Concerns have been raised over the health of Nigerian singer Portable following his celebrity boxing match with skit maker Carter Efe, which ended in a defeat for the ‘Zazuu’ crooner.
A Nigerian doctor based in Canada, Dr Arinze Onwumelu, popularly known as Dr Zo, has publicly advised that Portable undergo an urgent brain examination after reviewing footage of the bout held in Lagos over the weekend.
The fight, which attracted massive attention on social media, quickly went viral after Portable was overpowered by Carter Efe, sparking mixed reactions from fans and public commentators.
In a video and online post circulating on Monday, Dr Onwumelu recommended that the singer undergo a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan to rule out possible internal head injuries.
According to him, some of the punches delivered during the match appeared to target sensitive areas of Portable’s head, raising fears of a potential subdural haematoma a serious and possibly life-threatening brain condition.
“This is an exhibition match meant for entertainment, not a real fight to harm anyone. The contenders are not expected to fight to that extent,” the doctor said.
“From what I watched, the kind of punches delivered means Portable may never recover from them. Anyone close to him should take him for an MRI and proper brain test. There may be an artery that might have been damaged.”
He further urged organizers of celebrity boxing events to make protective headgear mandatory in order to reduce the risk of severe head injuries among participants.
Prior to the bout, Portable had expressed confidence in his fighting ability, boasting that he had previously defeated rapper Speed Darlington and actor Charles Okocha in earlier celebrity boxing encounters.
