By OPE ADETAYO Associated Press
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Anthony Joshua, the two-time former world heavyweight champion from Britain, was in a stable condition in the hospital Monday after being involved in a car crash in Nigeria that killed two people who were close friends and team members, his promoter said.
Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing said on X that Joshua “sustained injuries in the accident and was taken to hospital for checks and treatment” and he will “remain there for observation.” It named Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele as the two passengers who had “tragically passed away.”
Photos on social media showed Joshua being extricated from a wrecked vehicle while he was wincing in pain.
“Following thorough clinical evaluations, medical professionals have confirmed that both patients (hospitalized after the accident) are stable and do not require any emergency medical intervention at this time,” a joint statement by Lagos and Ogun state governments said.
The Lagos state commissioner for information, Gbenga Omotoso, confirmed the accident in a post on X, adding that the government had sent ambulances to the crash site.
The crash occurred on a major thoroughfare — the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway which links Ogun state to Lagos, the country’s economic capital — at about 11 a.m. local time. Nigeria is the homeland of Joshua’s parents.
Ogun State Police earlier said in a statement: “The vehicle conveying Mr. Joshua, a Lexus SUV, was involved in the accident under circumstances that are currently being investigated. Joshua, seated in the rear of the vehicle, sustained minor injuries and is receiving medical attention with another injured person.”
According to Olusegun Ogungbemide, spokesperson for the Federal Road Safety Corps, preliminary investigations indicated the vehicle was “traveling beyond the legally prescribed speed limit on the corridor, lost control during an overtaking maneuver and crashed into a stationary truck,” which was by the side of the road.
The Ogun state government said that “preliminary reports indicate that two male foreign nationals died on the spot.”
‘Life is much more important than boxing’
Joshua beat YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul on Dec. 19 in a bout in Miami, which he was using to regain sharpness in the ring. He lost the world heavyweight title in 2021 to Oleksandr Usyk.
“Life is much more important than boxing. I am praying for the lost lives, AJ and anyone impacted by today’s unfortunate accident,” Paul said Monday.
Nigeria’s president calls Joshua
Nigeria’s president, Bola Tinubu, called Joshua in hospital.
“I spoke with AJ on the phone to personally convey my condolences over the death of his two associates,” the president said on X. “I wished him a full and speedy recovery, and prayed with him. AJ assured me he is receiving the best possible care. I also spoke with his mother and prayed for her. She was deeply appreciative of the call.”
No further details on Joshua’s condition were given.
“Anthony Joshua is in an undisclosed hospital being treated for his injuries,” Lanre Ogunlowo, the commissioner of police for Ogun state, told the AP. He said he has no further information on the injuries.
Hearn had earlier told Daily Mail Sport that he was “away on a family holiday and awoke to the news of this incident.
“We are trying to contact Anthony and in the meantime we don’t want to speculate on how he is but thankfully he appears OK from what I have seen in the images.”
Joshua briefly went to boarding school in Nigeria at the age of 11. He returned there for the first time in 17 years in 2019, ahead of a fight against Andy Ruiz Jr.
Joshua has been in talks to fight fellow Briton Tyson Fury in 2026.
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AP boxing: https://apnews.com/boxing
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AP Sports Writer Steve Douglas in Sundsvall, Sweden, contributed to this report.