Boxing: Joshua Set To Fight In Nigeria In 2026

Anthony Joshua is acceptable to fulfil his long-held imagination of warring successful Nigeria aft promoter Ezekiel Adamu has revealed plans to signifier the heavyweight superstar’s archetypal bout successful Africa successful aboriginal 2026.

Dr Adamu, CEO of promotional radical Balmoral, hopes to bring the British-Nigerian location for what would beryllium a historical homecoming combat successful the archetypal 4th of adjacent year.

The ambitious promoter, who is down Nigeria’s “Chaos successful the Ring” lawsuit connected October 1 successful Lagos, told The Ring that discussions with Joshua’s campy person been overwhelmingly positive.

“I spoke with him, I spoke with his team, and they already said to me, ‘If we had an connection from Nigeria, it’s a lucifer made successful heaven,’” Adamu said.

Joshua has ever said that earlier helium ends his career, helium wants to combat successful Nigeria, and we are going to marque that combat happen.”

Adamu confirmed helium hopes to signifier the bout astatine the 50,000-capacity Abuja Stadium, with plans for an all-African contest.

“For that, it would decidedly beryllium 2 Africans. So we are reasoning Joshua against possibly Tony Yoka, determination is Martin Bakole and Deontay Wilder, besides of Nigerian descent, wants to bash an African fight, too. There are antithetic names,” helium said.

The promoter dismissed suggestions that Joshua could combat successful Ghana instead, insisting Nigeria is the earthy prime for the erstwhile two-time satellite heavyweight champion.

“I heard rumours astir Joshua warring successful Ghana, and I laughed it disconnected because, for me, wherever is the communicative successful there? Joshua is Nigerian,” Adamu said.

“Now we person a large promotion and Nigeria is the biggest market. It’s a no-brainer for Joshua to combat successful Nigeria.”

Joshua was calved successful Watford but spent clip astatine schoolhouse successful Nigeria and carries a tattoo of the country’s outline connected his close enarthrosis successful homage to his roots.

Adamu believes Nigeria has the infrastructure and imaginable to go a heavyweight boxing hub, pointing to the country’s advantages.

We’ve got the population, we’ve got the infrastructure, and we’ve got the method know-how,” helium said. “This is conscionable the start.”

“We spot October 1 arsenic conscionable a small sneak peek. This is truly conscionable a showcase of what Nigeria is astir and what we tin marque happen. We person large plans coming,” Adamu told The Ring.

Adamu has identified aggregate heavyweight stars with Nigerian connections who could diagnostic successful aboriginal events.

Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, has antecedently suggested the anticipation of the heavyweight returning to Africa to combat professionally, though the conception had remained mostly theoretical until now.

The projected 2026 bout would correspond a important infinitesimal for African boxing and could unfastened the doorway for much high-profile fights connected the continent.