Ghana’s National Sports Authority has lifted its nationwide professional boxing ban, in a boost to Anthony Joshua. The NSA suspended the sport after the deaths of two pugilists in the space of six months.Joshua hasn’t boxed since his defeat to Dubois in September 2024GettyIn March, Nigeria’s Gabriel Oluwasegun Olanrewaju collapsed mid-way through his bout with Jon Mbanugu at Bukom Boxing Arena in the Ghanaian capital of Accra before later dying in hospital at the age of 40.Then, in September, 27-year-old hometown fighter Ernest Akushey passed away after a stoppage loss to Jacob Dickson in the same venue.The NSA didn’t make the decision lightly and did so in order to come up with a new set of reforms to improve the safety of the national sport.After much deliberation, the NSA confirmed on Thursday that all boxing activities are now permitted to resume following ‘significant progress in addressing the key issues that led to its suspension.’The statement also read that: “The Authority looks forward to a vibrant return of professional boxing and also encourages local as well as foreign promoters – investors to bring international bouts and collaborations to Ghana under these enhanced standards.”What does this mean for Anthony Joshua?Amidst the ban, Eddie Hearn‘s Matchroom Boxing announced its first show in West Africa on December 20, headlined by a light heavyweight clash between Craig Richards and Dan Azeez.The British compatriots are set to meet at the Legom Sports Stadium in Accra, Ghana, in an event that Hearn has described as a crucial ‘precursor’ for a potential AJ fight in the same city in February.Joshua hasn’t set foot in the ring since his crushing knockout loss to Daniel Dubois in September 2024.He was initially expected to fight again in the second quarter of 2025, but surgery on a lingering elbow injury delayed his return.Hearn recently declared that Joshua could launch a comeback at the back end of this year on the undercard of one of Matchroom’s remaining shows.GettyJoshua is eyeing a Ghana fight night in February[/caption]At the time of writing, there are eight separate events that Matchroom is either promoting or co-promoting before the end of 2025.The biggest of these is the Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn rematch on November 15 in London, which seems extremely unlikely due to the tight timeframe.Jesse Rodriguez is also set to square off against Fernando Martinez in a super flyweight unification on the RING IV bill on November 22, while Ben Whittaker tops a homecoming card on November 29.Other events include Jai Opetaia vs Huseyin Cinkara and Shabaz Masoud vs Peter McGrail on December 6, Diego Pacheco vs Kevin Sadjo on December 13, Giorgio Visoli vs Joe Haworth on December 17, and Richards vs Azeez on December 20.The final major show of the year is Ring V on December 27, headlined by Naoya Inoue vs Alan Picasso.However, Matchroom is not listed as a promoter, even though it is advertised on their website.