Heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua has been approached to fight in Democratic Republic of Congo, the African nation that staged the Rumble in the Jungle in 1974.
Sky Sport reported that Congo DR, then-called Zaire in 1974 when Muhammad Ali’s rope-a-dope tactics outfoxed George Foreman in a legendary heavyweight title fight, now wants to host a Joshua fight.
Kubrat Pulev is leading the race to be Joshua’s next opponent although Oleksandr Usyk is also an option.
“[Promoter Eddie Hearn] is exploring an option in [Congo]. There has been an approach,” Joshua’s manager Freddie Cunningham told Sky Sports
Joshua has proudly spoken of his Nigerian heritage and a fight in Nigeria or Africa, following in Ali’s famous footsteps, is on his “bucket list”.
“For the next fight, Africa is not the right time. But at some point he 100 per cent wants it,” Cunningham said.
Joshua’s first two overseas fights came this year – the shock loss to Andy Ruiz Jr in New York and the rematch victory in Saudi Arabia.
But Tottenham’s new stadium in London has emerged as a realistic location for Joshua’s next fight.
Promoter Eddie Hearn previously said: “There are a lot of options internationally, but he does want to box back in the UK.
“[Tottenham] would be keen to do it and it would be a nice stadium to do it in London.”
Cunningham added: “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.”
