Anthony Joshua Resumes Training After Tragic Accident

British boxing star Anthony Joshua has made his way back to the gym following a devastating car accident that claimed the lives of two of his close friends and team members.

The 36-year-old former heavyweight champion sustained only minor injuries during the incident that occurred in Nigeria on December 29.

His companions, Sina Ghami and Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele, tragically passed away when their car collided with a parked truck on a major highway close to Lagos, where Joshua was also a passenger.

Nineteen days after this harrowing event, Joshua shared a video on Snapchat, showcasing himself working out and striking pads, captioned with the phrase “mental strength therapy” on one clip.

Prior to the crash, he had secured a victory over Jake Paul in Miami on December 19, just ten days before the accident while he was vacationing in Nigeria.

Last week, he took to Instagram to pay tribute to his strength and conditioning coach, Ghami, and trainer, Ayodele.

“I didn’t even realize how special they are,” he reflected. “I’ll just be walking with them and cracking jokes with them, not even knowing God kept me in the presence of great men.”

He added, “100% it’s tough for me, but I know it’s even harder for their parents.”

Promoter Eddie Hearn expressed his belief that Joshua will return to the sport when he feels ready.

On Wednesday, Hearn spoke to Sky Sports, stating, “He will need his time physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually before he makes a decision on his future.”

He continued, “I do think he will want to return to boxing, but that will be his decision when the time is right. It is certainly not a conversation I’ll be having with him any time soon.”

Hearn emphasized, “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 concluded by noting, “When the time is right, I believe he will make his decision and you will hear it from him. That is the only voice you should listen to in that respect and we’ll give him his time to make that decision and heal.”