Losing four high-octane encounters in five years rocked the career of two-time world heavyweight boxing champion, Anthony Joshua, to its foundation. But the effect of surviving a fatal accident that killed two friends is of seismic proportion. This explains why the world eagerly awaits Joshua’s next line of action, CHRISTIAN OKPARA reports.
For over a decade, Anthony Joshua has been one of the main stories in world boxing, with his triumphs and losses some of the biggest tales the sweet science has offered its public since the starry-eyed Iron Mike Tyson shook the world with his ferocious approach to the game in the early 1980s.
But recently, Joshua, who holds an Olympic gold medal and has also been the undisputed world heavyweight boxing champion on two occasions, has been on a not-too-good run in the trade that has made him a rich sportsman.
The champion, who rose from the streets of Watford, England and overcame legal issues pertaining to possession of illegal substances to become the world’s best heavyweight boxer, has been on a sloppy ride, with two losses in the last couple of years before his last fight with Jake Paul, a YouTuber, who is regarded as more of a content creator than a boxer.
But then, there are still some boxing purists who see in a well-focused AJ the ideal candidate to challenge the current undisputed world champion, Oleksandr Usyk.
Usyk dethroned Joshua to wear the crown in 2021 and defeated the Nigerian-born boxer in their rematch in 2022. Yet, others have been waiting for the much-touted all-British fight between Joshua and another former world champion, Tyson Fury, later this year. This proposed bout was expected to be the highest-grossing boxing fight in history. With both fighters guaranteed well over £100 million each.
But as things stand, all that has been put on hold by last week’s fatal accident on the outskirts of Lagos, in which two of Joshua’s trainers and friends lost their lives.
Although Joshua came out of the crash with minor injuries, the accident has cast doubts on his ability to return to the ring anytime soon. There are even those suggesting that the world may have seen the last of the Ogun State-born fighter in the ring.
Such speculation was rife early this week, when one of Joshua’s uncles, Adedamola, told a news outlet that the boxer is contemplating retiring from the sport that brought him fame, as advised by members of his family.
In the report, which went viral, Adedamola said: “The major thing there is that he has retired from boxing. That is one thing that makes us glad because each time he’s fighting in the ring, we are always carried away emotionally.”
But Joshua’s close associates insist that the former world champion has no intention of leaving the sport, for now. He is also reportedly still looking forward to a clash with long-standing rival Tyson Fury, following Fury’s declaration of an end to his year-long hiatus from the sport.
If that is the case, where would the motivation to return to the ring come from after the tragic demise of his close friends and trainers? The answer lies in the Spartan Boxing Club’s mantra: “Boxing is more than a sport; it’s a powerful metaphor for life’s struggles and triumphs. The stories of boxers who have faced and overcome extraordinary challenges are not just inspirational tales, but also lessons in perseverance, resilience, and the human spirit’s capacity to triumph against all odds.”
If anybody is built to overcome the grief of losing close relations, Anthony Joshua should be counted as one. Unlike many of the renowned past boxing greats, who embraced the sport in their infancy, Joshua first started boxing in 2008 at the age of 18.
This was after running battles with the law that saw him spending some time behind bars. Despite being a comparatively late starter in the sport, Joshua enjoyed a highly successful amateur career that saw him represent Team GB at the European and World Championships in 2011 before going on to emulate some British boxing greats by winning gold at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Perhaps Joshua’s mentality is better explained by his belief that his greatest battle is rather spiritual instead of technical.
Following the loss of his friends- his strength coach, Sina Ghami, and his personal trainer, Latif Ayodele- Joshua shared a deeply personal reflection on the fragility of life.
The emotional message has resonated far beyond the boxing ring, as Joshua described the experience as a wake-up call that puts his career and fame into a different perspective.
He expressed that while he has faced many dangerous opponents in the ring, nothing compared to the suddenness and helplessness of the crash.
Insiders say that this tragedy has caused Joshua to pause and re-evaluate his immediate future.
The physical recovery is only one part of the journey for the 36-year-old boxer. Beyond the bruises and shock, he is dealing with the immense psychological weight of his latest loss, which is by far greater than all four losses recorded in his entire professional career, summarised thus: 29-4-0.
Reflecting on the recent events, Boxing King Media quotes Joshua as saying, “In the grand scheme of things, everything that I chase and everything that I want to own to make me feel relevant on this earth, is not so important, because I can’t take it with me. All that’s guaranteed is death. All that’s going to be important is just living to the best of our capability. Ain’t it mad how fast life will go?”
According to reports, promoters and family members, including his mother, who has been by his bedside, are emphasising that there is no rush for him to get back into the ring.
The goal right now, they say, is to give Joshua the time and space he needs to heal both his body and his mind. The path to a full recovery will be a long process that requires patience from the entire sports world.
Fury’s promoter, Frank Warren, recently provided an update on the potential bout, admitting that a clash may not happen until late 2026 – if it happens at all. Warren told The Mirror of London that he is not sure what the future holds for Fury or AJ following the crash.
“Well, boxing will certainly be the last thing on his (Joshua’s) mind, right now,” he said. “He’s obviously lost two good team members, close friends who are now no longer with us, so that will be a big loss to him. I don’t know the extent of his injuries, but it’s also how mentally this will affect him.
“Boxing again will be the last thing on his mind, but tragedy can affect people in different ways; sometimes, you need something you can really focus on to pull through to the other side.”
Suggesting that the trauma from the crash could be too much for Joshua to contemplate returning to the ring, top WBC Cruiserweight title contender, Ajibola Kabiru Towolawi, told The Guardian that the best thing for the former world champion is to call it a day with boxing.
Tolowawi, who recently dispatched the hitherto unbeaten Ike Ibeabuchi in a heavyweight clash in Lagos, said: “I think the best thing for Joshua is to call it a day as his uncle has suggested. I am saying this because it will not be easy for him to step into the ring without two of his friends, who have always been with him.
“These are people he invited to Nigeria to enjoy with him after beating Jake Paul. Now the trauma of carrying these people in body bags back to London will be with him for a long time.
“I know that he has a mega fight planned against Tyson Fury, but I don’t think he can muster that strength needed for that fight. If he looks back on his corner, who will he see? It is a hard time for the champion.”He said that Joshua needs some time to heal psychologically before stepping back into the ring, “if he will ever do that again.”
But the International Representative on the Nigeria Boxing Federation (NBF) board, Azania Omo-Agege, disagrees with Tolowawi. Rather, he said that the loss of his close friends could serve as motivation for Joshua to return to his best possible shape in the ring. Omo-Agege said, “I don’t think Joshua has the kind of injury that will stop him from boxing.
“So far, we’ve not heard anything about anything that could take him out of boxing for months or for years. So, I don’t think that is the case at all. His uncle is not Anthony Joshua.
“We can only know what he intends to do next when we hear from him personally. And he’s also going to give reasons for whatever his decision will be.” Omo-Agege said that Joshua’s actions since he returned to England with the remains of his late associates show that he is on the right track.
“The first place he went was the funeral services of his best friends, where he made about three commitments, including the promise to take over the gym of one of his friends and also give some money to the family of his friends.
“He also promised to take care of their upkeep for the rest of their lives. So, I don’t think Joshua, the champion that we know, who has that spirit of boxing, wants to retire.”
On Joshua’s possible return to winning ways in the ring, especially now that there are some hungry fighters, including Moses Itauma, waiting to take over the heavyweight class, Omo-Agege described Joshua as a world champion with a “lion heart.”
He added: “Don’t forget he’s a Nigerian. He has the heart of a warrior, you understand, and if you put him and Itauma, they are both Nigerians, but I could tell you that Joshua will become the victor no matter what, anytime, any day.
“I’m sure he’s definitely going to go for a title shot anytime he returns. That is, unless he opts for retirement, which I don’t see happening.”
Pointing at Tyson Fury, who recently announced that he is coming out of retirement, Omo-Agege said it is always difficult for a champion who knows his onions to quit boxing.
“Tyson Fury retired, but he’s back again. This is the second or third time he is coming out of retirement. I don’t see them stopping boxing, that’s their life, their passion.”
