EDDIE HEARN has revealed Africa as the destination for his last show of 2025, while talk of a potential Anthony Joshua fight in Nigeria continues to gather momentum.
It is well documented that Joshua, 28-4 (25 KOs), who has not fought since his fifth-round stoppage defeat to Daniel Dubois in September 2024, is considering offers from Nigeria and Ghana ahead of his next outing.
Initially, it appeared as though Ghana was the frontrunner to stage the 35-year-old’s comeback fight, only for a suspension of boxing in the West African nation to see Nigeria emerge as the more likely location.
Earlier this month, meanwhile, cruiserweight contenders Brandon Glanton and Marcus Browne headlined a show in Lagos, Nigeria, with promoter Dr. Ezekiel Adamu believing that the event showcased his credentials to deliver a possible ‘AJ’ showdown.
“It is no secret that Anthony Joshua wants to fight in Africa before ending his career,” Adamu told Boxing News. “AJ is Nigerian by blood – his family is Nigerian.
“Nigeria also has the largest population in the whole of Africa – over 250 million people – and is the economic capital of Africa, so we believe that the story would be best if [Joshua] comes and fights in Nigeria.
“The world has seen what we can do, so we are going to put our best foot forward and have already made an offer [to Joshua’s team].
“I’ll tell you what, when Nigeria comes knocking, we take some beating. We’re confident that, at the end of the day, we are going to be triumphant.
“It all depends on what Eddie [Hearn] and Matchroom [Boxing] decide, and [if Joshua does fight in Nigeria], we would rely on their guidance and professionalism to make it worthy of being Rumble in the Jungle 2.”
Adamu has made it clear that his plan, at least to begin with, was for Joshua to headline a Nigerian boxing show in the first quarter of 2026.
But with the two-time world heavyweight champion’s promoter, Matchroom boss Hearn, suggesting that his client could return to action before the end of this year, perhaps Adamu may need to put the wheels in motion sooner than expected.
In addition to that, Hearn has revealed in an interview with Sportico and The Boxing Mob that Matchroom is heading to Africa on the weekend just before Christmas.
And while there has been no indication as to who could appear on that card, it has also been confirmed by Adamu that his next event, headlined by a British-Nigerian heavyweight, is fixed for December 19.
But regardless of whether Joshua fights in Nigeria before 2025 comes to a close, a selection of potential opponents, including Tony Yoka, Martin Bakole and Deontay Wilder, have already been floated by Adamu.
“There’s a lot of names being thrown at us for this fight,” the Nigerian promoter said. “We would like it to be an all-African fight, but it’s up to Matchroom.
“Our matchmakers are putting together all the proposals, but we are going to let Matchroom decide the best possible opponent for AJ.
“This goes beyond boxing – it’s about the impact on youth engagement, tourism, and it’s basically everything for us in Africa. So having AJ come here is beyond boxing; it’s legacy.”
While Joshua remains a possible candidate to headline in Africa before the end of this year, it would also appear that heavyweight contender Lawrence Okolie is firmly in the mix.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ Ringside Toe2Toe podcast, Okolie’s trainer, Joe Gallagher, said: “Lawrence was out in Nigeria at the boxing event [on October 1], and I think Lawrence wants to fight out there.”
