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British-Nigerian boxing champion Anthony Joshua has sparked conversations online after claiming Nigerians misled him about Ghana, PM has learnt.

In a now-viral Instagram video, the 35-year-old boxer expressed deep admiration for Ghana during a courtesy visit to former President John Dramani Mahama at the Jubilee House in Accra.

Joshua was in Ghana for the Legacy Rise Sports: Battle of the Beasts boxing event on June 13, 2025, and has since made headlines for his glowing remarks about the country’s culture and hospitality.

“Coming to Ghana actually wasn’t on my agenda,” Joshua revealed during his meeting with President Mahama. “Because, for some reason, everyone in Nigeria puts Nigeria above Ghana. But I’m now here, and I’m looking around like—they’ve been lying to me.”

His comments have stirred reactions across social media, with many users either applauding his honesty or playfully reacting to the rivalry between the two West African nations.

While in Ghana, Joshua participated in several engagements—from visiting local markets to private meetings with community leaders. His involvement in the boxing event, spearheaded by Sharaf Mahama, not only showcased Ghana’s growing sports industry but also changed his perception of the country.

“I’m impressed with your beautiful country, the amazing culture, the hospitality, the airport facilities, and the organisation of events here,” Joshua said. “I can’t wait to go back and tell everyone across the world how beautiful this place is.”

In a heartfelt gesture, Ghanaian businessman Ibrahim Mahama gifted Joshua a high-end Honda motorbike, estimated to be worth between $10,000 and $18,000. The gift was a token of appreciation for Joshua’s support of Sharaf Mahama’s vision to promote boxing in Ghana.

Joshua, visibly thrilled, rode through the streets of Accra on the motorcycle—an image that quickly captured attention online.

Meanwhile, a viral video also showed Sharaf Mahama teaching his younger sister, Farida Mahama, basic self-defence techniques at the Battle of the Beasts event, earning him praise as a caring brother and advocate for youth empowerment.

The boxer’s visit has not only highlighted Ghana’s hospitality but also reopened light-hearted debates on social media about the friendly rivalry between Nigeria and Ghana.

Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury must happen this year, says George Groves: ‘I wouldn’t bother with any other fights’

George Groves is himself no stranger to being in a domestic rivalry, as he pleads with Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury to clash.

The British legend once fought Carl Froch in an iconic duology which ended in back-to-back defeats for ‘Saint George’. But this is why the former super middleweight champion has urged both parties to make a deal.

Rumours have circulated of Anthony Joshua mounting a return with a two-fight deal which could see him face Jared Anderson.

And with Tyson Fury reportedly training in the gym, despite his retirement, the conversation about a potential bout has returned.

George Groves wants Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury this year

While AJ is scheduled for a comeback against a different opponent, the 37-year-old believes there is no other fight to make.

Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “If I was either guy, I’d just fight each other and that’s it. I wouldn’t bother with any other fights.

“I’m sure the money’s great and that but who’s going to be paying through the nose for either guy to not fight each other?

“Just save it now, fight each other with no more mileage on the clock, no more risks.”

Groves believes there is a “number” which would make it “worthwhile” for both men that they are holding out for.

Now Turki Alalsheikh is involved in the sport, money is not seen as an obstacle to super fights.

As soon as the money is agreed, the Hammersmith fighter thinks it should happen as soon as possible.

He said: “That fight will be nailed on. He’s had surgery, Joshua, and Fury’s out running. I’m pretty sure they’ll box in September, October, rematch next year.”

Other all British heavyweight contests

This contest would likely be one of the biggest British heavyweight fights of the last two decades if sealed.

Wembley would be the only location but it would bring back sore memories for the Watford boxer.

Last September he took on fellow Brit Daniel Dubois but was devastatingly knocked out in the fifth round.

Although he has successfully beaten a fellow compatriot with a seventh-round stoppage of Dillian Whyte in their London derby.

Morecambe’s own is also no stranger to a domestic dust-up.

A night in one of boxing’s greatest venues Wembley Stadium saw the then-WBC champion floor Whyte with an uppercut in the sixth round to retain his crown.

He also holds three wins over Derek Chisora with the most recent being a tenth-round stoppage at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

However, these pale in comparison to Lennox Lewis’s seventh-round TKO of Frank Bruno at the National Stadium.

Their 1993 clash surrounded an era of a UK boom period in the sport and their bout should be a blueprint for this era’s heavyweight spectacle.

No one on the planet has a better insight into fighting both Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury than Oleksandr Usyk.

Usyk has shared 24 hard-fought rounds with both of these former world champions. He took on Joshua in 2021 and 2022 with the wins securing him the IBF, WBA and WBO world titles. The Ukrainian then went on to stop Daniel Dubois in August of 2023 before taking on Fury.

The first fight with ‘The Gypsy King’ came in May 2024 and saw Usyk very nearly stop the Brit in the 9th round, though he had to settle for a win on the scorecards. In December, the pair rematched and Usyk won again, this time by unanimous decision, leading to Fury announcing his retirement just weeks later.

It is hoped he makes a return to the ring for an epic and long-awaited showdown with Joshua, who most recently lost to Dubois in September.

Speaking to Boxing King Media after his second fight with Fury, Usyk sided with Joshua if the pair were to fight.

“Maybe Anthony Joshua. Maybe [on] points.”

More recently, Usyk has told Mail Sport that if he had the choice for a trilogy fight to end his career after his upcoming rematch and undisputed contest with Dubois, he admitted he would rather it came against Fury.

For now, Fury remains retired and Joshua is on the sidelines recovering from minor elbow surgery, though he is expected to return later this year.

Should Usyk become a two-time undisputed champion by beating Dubois, he has a mandatory to deal with in Joseph Parker, though many feel he may vacate the belt in favour of a more lucrative showdown.

George Groves believes Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury are destined to fight in October – with a rematch following next year. The Battle of Britain is yet to commence with Fury having retired in January – for the fourth time in his career.

And the unpredictable Gypsy King has so far stuck to his word – but Groves theorises that he is just waiting for the right offer to come in.

He told Sky Sports: “There must be a number that makes it worthwhile for both guys.

“Maybe they’re just waiting for that number. You don’t need to announce that fight now if it’s not happening till October.

“That fight will be nailed on. He’s had surgery, Joshua, and Fury’s out running. I’m pretty sure they’ll box in September, October, rematch next year.”

Joshua, 35, recently had surgery on his elbow and is yet to fight since being knocked out by Daniel Dubois, 27, in September.

Fury, 36, meanwhile announced his retirement one month after rematch defeat to Oleksandr Usyk, 38.

AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn revealed a return fight is targeted before focusing on a potential two-bout deal with Fury in 2026.

But former super-middleweight champion Groves said: “If I was either guy, I’d just fight each other and that’s it. I wouldn’t bother with any other fights.

“I’m sure the money’s great and that but who’s going to be paying through the nose for either guy to not fight each other?

“Just save it now, fight each other with no more mileage on the clock, no more risks. Stuff goes wrong in camp or even on fight night.

“Both have been beat. Fury hasn’t won well for a long time. Just box each other.”

British boxing legend Ricky Hatton has had his say on what might happen in a long-touted heavyweight showdown between Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder.

Joshua and Wilder spent many concurrent years as heavyweight champions but never managed to get into the ring together.

‘AJ’ unified the division and held the WBO, WBA and IBF belts after wins over the likes of Alexander Povetkin, Joseph Parker, Charles Martin and Wladimir Klitschko, while Wilder knocked out every man he faced across his first 40 contests, including Luis Ortiz, Dominic Breazeale and Bermane Stiverne.

However, he came up against Tyson Fury in 2018 and drew, then fought the Brit twice more in 2020 and 2021 and was stopped both times. Since then, he has failed to win his belts back and taken further losses against Parker and Zhilei Zhang.

Joshua also lost in 2020 and 2021, both times to eventual undisputed ruler Oleksandr Usyk on points, and he has since been stopped by Daniel Dubois while challenging for the IBF title back in September.

In a round of winner stays on with Mail Sport Boxing, Hatton was asked who would come out on top between ‘AJ’ and ‘The Bronze Bomber’ were they to meet.

“Anthony Joshua.”

Both Joshua and Wilder have vowed to fight on, with Wilder returning this month against Tyrell Herndon and Joshua set to come back later in the year after recovering from minor elbow surgery.

Should both men win, they could well finally meet in the ring in 2026, though many fans are also clamouring for ‘AJ’ to face Fury, should he reverse his retirement decision.

Anthony Joshua was very late to his fight with Daniel Dubois, but trainer Ben Davison refuses to blame it for the loss.

Joshua suffered a devastating KO defeat to British rival Dubois at Wembley Stadium last September.

AJ was favourite to win the fight, and the boxing fraternity have come up with many theories to try and explain his defeat.

One of those is that Joshua already looked uncomfortable during his incredible ring walk just moments before the fight unfolded.

But Davison, in an exclusive appearance on talkBOXING, explained that preparations were far from ideal.

He revealed that pre-fight preparations were a rush as a result of logistical struggles, but insisted there were no excuses over the defeat.

The renowned coach said: “This isn’t an excuse, he’s never mentioned it and it’s not the reason we lost.

“He was very very late arriving to the dressing room before the fight for unforeseen circumstances.

“It was a major rush which wasn’t ideal. Maybe that had an impact on his ring walk, I can’t say yes or no.

“Again it’s not an excuse, but if what you guys were seeing is true, maybe the fact he was late then that didn’t help.

“The fights before we had an extremely long warm-up, this time it was the complete opposite.

“But this time it was a big rush, although it wasn’t why he lost.”

Joshua ultimately succumbed to a KO defeat, with Dubois letting his heavy hands go.

The former two-time champion looked to be coming back into the contest in a strong fifth round after a difficult start.

But after trading shots with Dubois, he was left slumped to the canvas and it ended his hopes of becoming a three-time world champion.

Daniel Dubois and Anthony Joshua

He has yet to step back in the ring since, having had elbow surgery which has set back his return date.

It is hoped that he will return in the final quarter of 2025, with some big fights still available.

Joshua wanted to face bitter rival Tyson Fury, but for now the ‘Gypsy King’ is retired.

Eyes from his camp could also be on the undisputed title rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Dubois on July 19.

And Davison believes a discussion will need to be held over his next move, but he is open to going straight for glory again.

He continued: “I’m not a massive fan of the ‘everybody needs activity’.

“It’s not ideal after the injury, it’s hard to say the likes of Deontay Wilder is a tune-up fight.

“There are discussions that would need to happen, but his goal is to become a three-time heavyweight world champion.”

The two-time heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua and President John Dramani Mahama celebrated men in the Ringway Gospel Centre- Assemblies of God Church on Father’s Day.

The celebrated boxer arrived in Ghana on Friday, June 13, 2025. He came to join the President’s son, Sharaf Mahama’s Battle of the Beasts boxing event — a collaboration between Legacy Rise Sports and Amir Khan Promotions. Anthony Joshua and President Mahama serve congregants to commemorate Father’s Day.

On Sunday, June 15, 2025, Anthony Joshua attended church with President Mahama and his children. The First Lady, Lordina Mahama, was not present. The day was also commemorated as Father’s Day around the world.

After the service, President Mahama and his family arranged gift boxes for the men in the church. That was their way of making the men feel special on such a day.

In an Instagram video, President Mahama, together with Anthony Joshua, handed the gift boxes to the congregants of the church.

Farida, Sharaf and Shahid were also present to help share the gift boxes. At one point, Sharaf signalled to Anthony Joshua who to give the boxes to.

Anthony Joshua is plotting his route back to the top of the heavyweight division after almost a year out.

Joshua’s last outing was a devastating KO loss to IBF World Champion Daniel Dubois back in September last year. It came after four solid wins over Jermaine Franklin, Robert Helenius, Francis Ngannou and Otto Wallin following back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk.

The former two-time world champion is looking to return for one last hurrah, with many hoping there is still a chance he takes on the currently retried Tyson Fury before the end of his career.

Speaking to The Ariel Helwani Show, promoter Eddie Hearn laid out some potential comeback opponents, including 25-year-old American knockout artist Jared Anderson.

“Yeah Dillian Whyte was probably the front runner to be honest, but now it looks like he’s gonna fight Moses so that was a curve ball.

“Jared Anderson has been mentioned. Obviously, Deontay Wilder is back soon. I think ‘AJ’ would have been out the ring just over a year by the time he steps back in the ring, he will be coming off surgery. I don’t think Fury is going to be ready to fight around that time anyway. I expect it will be someone who is going to gear him up for a really big fight in 2026 and probably 2026 will be his last year in the sport.”

Anderson was building up a fine head of steam in 2023 and 204. He got to 16 wins, 14 by KO, but then stepped up against Martin Bakole, who stopped him inside five rounds in August last year. In February 2025, Anderson returned to winning ways with a points win over Marios Kollias, though did not look his destructive best.

Turki Alalshikh still wants Tyson Fury to box Anthony Joshua this year, but the Saudi adviser is trying not to push the “Gypsy King”, it seems.

In January, Fury announced he was retiring from boxing, after numerous reversed retirements in recent years. The claim came one month after his second loss to Oleksandr Usyk, who outpointed the Briton in May and December.

On Saturday, Joshua sat close to Alalshikh at the latest Riyadh fight night, while Fury was nowhere to be seen. Alalshikh later stressed that he still wants to see an all-British clash between the heavyweights, and that he is in contact with Fury – but not about the fight.

“I want Tyson [next for Joshua],” Alalshikh told the The Stomping Ground. “I spoke with him, but I don’t talk about boxing. I just check about his health and his family.

“I think maybe he’ll return. Yes ,[I think he will return], I hope so.”

On Saturday, Joseph Parker knocked out Martin Bakole in two rounds, after the latter replaced IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois on two days’ notice.

Dubois, who knocked out Joshua in September to retain the belt, withdrew from his defence against Parker due to illness. Joshua said on Saturday that he wanted to step in but could not, owing to injuries.

“He’s a fighter, that’s what he’s supposed to do,” Joshua said of Bakole. “I wanted to step in, I got my injuries.

“I get Martin Bakole’s mentality. If you got the belief and that power that Bakole has, that’s all you need. He wouldn’t have taken this fight if he’s not ready. I think he believes in himself more than his fitness. I just think he believes in himself.”

Joshua already holds a win over Parker, having beaten the New Zealander on points in 2018 to win the WBO heavyweight title.

The former two-time heavyweight champion has hinted at a return to the ring despite calling it quits after back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk