Anthony Joshua Back In The Gym After Car Crash
Anthony Joshua has taken his first steps back into training after a devastating car crash in Nigeria that killed two members of his inner circle.
The former world heavyweight champion was injured in the accident on 29th December near Lagos, when the vehicle he was travelling in hit a stationary truck. Two of his close friends and team members, his strength and conditioning coach Sina Ghami and his trainer Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele, died at the scene. Joshua suffered minor injuries and was later treated in hospital before returning to the UK to attend their funerals.
Nineteen days on, Joshua has shared videos on Snapchat showing him back in the gym. The clips showed him doing light pad work, riding a stationary bike and easing himself into exercise. One video was captioned with the phrase “mental strength therapy”.
The workout was deliberately low intensity and marked his first punches since his December win over Jake Paul in Miami, which came just 10 days before the crash while he was on holiday in Nigeria.
Joshua has previously spoken about the emotional impact of losing Ghami and Ayodele, posting a tribute in which 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.”
His promoter Eddie Hearn has stressed that no decisions about Joshua’s boxing future will be rushed. Speaking to Sky Sports, Hearn said: “He will need his time physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually before he makes a decision on his future. I do think he will want to return to boxing, but that will be his decision when the time is right.”
Hearn added that discussions about fights are off the table for now, explaining that the priority is Joshua’s wellbeing. “The only conversation is 'are you OK?' and sometimes we find people will give that facade of being OK, but what happened to him is not normal and heartbreaking for all involved,” he said.
Speaking separately to talkSPORT, Hearn reinforced that stance, saying: “At the moment, Anthony needs time and privacy. There will be no conversations from us about his career. Nothing about any move or what's next.”
Before the tragedy, Joshua had been expected to have a busy year, with talk of a return to the ring early in the year and a possible long-awaited clash with Tyson Fury later on. Those plans are now firmly on hold as he focuses on recovery and healing.
