The next phase of Matchroom Boxing’s global expansion will take place on December 20 in Ghana with the company’s first ever show on west African soil.
Matchroom CEO Frank Smith held exploratory talks in Ghana’s capital, Accra, in August and now Eddie Hearn has told The Ring that a deal has been agreed for their first show there.
Although it is not part of that initial agreement, Hearn also added that the show, five days before Christmas, will act as a crucial ‘precursor’ to a potential Anthony Joshua fight in the same city during February. Even though he has suggested that Joshua could box again this year, Hearn insisted it would not be on this card.
“We’re doing a show in Ghana on December 20th,” Hearn said. “Obviously this will not be an AJ show but it’s still going to be a good show.
“The idea is that this is probably a precursor for an AJ show out there but it’s not part of our initial deal. We can just get the lay of the land with this one.
“Frank [Smith] went out there for a site visit and was impressed by what he saw. This deal is with the same people.”
The confirmation from Hearn comes less than a month after all boxing activities in Ghana were suspended following the death of super-middleweight Ernest Akushey following his fight with Jacob Dickson at the Bukom Boxing Arena, Accra.
It was the second tragic death of a professional fighter in Ghana in the space of six months following on from that of Nigerian Gabriel Oluwasegun Olanrewaju, who collapsed during a fight with Jon Mbanugu in Accra in March. He was rushed to hospital but later died.
In response to the two fatalities, Ghana’s National Sports Authority suspended boxing in the country in an attempt to ‘protect lives, uphold the integrity of the sport and ensure its future,” a statement read.
There is no specific end date for the suspension, which is expected to last until new safety measures are agreed upon and implemented but Hearn is under the impression that their show on December 20 will not be affected. Sources close to the situation have indicated to The Ring that the suspension will lift in time for this event.
“We are working on what fighters will feature on the card at the moment,” Heard added.
“There will be some with Ghanaian backgrounds and then some of our own fighters as well. Then we are looking to go back there with AJ in February.”
It is understood that former world light-heavyweight title challenger Craig Richards (19-4, 12 KOs) is one of the Matchroom boxers in the running to feature on the card. The 35-year-old, who was beaten in his challenge for Dmitry Bivol’s WBA title in 2021, has not boxed since he stopped Padraig McCrory in March. But now he could return in the main event of what will be an historic event for Matchroom.
Their founder Barry Hearn has promoted on the continent before, most notably Chris Eubank’s October 1994 fight with Dan Schommer at Superbowl, Sun City in South Africa but they have never held an event in the west. Ghana could join a long list of countries in which Matchroom have promoted boxing which currently includes, among others, Mexico, Japan, Abu Dhabi and Italy.
Nigeria has recently emerged as a potential location for big time boxing, with Amir Khan and Dr Ezekiel Adamu joining forces to stage the cruiserweight contest between Brandon Glanton and Marcus Browne on October 1.
They are set to return to the Nigerian capital of Lagos on December 18, two days before Matchroom’s planned Ghana show. During an interview with The Ring earlier this year, Adamu revealed that he had hoped to tempt Joshua, who is of Nigerian descent, into a fight in Lagos during 2026.
However, should Matchroom, who have promoted Joshua for the entirety of his professional career, successfully navigate their Ghana debut on December 20, it is likely that the two-time world heavyweight champion’s first outing in Africa will take place in Accra.
