By Ghazali Ibrahim 
The long-standing tension between Grammy Winner Burna Boy and controversial rapper Speed Darlington has taken a fresh twist after controversial street-pop singer Portable revealed he received a ₦20 million gift from Burna Boy for defeating Speed Darlington in a celebrity boxing match.
Portable made the revelation in a viral video shared on X (formerly Twitter), where he declared that the monetary gift was Burna Boy’s way of showing gratitude for his victory over Speed Darlington.
The monetary appreciation follows a recent bout where Portable outshines Speed Darlington in a match that quickly became the talk of the entertainment scene.
“Joy don come. Burna Boy na Odogwu. The money long. Them dey tell me before, now I know. Burna Boy don send ₦20 million. I no rematch o,” Portable said with excitement.
“The ₦20 million you wan use do rematch, Burna don send am. I no fit fight again. Bring another person—not that fool. He’s a fool at 40.”
Though it may appear exciting on the surface for the fans, but gesture could also be seen as a symbolic show of loyalty by Burna Boy whose relationship with Speed Darlington has been caught with controversy and legal tension in recent years.
Their feud began when Speed Darlington accused Burna Boy of leveraging his connections with American mogul Diddy to win his Grammy, making unfounded insinuations during an Instagram rant.
The comments didn’t go unnoticed when Burna Boy took legal steps, filing a petition for defamation and cyberstalking.
This led to Speed Darlington’s arrest and detention, sparking public outcry and raising concerns about celebrity influence over law enforcement.
Speed Darlington later issued a public apology, claiming his comments were meant as jokes. Yet, he demanded ₦12 million and a public apology from Burna Boy’s mother as conditions for forgiveness a request that received no public response.
Now, with Portable’s receipt of a cash gift from Burna Boy, fans are interpreting the move as a token of appreciation sent by African giant for beating his rival.
While Burna Boy has yet to officially confirm the payment, the story continues to generate reactions online.
For some, it’s a petty feud taken too far. For others, it’s just another entertaining episode in the evolving saga of Nigerian celebrity culture.
