Anthony Joshua pays emotional tribute to ‘my brothers’ after fatal Nigeria car crash
Grief-stricken Anthony Joshua has paid a heartfelt tribute to his two close friends who were sadly killed in a devastating car crash last week. British boxer Joshua was passenger in the Lexus SUV that collided with a stationary truck on a major expressway near Lagos, Nigeria.
The impact resulted in the deaths of two of Joshua’s close friends and team members, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele. Their funerals took place on Sunday at a mosque in London.
JUST IN: Everything Anthony Joshua has said about horrific car crash that
Joshua broke his silence on social media that day and has now shared another tribute on Instagram. “Thank you for all the love and care you have shown my brothers,” he wrote.
“I didn’t even realise how special they are. I’ll just be walking with them and cracking jokes with them, not even knowing God kept me in the presence of great men.
“100% it’s tough for me, but I know it’s even tougher for their parents. I have a strong mind, and I believe God knows their hearts. May God have mercy on my brothers.”
Joshua’s post comes after his promoter, Eddie Hearn, gave an update on his future in boxing. It’d been claimed that the 36-year-old was planning to retire, but Mirror Fighting understands that no decision has been made.
A potential fight with fellow British heavyweight Tyson Fury has been speculated, but Hearn wouldn’t commit to anything and wants give Joshua ‘time’ to grieve. “I think to be honest at this stage, it’s definitely a no comment from us. Just because of the respect to Anthony,” the promoter told talkSPORT on Thursday.
“Obviously with everything he’s been through with the tragic loss of Sina and Latz. At the moment, Anthony needs time. Time and privacy. There will be no conversations from us about a career, any moves, what’s next.
“This is a terrible tragedy and Anthony’s going to need his own time, physically and emotionally. And at the moment, there’s nothing to discuss or say. Let’s give him his time and pray for him and of course all the families involved in this terrible incident.”
It was Joshua’s uncle who initially claimed that the fighter was going to hang up his gloves following the tragedy, having recently beaten YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Miami.
Adedamola Joshua told The Punch in Nigeria: “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.”
Joshua, who has family roots in the town of Sagamu, had been in Nigeria over the festive period. A family member said that the former world heavyweight champion was on his way to visit relatives to celebrate New Year when the crash took place. Last Friday, the driver of the SUV, Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, was charged at Sagamu Magistrates’ Court.
