The British star’s future in the sport of boxing remains uncertain after he was involved in a tragic car crash over in Nigeria last month
10:42, 15 Jan 2026Updated 10:42, 15 Jan 2026
Anthony Joshua after beating Jake Paul(Image: Getty Images for Netflix)
Anthony Joshua ‘s boxing future remains unclear after promoter Eddie Hearn reaffirmed his star client needs some time away.
Last month, Joshua was a passenger in the the Lexus SUV that collided with a stationary truck on a major expressway near Lagos, Nigeria. The tragic incident claimed the lives of two of the boxer’s close friends and teammates, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele. Their funerals took place at a mosque in London earlier this month.
The fatal crash took place a few days after Joshua’s return to the ring against YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul. In a rather uninspiring heavyweight showdown, the Brit would go on to knock the boxing novice out in the sixth round, having dropped his rival twice the previous round.
Joshua was in Nigeria for a holiday and to visit family after his clash with the ‘Problem Child.’ The 36-year-old has been tight-lipped over his fighting future these past few days, and during a recent interview with Sky Sports, when asked whether he expects the boxer take time some time away before discussing next steps, Hearn replied: “Yeah, I do. That’s not a conversation that I think anyone’s comfortable in having in terms of asking what could be next or what he’s thinking.
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“That’s something that has to come next. You need someone to have their time and to just be left alone, really, to get over, like I said, not just a terrible incident, but just one that you can never prepare for in life. You never, ever want to see anybody you know in any kind of this situation.
“It’s heartbreaking. And when the time is right, I believe he will make his decision. You’ll hear it from him. The future of Anthony Joshua will be told by Anthony Joshua. And that’s the only voice you should listen to in that respect. And we’ll give him his time to make that decision and to heal specifically in many different ways. What happened to him is not normal and it’s heartbreaking for everybody involved, particularly the families of Sina and Latz, who were so incredibly loved.”
The boxing promoter added: “I think AJ, as we’ve seen in the past on boxing-related stuff, he’s always a kind of brave-faced guy. This, of course, is very different to that. But I know that he’ll take his time and he’ll need his time physically and mentally, emotionally, spiritually before he makes a decision on his future.
“I do think he’s going to want to return to boxing, but that’ll be his decision when the time’s right. It’s certainly not a conversation that I’ll be having with him anytime soon. The only conversation now is [asking], are you okay? Our thoughts are, of course, not just with the families of Sina and Latz, but with AJ as well. We pray for him every day.”
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Last week, stunning reports emerged that the Brit’s uncle revealed his nephew had told his family he intends to hang up his gloves. 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.” Mirror Fighting understands Joshua has not provided an update on his fighting future yet.
Ahead of Joshua’s return to competitive action last month, the boxing fraternity was left stunned after both ‘AJ’ and Tyson Fury had agreed to fight in 2026. A report revealed that the pair must first get through respective tune-up fights before a summer showdown. However, Fury’s boxing promoter, Frank Warren, is now unsure whether a clash will materialise.
Speaking to The Mirror, he said: “Well, boxing will certainly be the last thing on his [Joshua’s] mind, right now. He’s obviously lost two team members who were good, close friends who are now no longer with us, so that will be a big loss to him. I don’t know the extent of his injuries, but it’s also how mentally this will affect him. Boxing again will be the last thing on his mind, but tragedy can affect people in different ways; sometimes, you need something you can really focus on to pull through to the other side.”