularly known as Phyna, has marked the anniversary of her Big Brother Naija victory after making history with a knockout win over actress Nkechi Blessing Sunday in the boxing ring.

Phyna defeated Nkechi in the fourth round of their celebrity boxing bout at Balmoral Promotions’ Chaos in the Ring event, held at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, in the early hours of Friday.
The victory came in Nigeria’s first female celebrity boxing bout, with Phyna stopping Nkechi in the final round of their scheduled four-round contest. She received a car and a ceremonial ₦50 million cheque after being declared the winner.

The bout was part of the Independence Day boxing event, which also featured celebrity fights involving Carter Efe and Speed Darlington, as well as the professional contest between Nigerian boxer Godday “Zodsolo” Appah and Ghanaian-born British boxer Seth “Freezy Macbones” Gyimah.

Phyna and Nkechi had already generated attention before stepping into the ring following their heated confrontation at the Chaos in the Ring press conference, where both women traded words ahead of their bout.
Following her victory, Phyna challenged actress Etinosa Idemudia, who was watching from ringside, to another celebrity boxing contest. Etinosa accepted the challenge after joining Phyna in the ring.

The victory also came on a significant date for Phyna. On October 2, 2022, she was announced as the winner of the seventh season of Big Brother Naija, tagged Level Up, after emerging ahead of finalists Bryann, Bella, Adekunle, Chichi and Daniella.

Phyna’s BBNaija Season 7 victory earned her the show’s ₦100 million grand prize and established her as the second woman to win the reality television competition.

Reflecting on the coincidence, Phyna wrote on X that October 2 would “forever be a special date” in her life.
She recalled winning BBNaija on the same date four years earlier and linked the milestone to her latest achievement in the boxing ring.
“From reality TV to the boxing ring, I’ve always been willing to challenge myself, break barriers and prove that there is so much more to Phyna than what people see,” she wrote.

The reality star dedicated the victory to women who had been told they could not achieve certain things.
“This one is for every woman who has ever been told she couldn’t. We can. We will. And we absolutely should,” she added.

Phyna also thanked Balmoral Promotions and Bet9ja for the opportunity, describing October 2 as a date of “victory, courage and new beginnings”.
Her latest achievement adds another chapter to the career of the BBNaija winner, who has remained in the entertainment spotlight since her 2022 victory. Four years after claiming the reality show’s grand prize, Phyna now has another October 2 milestone to celebrate, this time from inside a boxing ring.