Ghana May Host Anthony Joshua’s Bout In December

Anthony Joshua could be heading to West Africa before the end of the year, with reports suggesting that the British-Nigerian heavyweight may fight in Ghana on December 20.

The bout is expected to form part of a Matchroom Boxing event scheduled for the Legon Sports Stadium in Accra.

According to BoxingScene, Joshua is being lined up to feature on the card, although any official announcement will come only from the former unified world champion himself.

The event is expected to be headlined by a light-heavyweight contest between Craig Richards and Dan Azeez, while India’s Nishant Dev and heavyweight prospect Leo Atang are also pencilled in to appear.

For years, Joshua has spoken of his desire to fight in Africa. Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn recently confirmed that talks are ongoing, hinting that Joshua’s next outing may serve more as a tune-up than a major title fight.

“Possibly,” Hearn told Boxing Social when asked if Joshua would fight again in 2025. “There will be no big-name fight this year. It wouldn’t be a headline, it wouldn’t be a pay-per-view, you don’t have to moan about it, it can just be part of something that’s already existed and on sale, so there would be no one moaning. It is just part of the development of getting into position of being 100 per cent ready for the big gamble.”

Hearn went on to explain, “If he fights this year, he won’t headline. We want to work almost in silence and improve, and get into the mode of being 100 per cent ready. This is about development and a bit of activity.”

The timing could not be better for Ghana, which recently lifted a temporary suspension on professional boxing following two tragic in-ring deaths. The Ghana Boxing Federation and National Sports Authority have since approved new safety and medical regulations designed to better protect fighters.

It remains unclear whether Joshua would step into the ring, act as a co-promoter, or simply lend his presence to the event. However, Hearn confirmed that the ultimate goal remains to prepare the 34-year-old for a major showdown next year.

“We’re going to get him in prime condition for the big one, and that’s all that matters,” Hearn said. When asked what “the big one” referred to, he replied without hesitation, “Tyson Fury.”

Naija News reports that Joshua’s most recent fight came in September 2024, when he was stopped in the fifth round by Daniel Dubois in a bid to reclaim the IBF heavyweight title.