Anthony Joshua may never have the ‘appetite’ to fight again after narrowly surviving a car crash that killed two of his best friends, Tyson Fury’s promoter Frank Warren believes.
Joshua, 36, was a passenger in the back of a black Lexus when it ploughed into a stationary truck on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Makun, Nigeria, on Monday, tragically claiming the lives of Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele.
The two-time world heavyweight champion had been visiting family in Nigeria as part of a one-week holiday, with a view to resuming training ahead of a fight in late March, prior to his proposed showdown against Fury in the autumn of 2026.
But with fears over his injuries being worse than has been publicised, as well as the mental torment of two of his friends dying, it remains unclear whether Joshua will be fit enough – or even want to – return to the ring.
‘This is an awful time for everyone involved and hopefully AJ has come out of it physically well,’ Warren told ITV News.
‘But mentally is another issue. I don’t even know if he’ll have the appetite to fight again or if he will fight again, that is something that only time will tell.’
Tyson Fury’s promoter Frank Warren is unsure whether Anthony Joshua will ever fight again
Joshua was in a horrific car crash that killed two of his best friends in Nigeria on Monday
Fury, who has been managed by Warren since February 2019, himself paid tribute to Joshua’s friends Sina and Latif – who he wished would be given ‘a good bed in heaven’.
A fight between the two British heavyweights has long been in the pipeline and Warren himself admitted that a deal would be struck to make the fight happen in 2026 should the financial package be right.
Sources close to Joshua, who most recently fought Jake Paul less than a fortnight ago, say he is set to remain in hospital for New Year’s Eve and at least a couple more days.
Police investigators confirmed the car crash was caused by a tyre blowout after Joshua’s Lexus ‘lost control’. Local authorities told Daily Mail Sport that Joshua is ‘stable’ and suffered only ‘minor’ injuries, though there are fears they could be more severe.
Traffic police believe the car was travelling over the 50mph speed limit and lost control during ‘an overtaking manoeuvre’ on what locals have claimed is one of Nigeria’s deadliest roads, according to The Telegraph.
Babatunde Akinbiyi, the Police Commander of Nigeria’s Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (Trace), reported that the vehicle had ‘experienced a tyre burst because of excessive speed’.
Joshua pictured with friends Latif Ayodele (centre) and Sina Ghami who both died in the crash
An eyewitness told PUNCH newspaper: ‘It was a two-vehicle convoy: a Lexus SUV and a Pajero SUV.
‘Joshua was seated behind the driver, with another person beside him. There was also a passenger sitting beside the driver, making four occupants in the Lexus that crashed. His security detail was in the vehicle behind them before the crash.
‘Other eyewitnesses and I began the rescue and flagged down oncoming vehicles to assist. A few minutes after the crash, officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps arrived.’
Nigeria’s president revealed on Monday that Joshua’s mother Yeta Odusanya had rushed to his bedside at the hospital after being informed of the crash.
