British-Nigerian heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, is preparing for a historic return to his roots as plans are underway for him to stage his first professional boxing match in Nigeria in early 2026. His promoter, Ezekiel Adamu of Balmoral Promotions, confirmed that discussions with Joshua’s camp are progressing positively, with the boxer himself eager to make the event a reality.
According to Adamu, the fight is scheduled to hold at the Abuja Stadium, which can host up to 50,000 fans. He disclosed that Joshua could face an African opponent, with names such as Tony Yoka, Martin Bakole, or even Deontay Wilder—who has Nigerian heritage—being considered for the bout.
The promoter dismissed speculations that Ghana might host the fight, insisting that Nigeria is the natural choice given Joshua’s heritage and strong fan base. Joshua, who was born in the UK but schooled partly in Nigeria, has often celebrated his roots, even sporting a tattoo of the country’s map on his shoulder.
Adamu emphasized that Nigeria has the infrastructure, population, and technical expertise to successfully host world-class boxing events. He noted that an upcoming boxing show in Lagos, tagged “Chaos in the Ring,” is only a glimpse of the bigger vision to place Nigeria firmly on the global boxing map.
The much-anticipated 2026 fight is being hailed as a landmark moment that could open doors for more international boxing contests across Africa.
