Anthony Joshua approached to stage title defense in Congo

IBF, IBO, WBA, WBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has been approached to stage what could be the next “Rumble in the Jungle.”

The nation that staged Muhammad Ali’s legendary title win over George Foreman in 1974, is now looking to stage a card headlined by Joshua.

“[Promoter Eddie Hearn] is exploring an option in [Congo]. There has been an approach,” Joshua’s manager Freddie Cunningham told Sky Sports.

Joshua has not fought in the UK since 2018.

He was stopped in seven rounds by Andy Ruiz in June, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and then earlier this month he traveled to Saudi Arabia to outbox Ruiz over twelve rounds to reclaim the heavyweight crown.

Tottenham’s new stadium in London is being discussed as the current leading location for Joshua’s next fight. IBF mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev is currently the leading candidate to challenge Joshua in his next fight.

“For the next fight, Africa is not the right time. But at some point he 100 percent wants it,” Cunningham said.

“It went so well in Saudi that they will want to be kept in the loop. And there are always options in the UK – Tottenham’s stadium is great and local to where AJ grew up.”

Hearn had previously stated that his superstar fighter was pretty focused on making the first defense, of his second reign, in the UK.

“There are a lot of options internationally, but he does want to box back in the UK,” Hearn said.

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“[Tottenham] would be keen to do it and it would be a nice stadium to do it in London.”