Follow usAnthony Joshua could finally realize his long-held dream of fighting in Nigeria, with major backing now in place to bring the heavyweight superstar home.
Ezekiel Adamu, CEO of Balmoral, the promotional company behind Nigeria’s Chaos in the Ring event on October 1, revealed that he has secured government support to stage Joshua’s first bout in Africa, targeting early 2026.
The Lagos show, headlined by Brandon Glanton’s clash with Marcus Browne and billed as “Nigeria’s biggest fight night ever,” is only the beginning, according to Adamu. “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,” he told The Ring.
“Of course there is Anthony Joshua,” Adamu said. “I heard rumours about Joshua fighting in Ghana and I laughed it off because, for me, where is the story in there? Joshua is Nigerian. Now we have a big promotion and Nigeria is the biggest market. It’s a no-brainer for Joshua to fight in Nigeria.”
Adamu said discussions with Joshua’s camp have been positive, revealing that both the fighter and his team are open to the idea. “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.’ 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 believes Nigeria has the potential to become a heavyweight boxing hub. “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.”
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