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Eddie Hearn reveals Anthony Joshua is considering fight offers from Africa and is still watching Tyson Fury fight

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Anthony Joshua is considering offers to fight in Ghana and Nigeria ahead of his 2026 megafight with Tyson Fury, according to Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn.

Joshua (28-4, 25 KO) will turn 36 next week and has not boxed since a knockout loss to English rival Daniel Dubois in September 2024. He is currently recovering from surgery on an elbow injury and Hearn has said he will return to boxing either overdue this year or early 2026.

Martin Bakole and former WBC heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder are reportedly vying to become Joshua’s next opponent after the biggest break of his professional career.

Bakole (21-2-1, 16 KO), 33, of Congo, is an option for Joshua to fight in Nigeria and has not won his last two fights after a second-round loss to Joseph Parker as a overdue substitute in February and then a draw against Efe Ajagba in May. Wilder (44-4-1, 32 KO), an Alabama native who turns 40 this month, recorded only his second victory in six fights in June and expects to fight in early 2026.

“I originally thought there wouldn’t be an AJ fight this year, but now it’s a possibility,” Hearn told ESPN.

“I went to Dubai to meet him and he’s really back, he’s withdrawn, he’s focused. It took him a good few months to come to terms with the defeat, then he got injured, then he went back to camp, then he rested, but then it all came back and he needed surgery, so another three months passed.

“It was a really frustrating time. But when I saw him in Dubai, I really wanted to look him in the eye and find out if he wants to make a quick buck before you give up, or if you really want it, and the answer is the latter: he really wants to become a three-time world heavyweight champion. That’s his motivation.”

Hearn also revealed that there had been offers from Africa as to what Joshua wanted to do before he retired from the sport.

“We had an approach from Ghana and now Nigeria. I think AJ fighting in Africa would be amazing.

“If he fights again in February or March, he will be out of the ring for 18 months. That’s plenty of time to get back to fighting a top 10 heavyweight, but he’s also Anthony Joshua and you have huge contracts, so you can’t just fight some random guy who’s ranked 100th in the world through eight rounds. If he wasn’t Anthony Joshua, you could do it, but in his position he’s it’s very tough.”

Joshua and Hearn’s top priority is securing a long-awaited fight against English rival and fellow two-time world champion Fury (34-2-1, 24 KO), who has not boxed since undisputed world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk passed him for the second time. Joshua, who also lost twice on points to Ukrainian Usyk, and 37-year-old Fury have been in talks to fight each other for five years without any fight.

Hearn recently held talks about making Joshua vs. Fury with Turki Alalshikh, president of the General Entertainment Authority in Saudi Arabia and the most powerful figure in world boxing.

“I’ve never heard him talk about anyone the way he talks about Tyson Fury, not only about wanting to fight him, but about how he can’t wait for the spark to knock him out,” Hearn told ESPN.

“I’ve never heard him say that before. He really wants to fight him and he really wants to beat him. But he’s also looking at the division and how it’s going to be split up a little bit, and he wants to get vigorous.”

“He said to me, ‘You know, some people go to smaller shows to get some exposure, some people go to Mexico to fight under the radar.’ It’s strenuous to do that when you’re probably the most famed boxer in the world. But when you’re sidelined for about a year, it’s very tough to get back into a huge fight without gaining that momentum.

“When we fight Fury or anyone who ever fights a huge fight in 2026, we’d just like to get some momentum going, which is good news for fight fans because he wants to fight, he wants to be vigorous. When I told him you probably have another 18 months, and he said, ‘Why are you counting it out?’

“I was in Riyad last week with His Excellency and he has a plan that he wants to implement for AJ as well, which inevitably includes a fight with Tyson Fury. Honestly, I think Turki Alalshikh is probably the only one who can make the fight with Tyson Fury happen because they will both want a huge sum of money and Turki has a reputation for organizing the biggest fights in sports. And the biggest fight in the sport is Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury, there’s no doubt about it.

“We’re ready. One of Turki’s greatest advantages is that he will individually make a deal with both sides. You make a deal with Turki and then you let him do the other side.”

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Gervonta Davis is in negotiations with her undefeated rival after 16 months of inactivity

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Gervonta Davis now in negotiations with undefeated rival after 16 months of inactivity

After an extended break, Gervonta Davis is currently in negotiations to defend her world title against an undefeated rising star.

“Tank” has not competed since March 2024, when was forced to controversially draw a majority in defense of the WBA lightweight title against Lamont Roach Jr.

A planned main event against Jake Paul last November was canceled due to Davis’ external issues, which led to the WBA awarding him the title on hiatus.

Earlier this year, it was reported that “Tank” was in talks for a showdown with former rival Isaac Cruz, but when the Mexican left, fans began to wonder if they would actually see the 31-year-old champion from Baltimore back in the ring.

However, any fears may soon be put to rest Boxing scene reported that Davis is in negotiations to fight Floyd Schofield. The WBA ordered a fight between the duo and gave them until June 22 to reach a deal before financial offers were announced.

The report states that officials close to the negotiations plan for the fight to take place in mid-September or early October.

Schofield is undefeated for 19 years and ranks first in the WBA rankings. He was previously scheduled to fight for a world title against Shakur Stevenson in February 2025 before he was forced to withdraw from the fight during fight week due to illness.

He has since claimed he beat Tevin Farmer by knockout, and his father and trainer, Floyd Sr., has insisted they want to fight Davis next and are extremely confident of winning.

The fight could hinge on Davis’ legal issues, as he was recently wanted by Maryland State Police after allegedly violating probation stemming from domestic violence allegations that resulted in the cancellation of his exhibition with Paul.

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Raymond Muratalla will defend his IBF lightweight title against Robson Conceição on August 1

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Image: Raymond Muratalla To Defend IBF Lightweight Title Against Robson Conceição On August 1

“After my last fight, the boxing world really knew who I was,” Muratalla said. “People saw me as an underdog even though I was the champion and I showed that I couldn’t be underestimated.

“Now I’m defending my title against another Olympic gold medalist and I plan to look even better. I’m focused, ready and I’ll take care of things on August 1.”

Conceição is looking to regain his world champion status after previously holding the WBC junior lightweight championship.

“They said it was impossible when I dreamed of winning an Olympic gold medal,” Conceição said. “They said that when I fought for my first world title, I achieved both and it’s no different now.

“I have great respect for Raymond Muratalla, but I am ready for this challenge. I want to prove that determination, experience and the heart of a champion are able to overcome any obstacle.

“On August 1, I will fight for myself, my family and all of Brazil.”

Muratalla enters the fight undefeated with a record of 24-0 and 17 knockouts. The California native was elevated to full IBF champion following the retirement of Vasily Lomachenko, and most recently defended his title following a decision victory over Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz in February.

Conceição (21-3-1, 10 knockouts) became the first Brazilian Olympic boxing gold medalist at the 2016 Games. The 37-year-old won the WBC junior lightweight title by defeating O’Shaquie Foster in July 2024 before losing the belt in a rematch later that year.

Top president Todd duBoef believes the fight will be a forceful addition to the August installment of “The Fight” series.

“Raymond Muratalla has established himself as one of the best lightweights in the world. His recent decisive victory over Andy Cruz reinforced his elite status in boxing,” said duBoef.

“The upcoming defense against Olympic gold medalist and former world champion Robson Conceição will keep fans entertained from the first bell.”

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Terence Crawford’s trainer names the boxing legend he would like to fight before he retires

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Terence Crawford’s trainer names the boxing legend he wishes they fought before retiring

Terence Crawford, under trainer Brian “BoMac” McIntyre, fought undefeated 42 times before retiring slow last year. Are there any fights left on the table?

The switch-hitter from Omaha, Nebraska won the world championship in five divisions – undisputed in two – and established himself as the best player of the generation. His swan song was a jump in weight to defeat Mexican icon Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.

Crawford is content in his retirement and, unlike many of his peers, he seems to find it uncomplicated to resist returning to the ring. While his skill level is undeniable, a criticism that has been leveled at him from the likes of Canelo and Ryan Garcia is that he doesn’t have many elite names on his record.

I keep talking podcast on the home page“BoMac” was asked if there was any fighter Crawford would like to face in his career, perhaps to further cement his legacy, and without hesitation he mentioned Manny Pacquiao.

“Manny Pacquiao. That would be great.”

Why it didn’t happen McIntyre says promoter Bob Arum, who worked with both fighters when the fight made the most sense, blocked it.

“Vertical [Arum] I just said it the other day. He stopped because he knew how this fight would end. [Pacquiao] he was a cash cow… He didn’t want to spoil the money.”

Crawford previously revealed that he had been pushing for a fight with Pacquiao back in 2015, when he was on his way to becoming the super lightweight world champion, but there were indeed other occasions in the following years where it might have made sense.

Interestingly, “PacMan” also pointed to Crawford as the one who escaped, but he believes that it was Arum who protected the American and not the other way around.

While it appears “Bud” will remain retired, Pacquiao’s career is heading in the opposite direction. The Filipino returned to the professional ranks last year, fighting to a draw with then-WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios. This year, he plans to have a rematch with Floyd Mayweather, although the details of the event are not yet known.

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