ANTHONY JOSHUA could have his own Rumble in the Jungle after talks were held for the Brit star to fight in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Muhammad Ali recorded arguably the most famous win in boxing history when he knocked out George Foreman in eight rounds to win the world heavyweight title in October 1974.
Muhammad Ali won the Rumble in the Jungle against George Foreman to regain the world heavyweight title in 1974
Joshua has been approached to fight in the DR CongoCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Ali’s iconic win took place in the country then known as Zaire and was beamed around the world to a TV audience of more than one billion people.
It was partly bankrolled by late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi and commentated on by British broadcasting legend Sir David Frost.
Promoter Eddie Hearn revealed the 20th of May Stadium in Kinshasa which hosted the original bout is under reconstruction and he has been approached about Joshua replicating history and defending his belts there.
Hearn told BBC Sport: “There’s been meetings held about that.
“The DRC is looking to regenerate the stadium. That’s special, that’s legacy. That’s career defining. It’s probably the most famous venue in the world, or fight, of all time.
“It’s pie in the sky at the moment, but the approach is there.
“[Joshua] wants to create a legacy in the sport. When you look at the resumé, he’s boxed everywhere you can box in the UK, at Madison Square Garden, Saudi Arabia.
“To put Africa, China and the Far East on the resumé, that’s when you get to global star status. He has no interest in that but he wants to create history.”
Joshua was stunned last June as underdog challenger Andy Ruiz Jr scored an upset to dethrone the 30-year-old of the WBA, IBF and WBO titles.
But AJ roared back in the rematch at the start of December, exacting revenge in Riyadh, Saudi.
Hearn has already hinted the unified champion could return to the Middle East for a mega-money Battle of Britain against Tyson Fury.
But that will have to wait as Joshua has mandatory defences against Kubrat Pulev and Oleksandr Usyk while Fury rematches Deontay Wilder next month, with a trilogy bout also signed.
Hearn is still negotiating terms with IBF challenger Pulev as they eye a stadium fight in the UK – but offers to fight abroad will bring in more cash for the heavyweights.
The promoter explained: “For AJ we’ve established the IBF mandatory was called long before the WBO one.
“Kubrat Pulev is the frontrunner, but of course in this situation Kubrat Pulev is mandatory and is thinking ‘I want as much money as possible for this fight’.
“We want to do the fight in the UK – which is probably the place where there’s the least amount of money for this fight.
“But at the end of May or early June for us, many venues in the mix – Emirates, Spurs, Twickenham we’ve requested, Millennium Stadium.
“It’s time to come home. But Pulev’s got to be in agreeance with that and hopefully we get that over the line.
“If you asked him where he wants his next fight to be he’d say London, so that’s what we’re going to try and deliver.”
Joshua regained his heavyweight belts against Andy Ruiz Jr in Saudi ArabiaCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Joshua is expected to face Kubrat Pulev, who he was due to fight in 2017 before the Bulgarian got injured, in his next fightCredit: AFP or licensors
Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury will NOT take place in the UK as Saudi Arabia offer twice the money, says promoter Eddie Hearn
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
