Anthony Joshua has spoken publicly for the first time since the car accident in Nigeria last December that killed two of his closest friends, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele. The former world heavyweight champion, who was also injured in the crash, said his primary focus has been supporting the parents of the deceased rather than processing his own grief.
“I’m just there for their parents. Number one is being a good soldier for them. Gotta look after the boys’ parents,” Joshua told the media in London on Monday. “Everyone’s different. Me, I have to put my emotions to the side because I focus on the parents. My emotions can come at a later stage.”
Joshua is preparing to return to the ring on 25 July in Saudi Arabia for a tune-up fight against Albanian heavyweight Kristian Prenga, ahead of a potential blockbuster bout with Tyson Fury later this year. Prenga, who attended the media event, acknowledged the tragedy could affect Joshua but said he felt sorry for him and his team.
Joshua also discussed his new working relationship with Oleksandr Usyk, the world heavyweight champion who has beaten him twice. “We’ve had our time, we’ve had our fights. So there’s a level of respect there and understanding that you just want to help each other,” Joshua said. He praised Usyk’s loyalty to his team and noted that Usyk read Fury’s autobiography to gain a psychological edge.
When asked if he planned to read Fury’s book, Joshua joked, “Yeah, I would. I’ll get someone to nick it.” However, he reacted sharply when reminded that Fury had referenced Joshua’s knockout loss to Daniel Dubois in September 2024. “We could all talk about what Usyk has done to [Fury],” Joshua said. “We can talk about loads of comparisons, but for him to talk about Dubois’s success and use it as his own shows me that he’s a dick rider.”
