Pro boxer Anthony Joshua has broken his silence after a tragic car crash in Nigeria killed two of his friends and sent him to the hospital.
Joshua posted two photos via Instagram on Sunday, January 4, with the caption “My Brothers Keeper ❤️🪖❤️” as a tribute to his two friends, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, who died in the accident.
The crash occurred on Monday, December 29 when Joshua, 36, was driving on the Lagos–Abeokuta Expressway in Nigeria, the country’s busiest highway.
At the time of the incident, local police confirmed to the BBC that Joshua was “fine,” despite experiencing some minor injuries.
Anthony Joshua’s ‘Close Friends’ Killed in Car Crash That Sent Him to Hospital
Several photos shared on social media appear to show a shirtless Joshua being removed from the vehicle.
An eyewitness statement shared with a Nigerian outlet claimed that Joshua was “seated behind the driver” at the time of the accident and there was “another person beside him” in the vehicle.
Later on Monday, Matchroom Boxing confirmed in a statement that the two victims in the vehicles were Ghami and Ayodele.
“With profound sadness it has been confirmed that two close friends and team members Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele have tragically passed away,” Matchroom Boxing said in a statement.
Joshua was taken to a hospital after the accident.
“He is in stable condition and will remain there for observation,” the statement added. “Our deepest condolences and prayers are with the families and friends of all those affected — and we ask that their privacy is respected at this incredibly difficult time. No further comment will be made at this time.”
Ghami was the founder of Evolve Gym and worked closely on strength and conditioning with Joshua. His final social media post was uploaded last month, showing him working on Joshua’s body before the pro athlete’s December 19 boxing match against Jake Paul.
Ayodele was a trusted friend of Joshua’s and worked as his personal trainer. Joshua’s final social post before the crash showed the friends playing table tennis together.
Joshua is a former two-time heavyweight champion, who most recently knocked out Paul, 28, in their highly anticipated matchup, which streamed on Netflix from the Kaseya Center in Miami.
Jake Paul Knocked Out By Opponent Anthony Joshua in Heated Boxing Clash
The match-ending blow, which ultimately broke Paul’s jaw, came after the influencer appeared to taunt Joshua by sticking out his tongue.
“It wasn’t the best performance. It wasn’t the best,” Joshua admitted after the win. “The end goal was ‘pin Jake Paul down and hurt him.’”
Joshua has been boxing since he was 18. He earned the gold medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games representing Great Britain. He’s held the unified world heavyweight championship belt twice in his career, first from 2017 to 2019, then again from 2019 to 2021.
“My mind is filled with a different kind of pain. Just the stuff I want to do to my opponents. I want to compete. I want to fight. I want you to hit me. Then, I am going to hit you back 10 times harder,” he told Daily Mail Sports earlier this month. “I just want to compete and that’s where my mind is.”
