Anthony Joshua has paid tribute to two close friends killed in a car crash in December as he returned to the ring for the first time since the tragedy.
Sina Ghami and Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele died while the car they were travelling in struck a truck on a road near Lagos in December.
The heavyweight boxer, who was also in the vehicle, was taken to hospital before being discharged and flying home to the UK – where he attended the funerals of his strength and conditioning coach Ghami and Ayodele, one of his trainers.
And in his return to the ring after seven months of inactivity – beating Kristian Prenga by knockout in the second round after being knocked down twice himself in the first – Joshua honoured Ghami and Ayodele with their names on his military camo trunks.
Joshua walked to the ring wearing a military-style jacket to match his camouflage shorts. The jacket featured a medal bar displaying the IBF, IBO, WBA, and WBO titles – which he previously held – with the Ghami and Ayodele hanging alongside them.
Meanwhile, ‘Latz x Sina, My Brother’s Keeper, MBK’ was printed on the canvas in his corner.
Asked about how he has been coping after beating Prenga, Joshua said: ‘It’s been tough,’ before becoming emotional. ‘That’s my brothers. I don’t want to talk about that.’
Matchroom Boxing chief Eddie Hearn added on DAZN: ‘Nobody can imagine what he’s been through in that last seven months. In that first round, I thought we’d come back too soon.
‘Boxing got him through. To even be in the ring tonight is astonishing. You don’t know what he’s been through. He had to go to the depths one more time to get up, like he has done the last seven months.’
Anthony Joshua wears jacket featuring medal bar with ‘Sina’ and ‘Latz’ pennants
Joshua, born in Watford to Nigerian parents, was on holiday in Lagos after his win over Jake Paul in Miami on December 19.
In February, Joshua commemorated Ghami and Ayodele by having their names tattooed on his arm.
Oleksandr Usyk was ringside for the clash in Jeddah to support Joshua, whom he beat twice in world title fights. Usyk has been working closely with Joshua, supporting his training camp.
Victory for Joshua means he is on track to finally fight Tyson Fury in a long-awaited British heavyweight showdown.
