Mostly like exceptionally brilliant artists who found their success in an environment different from their origin, the boxer Anthony Joshua longs to fight a future opponent in Africa and that is simply just connecting with his roots.

Such a fight would mean so much for tourism in Nigeria, particularly the Sagamu community in Ogun State where Joshua originates from. He has a fan base there who have long welcomed the idea which looks like it has been set into motion.

It looks like it because a boxing promoter Eddie Hearn had opened up about the possibility of having a bout happen between Anthony Joshua and perhaps, the former UFC champion Francis Ngannou.

But this is not the legendary fight catching Hearn’s main focus. It is the one that happened in 1974 between George Foreman and Muhammad Ali – it was billed as The Rumble in the Jungle. This was staged on 20 May of the year in Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo) and the next six months would be marking half a century since the bout happened.

“With that anniversary approaching”, says Hearn telling the BBC Newsday last week, “we’ve often talked about a big Anthony Joshua fight – even revisiting the famous scenes in Zaire of the Rumble in the Jungle.

“We’ve had a couple of approaches. Obviously, Anthony Joshua – with his Nigerian descent – is always keen to visit and stage a major event there.

“Visually, it would be incredible and something Anthony would love to tick off the box before the end of his career.”

If such an enormity of a fight should happen, there are questions about who a worthy opponent could be.

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One question surrounds if Joshua’s potential adversary is Tyson Fury. Well, that name certainly checks with what the former heavyweight champion Joshua has been thinking. Ever since he lost in a split decision bout he had with the Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk in August 2022, he has been looking to regain his authentic image of being a great boxing threat to the top echelons in the world.

A fight with Fury who already has a taste of Francis Ngannou and won almost certainly offers the floor to crawl back to retaining champion titles; although it will be difficult Joshua is up for it.

Ayodele Johnson

Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.