Nollywood actress Nkechi Blessing is grieving the sudden death of actor Chijioke “Cjay” Nwokafor, but her much-anticipated fight with reality star Phyna is still expected to go ahead on Thursday, October 1, 2026.
The development has raised questions among fans, with some wondering why the actress could postpone her movie but could not call off the boxing bout.
Nkechi has now addressed the questions in an emotional video, explaining that the two situations are different because she only had control over one of them.
How The Nkechi Blessing-Phyna Feud Started
The clash between Nollywood actress Nkechi Blessing and reality star Phyna did not start with the boxing ring. The two women appeared to have a cordial relationship before their disagreement spilled onto social media and eventually became a physical confrontation.
In August 2026, Phyna and Nkechi were still on friendly terms. Phyna had reached out to Nkechi about doing a joint livestream, and the two also discussed the possibility of Phyna appearing in one of Nkechi’s movies. Their conversations were friendly in the screenshots the reality star shared when explaining her side of the story much later. They also discussed details such as filming dates and Phyna’s fee for the proposed movie role.
Things changed in September after Phyna became involved in a separate disagreement with influencer Ashmusy over a proposed celebrity boxing match. Phyna accused Ashmusy of asking organisers to replace her as an opponent, while Ashmusy gave a different account, saying she simply did not want to fight Phyna because they were friends.
Against that background, Nkechi randomly called Phyna out on September 17 in an Instagram post. In a video, she questioned Phyna’s frequent online confrontations and asked, “Phyna, what’s your problem?” She also told the reality star to calm down, asking, “Must you fight with everybody?” Nkechi further referenced their age difference and said she had moved away from social media drama because she preferred her peace.
Phyna did not take the criticism quietly. She questioned why Nkechi had suddenly addressed her publicly when, according to her, they had not had any serious conversation after their earlier discussions. She shared screenshots of their previous conversations to show that they had been on good terms and asked Nkechi where the sudden confrontation was coming from.
What began as an exchange of words soon became more personal, with both women trading insults and responding to each other online. The situation escalated further on September 23, when footage emerged of the pair having a physical confrontation at media personality Morayo Brown’s studio, with attempts made to separate them.
By then, the disagreement had moved beyond social media. The celebrity boxing event provided a new setting for the rivalry when Balmoral Group Promotions announced that Nkechi and Phyna would face each other in the ring on October 1, 2026, at the Federal Palace Hotel in Lagos as part of Chaos in the Ring.
Their tension remained evident during the pre-fight activities, with the two women continuing to exchange heated words ahead of the bout. What started with a public disagreement had grown into a full-blown celebrity feud that would eventually see them settle their differences, at least physically, in the boxing ring.
Cjay’s Death Came Hours Before Nkechi’s Movie Release
Just hours before the scheduled fight, Chijioke “Cjay” Nwokafor died. The Nollywood actor’s death was announced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, leaving colleagues and friends in shock. Nkechi was particularly affected by the loss because, according to her, Cjay was not just a colleague but also a close friend. The actress revealed that she had spoken to him at about 8 a.m. on the day he died. She had also been checking on him while he was in the hospital.
News of his death came on the same day Nkechi was preparing to release her movie, Egusi Ogbono, in which Cjay featured.
The film was scheduled to be released at 5 p.m., but Nkechi cancelled the release following confirmation of his death. Reports at the time said no new release date had been announced.
In her tribute, Nkechi wrote that they had plans and expressed disbelief that she had spoken to him that morning only for him to die hours later.
Why She Postponed Her Movie
In a new video released on Thursday morning, October 1, Nkechi explained that postponing the movie was a decision she could make herself. She explained that she was not in the right frame of mind to focus on a movie following Cjay’s death, adding that she had already stopped the movie from showing “until further notice.” In her words:
“… Only one I have control over was my film and I already stopped it from showing until further notice. I’m not in the right frame of mind right now to even talk about a film.”
For Nkechi, putting the film on hold was her way of stepping back from the promotion and celebration that would have surrounded its release while she was mourning someone she considered a friend.
Why The Fight With Phyna Is Still Going Ahead
The situation is different with the fight. In same video Nkechi Blessing said she has no power to cancel the boxing event, even though she admitted that she wished she could.
“Sadly, I wish I could, but it is not in my power to stop,” she explained.
The celebrity boxing bout between Nkechi and Phyna was announced as part of Balmoral Group Promotions’ “Chaos in the Ring” event. It is scheduled for October 1 at the Federal Palace Hotel in Lagos.
The fight has also been heavily promoted because of the long-running tension between the two entertainers. With the event already scheduled and organised, Nkechi says the decision to proceed is not hers to make. Much of the criticism she addressed in her video appeared to come from people questioning why she could not simply stop the fight.
Nkechi said she understood why some people might feel disappointed, but pointed out that nobody had anticipated Cjay’s death.
“Nobody planned for anybody to die. Nobody planned for any of this to happen,” she said.
She also acknowledged that some people might struggle to understand why she could postpone her own movie but still participate in the fight.
“I know some people are going to be disappointed because I’ve seen a few comments already,” she said. However, she maintained that the fight was outside her control.
More Than A Colleague
Perhaps the most emotional part of Nkechi’s explanation was her description of her relationship with Cjay. She said they spoke almost every day and that she had continued checking on him while he was in hospital.
According to the actress, she was filming in Enugu while Cjay was in hospital and would have visited him if she had been in Lagos. She also recalled returning to Lagos and trying to deal with several things at once, including the planned release of her movie. In her words:
“It’s always very hard to do this. I’m not sure anybody has seen me set any camera when someone dies before.
I don’t know how to control my emotions but CJay was not just a colleague, he was a friend who we spoke almost every day. Even when he was in the hospital and I was in Enugu filming, if not I would have been there in the hospital but then I kept checking on him.”
Nkechi added that she spoke to him at 8 a.m. before his death, making the news even harder for her to process.
Nkechi Wants To Get The Fight Over With
Despite her grief, Nkechi said she intends to fulfil the commitment surrounding the fight and then focus on what comes next. She also assured her supporters that she would not disappoint them, regardless of the outcome of the bout. In her words:
“I just want to get this fight over and just focus on what next.
Regardless of the outcome of today’s fight, I want you all to know that I will never disappoint you.”
Her comments show that, for her, continuing with the fight is not a reflection of how she feels about Cjay’s death. Rather, she is separating something she could personally stop (her movie release) from an event she says she does not have the authority to cancel.
A Difficult Day For Nkechi Blessing
For Nkechi, October 1 is therefore not simply about stepping into the ring with Phyna. She is entering the event while mourning someone she says was a friend she spoke to almost every day. She has already postponed Egusi Ogbono and made it clear that she is not ready to discuss the movie at the moment.
But because she says the boxing event is not hers to cancel, she plans to honour that commitment before turning her attention to what comes next.
Her final message to those questioning her decision was simple: she apologised to anyone who felt disappointed and asked them to understand that she did not have control over everything that happened.
As she continues to mourn Cjay, Nkechi will now have to step into the ring with Phyna even though, by her own account, fighting is probably the last thing on her mind.
