Boxing star survives deadly Nigeria crash (VIDEO/PHOTOS)
British former world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua has been injured in a car crash in southwestern Nigeria that killed two members of his team, authorities in the West African country have reported.
A Lexus SUV carrying the boxer collided with a commercial Sinotruck parked on the roadside of a major expressway in Ogun State, near Lagos, around midday on Monday, Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said on X.
“Two persons sadly lost their lives, one sustained injuries, while two others escaped unhurt. Anthony Joshua was rescued alive and sustained minor injuries,” FRSC wrote.
According to Joshua’s promoter, Matchroom Boxing, the two men who died were the boxer’s close friends and team members, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele.
“Anthony sustained injuries in the accident and was taken to hospital for checks and treatment. He is in a stable condition and will remain there for observation,” the group said in a statement.
Yesterday or indeed today is not a time to gloat over the horrific accident that nearly claimed the life of international boxing icon @anthonyjoshua Joshua. Tragically, it did take the lives of his associates and possibly the driver involved. Their deaths must not be reduced to… pic.twitter.com/SYVjn9Dlmx
— Omoyele Sowore (@sowore) December 30, 2025
Ogun state police confirmed the accident, saying the boxer was seated “in the rear of the vehicle” and suffered “minor” injuries.
The FRSC said preliminary investigations show that the vehicle carrying Joshua and his team was travelling “beyond the legally prescribed speed limit” on the highway.
“The primary causes of the crash being excessive speed and wrongful overtaking constitute serious traffic violations and remain among the leading causes of fatal road crashes on Nigerian highways,” the FRSC said on X.
Joshua, 36, won a gold medal in the super-heavyweight division at the 2012 London Olympics before turning professional in 2013. He has since held multiple world heavyweight titles, including the WBA, IBF, WBO, and IBO belts.
On December 19, Joshua knocked out American YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in the sixth round of a bout in Miami, marking his return to the ring after an absence of over a year.
Following the crash involving Joshua, Paul wrote on X on Monday that “life is much more important than boxing,” adding that he is “praying for the lost lives, AJ, and anyone impacted by this unfortunate accident.”
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu said he has spoken with Joshua to personally convey his condolences over the passing of the boxer’s two close associates.
