Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is 'stable' after 2 die
in car accident in Nigeria
[December 30, 2025]
By OPE ADETAYO
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Anthony Joshua, the two-time former world
heavyweight champion from Britain, was in a stable condition in the
hospital Monday after being involved in a car crash in Nigeria that
killed two people who were close friends and team members, his promoter
said.
Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing said on X that Joshua “sustained injuries
in the accident and was taken to hospital for checks and treatment" and
he will “remain there for observation.” It named Sina Ghami and Latif
Ayodele as the two passengers who had “tragically passed away.”
Photos on social media showed Joshua being extricated from a wrecked
vehicle while he was wincing in pain.
“Following thorough clinical evaluations, medical professionals have
confirmed that both patients (hospitalized after the accident) are
stable and do not require any emergency medical intervention at this
time,” a joint statement by Lagos and Ogun state governments said.
The Lagos state commissioner for information, Gbenga Omotoso, confirmed
the accident in a post on X, adding that the government had sent
ambulances to the crash site.
The crash occurred on a major thoroughfare — the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway
which links Ogun state to Lagos, the country’s economic capital — at
about 11 a.m. local time. Nigeria is the homeland of Joshua’s parents.
Ogun State Police earlier said in a statement: “The vehicle conveying
Mr. Joshua, a Lexus SUV, was involved in the accident under
circumstances that are currently being investigated. Joshua, seated in
the rear of the vehicle, sustained minor injuries and is receiving
medical attention with another injured person."
According to Olusegun Ogungbemide, spokesperson for the Federal Road
Safety Corps, preliminary investigations indicated the vehicle was
“traveling beyond the legally prescribed speed limit on the corridor,
lost control during an overtaking maneuver and crashed into a stationary
truck," which was by the side of the road.
The Ogun state government said that “preliminary reports indicate that
two male foreign nationals died on the spot.”
‘Life is much more important than boxing’
Joshua beat YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul on Dec. 19 in a bout in
Miami, which he was using to regain sharpness in the ring. He lost the
world heavyweight title in 2021 to Oleksandr Usyk.
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In this photo provided by the Federal Road Safety Corps, people
gather at the accident scene of British boxer Anthony Joshua in
Lagos, Nigeria, on Monday, Dec. 29, 2025. (Federal Road Safety Corps
via AP)
“Life is much more important than boxing. I am praying for the lost
lives, AJ and anyone impacted by today’s unfortunate accident,” Paul
said Monday.
Nigeria's president calls Joshua
Nigeria’s president, Bola Tinubu, called Joshua in hospital.
“I spoke with AJ on the phone to personally convey my condolences
over the death of his two associates,” the president said on X. “I
wished him a full and speedy recovery, and prayed with him. AJ
assured me he is receiving the best possible care. I also spoke with
his mother and prayed for her. She was deeply appreciative of the
call.”
No further details on Joshua's condition were given.
“Anthony Joshua is in an undisclosed hospital being treated for his
injuries,” Lanre Ogunlowo, the commissioner of police for Ogun
state, told the AP. He said he has no further information on the
injuries.
Hearn had earlier told Daily Mail Sport that he was “away on a
family holiday and awoke to the news of this incident.
“We are trying to contact Anthony and in the meantime we don’t want
to speculate on how he is but thankfully he appears OK from what I
have seen in the images."
Joshua briefly went to boarding school in Nigeria at the age of 11.
He returned there for the first time in 17 years in 2019, ahead of a
fight against Andy Ruiz Jr.
Joshua has been in talks to fight fellow Briton Tyson Fury in 2026.
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