Jake Paul and his promotion company, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), have placed the names of Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami in the centre of the ring canvas for Saturday night's Amanda Serrano vs. Danila Tellez event in Puerto Rico. The gesture honours the two friends of Anthony Joshua, who died in a car crash in Nigeria earlier this week.
Joshua, the British boxer, survived the crash with minor injuries after the SUV he was travelling in collided with a stationary truck on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway in Ogun state. He was reportedly released from hospital and has flown back to the United Kingdom ahead of his friends' funerals.
Paul, who broke his jaw in two places during his controversial defeat to Joshua, responded to the tribute announcement on social media with a set of praying hands emoji. He had earlier posted: 'Life is much more important than boxing. I am praying for the lost lives, AJ and anyone impacted by today’s unfortunate accident.'
Joshua is said to have cheated death by swapping seats minutes before the journey. The driver, Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving. His lawyer stated that Kayode pleaded not guilty, claiming the brakes failed. The case has been adjourned until January 20 for trial.
