The renowned boxer Anthony Joshua is considering the possibility of fighting in Ghana and Nigeria before an expected match against Tyson Fury in 2026, according to statements from Eddie Hearn, promoter of Matchroom. Joshua, who will turn 36 soon, hasn’t stepped into the ring since his technical knockout loss to Daniel Dubois in September 2024. After recovering from an elbow injury, he is expected to fight again at the end of this year or the beginning of 2026. Among Joshua’s possible opponents are Martin Bakole and former WBC heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder. Bakole, 33, from Congo, could be Joshua’s opponent in Nigeria. Wilder, 40, secured his second victory in six fights in June and is expected to fight in early 2026.
Hearn revealed that there have been approaches from Africa, something that Joshua wants to do before retiring from boxing. The main goal of Joshua and Hearn is to finalize the fight against Fury, who hasn’t fought since he lost to Oleksandr Usyk.Initially I thought not, but now it’s possible that AJ will fight this year.
Eddie Hearn
Daniel Dubois, with a notable victory over Anthony Joshua in September.
Hearn has held talks with Turki Alalshikh, an influential figure in the boxing world, to finalize the Joshua vs. Fury fight.Hearn also mentioned that Joshua is looking to regain his fighting rhythm before the expected fight with Fury in 2026. Hearn is also working with Alalshikh to finalize the fight against Tyson Fury.I’ve never heard him talk about someone like he talks about Tyson Fury, not just wanting to fight him, but saying he’s looking forward to knocking him out.
Eddie Hearn
