Anthony Joshua could face Nigerian heavyweight Efe Ajagba in his comeback fight, with promoter Eddie Hearn revealing the former two-time world champion’s potential opponents for his return to the ring, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Joshua has not set foot in the ring since his knockout loss to Daniel Dubois last September, but conversations surrounding a return are now being thrashed out.
Discussions surrounding Joshua’s next fight are in the preliminary stages, although Hearn has a rough idea of the type of opponent his client could face.
Joshua’s handlers are fielding offers from Ghana and Nigeria to host his comeback fight, and Hearn recently revealed that there are approximately 10 boxers in contention to be the Watford powerhouse’s next dance partner.
Pressed by iFL TV on pugilists that feature on the list, Hearn named Tony Yoka, Martin Bakole and Ajagba.
“The first fight back is not going to be Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, Daniel Dubois, Joseph Parker, or Moses Itauma. It’s going to be a proper fight, but it is not going to be against the top five. It might not even be against someone in the top seven or eight,” he said.
Hearn explained that Joshua’s team are planning a strategic comeback rather than rushing into a high-stakes bout.
“When you are planning something like this, you aren’t just going ‘Oh, who is he fighting first?’ We’re planning out probably the next three fights, and who we fight in fight three may even determine what we do in fights one and two,” he said.
When asked about Bakole, a man who has repeatedly called for a fight with Joshua, Hearn responded, “Bakole, I would say yes. That is not an easy fight. You have Ajagba as well, Nigerian, another great fight.”
If Joshua’s next fight is staged in Africa, then squaring off with one of the two biggest heavyweight names from the region makes considerable sense.
Bakole and Ajagba boxed to a majority draw in May and are currently eagerly awaiting their respective next steps. Ajagba recently pulled out of an IBF final eliminator with Frank Sanchez, meaning he is free to compete against whoever he wishes, while Bakole was back in the gym immediately after his last outing.
The potential Joshua-Ajagba clash would be particularly intriguing given the Nigerian’s previous comments about his compatriot.
In May, Ajagba boldly claimed Joshua “won’t last long” in the ring with him, declaring, “Yeah, 100 per cent I’ll beat him worse than Dubois.”
Ajagba, who is ranked No.10 by Ring Magazine, has also questioned Joshua’s Nigerian credentials, saying, “He’s not a real Nigerian. He might have just been there and that’s where his parents came from, but for me, I’m the original Nigerian, to be honest.”
The comments came despite Joshua publicly backing Ajagba ahead of his bout with Bakole, saying, “Efe is a good boxer, and obviously, I’m going to support Efe, even though he doesn’t support me.”
Joshua is expected to fight sometime in early 2026, with dates in January or February being the preference at this stage. This timeframe is unlikely to be an issue for Bakole or Ajagba.
The 35-year-old Joshua, who was dropped from Ring Magazine’s top 10 heavyweights this month due to inactivity, is looking to rebuild after his September defeat to Dubois and reclaim his position at the heavyweight division’s summit.
