‘It’s tough for me, but tougher for their parents’ — Anthony Joshua speaks on friends’ deaths

By Ayobami Okerinde

Former world heavyweight boxing champion, Anthony Joshua, has opened up on the emotional toll of losing two of his close friends in a road accident.

Joshua survived a crash on December 29 along the Lagos-Ibadan Motorway which claimed the lives of his friends, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele. The boxer was pulled from the wreckage and rushed the Hospital for treatment.

In a post shared on Instagram on Thursday, the boxer described the loss as deeply painful, while noting that the impact was even greater on the families of the deceased.

He wrote, “Thank you for all the love and care you have shown my brothers.

“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.”

Following the incident, Joshua is reportedly weighing the possibility of retiring from professional boxing.

According to a report by The Punch, Joshua’s uncle, Adedamola Joshua, disclosed that the 36-year-old boxer privately informed his family of the decision in the aftermath of the accident.

In an interview with the newspaper on Monday, Adedamola said the boxer’s decision brought a sense of relief to relatives who have long struggled with the emotional toll of his career.

“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,” he said.

He added that watching Joshua fight had become increasingly distressing for the family. 

“Each time he’s knocked down, it is just like the heart is coming out of our chest. All these emotional feelings whenever he’s fighting, it’s too much trauma for us,” he said, confirming that Joshua had communicated his intention directly to the family.

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