Anthony Joshua’s long-held ambition of fighting in Nigeria is about to come true as promoter Ezekiel Adamu announced intentions to stage the heavyweight superstar’s first contest in Africa in early 2026.
Dr. Adamu, CEO of promotional organization Balmoral, intends to bring the British-Nigerian back for a historic homecoming battle in the first quarter of next year.
The ambitious promoter, who is organizing Nigeria’s “Chaos in the Ring” event on October 1 in Lagos, informed The Ring that conversations with Joshua’s team have been extremely favorable.
“I spoke with him, I spoke with his team, and they already said to me, ‘If we had an offer from Nigeria, it’s a match made in heaven,’” Adamu said.
“Joshua has always said that before he ends his career, he wants to fight in Nigeria, and we are going to make that fight happen.”
Adamu said that he intends to stage the fight at the 50,000-capacity Abuja Stadium, with an all-African lineup.
“For that, it would definitely be two Africans. So we are thinking Joshua against maybe Tony Yoka; there is Martin Bakole, and Deontay Wilder, also of Nigerian descent, wants to do an African fight, too. There are different names,” he said.
The promoter dismissed suggestions that Joshua compete in Ghana instead, arguing that Nigeria is the obvious decision for the former two-time world heavyweight champion.
“I heard rumors about Joshua fighting in Ghana, and I laughed it off because, for me, where is the story in there? Joshua is Nigerian,” Adamu said.
“Now we have a big promotion, and Nigeria is the biggest market. It’s a no-brainer for Joshua to fight in Nigeria.”
Joshua was born in Watford but attended school in Nigeria. He has a tattoo of the country’s outline on his right shoulder as a tribute to his roots.
Adamu feels Nigeria has the facilities and capacity to be a heavyweight boxing hub, citing the country’s advantages.
“We’ve got the population, we’ve got the infrastructure, and we’ve got the technical know-how,” he said. “This is just the start.”
“We see October 1 as just a little sneak peek. This is really just a showcase of what Nigeria is about and what we can make happen. We have big plans coming,” Adamu told The Ring.
Adamu has identified several heavyweight stars with Nigerian links who may appear in future events.
Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, has previously mentioned the potential of the heavyweight going to Africa to fight professionally, but the idea has remained mostly theoretical until now.
The proposed 2026 bout would be a watershed event for African boxing, potentially opening the door to additional high-profile fights on the continent.
