A Nigerian boxing promoter is working toward an all-British heavyweight contest in Lagos that would pair Anthony Joshua against rising contender Moses Itauma, expressing certainty that Joshua will eventually fight in the country and describing a potential matchup between the two as a landmark event for African boxing.
The promoter, working under Balmoral Promotions, is already building the infrastructure for major boxing events in Nigeria, having staged successful shows in 2025 and with another card planned for Lagos on July 31. The long-term ambition extends to positioning Africa as a significant destination for combat sports, with the combination of Joshua’s Nigerian heritage and Itauma’s Nigerian father making that particular matchup both commercially and culturally compelling.
Why Joshua in Nigeria makes sense
Joshua’s connection to Nigeria predates any commercial consideration. His Nigerian heritage has been a consistent part of his public identity throughout his career, and he had been expected to fight in the country earlier this year before his plans were altered by a fatal car crash in December that killed two of his close friends. That tragedy pushed back any Nigerian event, but it did not end the aspiration.
The promoter said a formal offer had previously been made to bring Joshua to Nigeria without resulting in an agreement, but expressed confidence that the match will happen at some point regardless of how that timeline develops. The framing was that momentum rather than perfection drives how such events get built, and that each successful card in Nigeria makes the next step easier.
Itauma’s own connection to the country adds a dimension to the proposed fight that goes beyond boxing logic. He visited Nigeria in 2025 and the promoter indicated he is genuinely interested in fighting there, describing him as someone who understands and values his roots. A Joshua-Itauma card in Lagos, both men with ties to the country, fighting in front of a home crowd in one of Africa’s largest cities, carries the kind of emotional and commercial electricity that rarely comes together naturally.
What the proposed fight would mean for African boxing
The promoter described such an event in terms that reflect ambitions beyond a single fight card. He described the potential Joshua-Itauma matchup in Nigeria as a genuine blockbuster, the kind of fight with the profile and the narrative weight to attract the largest streaming and broadcasting platforms. He referenced conversations with DAZN, the sports streaming service, as part of building toward that kind of programming in the African market.
Government support and the backing of major local brands were cited as elements that make the environment increasingly viable for world-class boxing events in Nigeria. The combination of local infrastructure, institutional support, and commercial partnerships with international broadcasters represents the kind of ecosystem that has been built in Saudi Arabia around boxing over the past several years, and the comparison suggests what the long-term vision looks like.
The broader context of Fury, Joshua, and British heavyweight boxing
While the Nigeria negotiations are a future project, the more immediate business involving Joshua centers on his anticipated fight with Tyson Fury later this year. That event is still being finalized, with discussions ongoing around a venue in London and a start time that satisfies both the British audience and the American broadcast window. Negotiations around that start time have been a sticking point, with the organizer behind the event insisting on a 2 a.m. local time to serve the United States audience.
Joshua is also preparing for an interim fight before that main event, keeping him active while the larger commercial picture is resolved. The Nigeria discussion is a 2027 conversation at the earliest, but the promoter is clearly building toward it with a confidence that comes from having already demonstrated the ability to stage viable major events in the country.
