Boxing star Anthony Joshua was taken to hospital on Monday after being rescued from the wreckage of a car crash in Nigeria in which two men travelling with him were killed.
The former British two-time world heavyweight champion, 36, was seen being pulled from a mangled SUV on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway but sustained only minor injuries.
Nigeria is the homeland of Joshua’s parents, and where he briefly went to boarding school at the age of 11. He was in the country on holiday while recovering from his recent fight against Jake Paul.
Ogun state government officials said the two victims were “foreign nationals” and had died at the scene.
Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps said the crash involved a Lexus SUV in which Joshua was a passenger, and a “stationary, red commercial Sinotruck”.
“A total of five adult males were involved in the crash,” it said. “Two persons sadly lost their lives, one sustained injuries, while two others escaped unhurt. Anthony Joshua was rescued alive and sustained minor injuries.
“The injured victim was evacuated for medical attention, while the remains of the deceased were conveyed to Livewell Morgue, Ajaka, Sagamu.”
Speeding was initially blamed for the crash, but Ogun state police commissioner Lanre Ogunlowo later told ESPN the boxer’s SUV had suffered a burst tyre that caused the driver to lose control and “swerve into the stationary truck parked along the road”.
Video footage of the aftermath of the incident showed Joshua sitting in his car, which appeared to have sustained heavy damage, appearing dazed and in pain. Further footage showed Joshua outside of the vehicle and still wincing.
Joshua’s security team, travelling directly behind him in a Mitsubishi Pajero, reportedly avoided the crash.
A representative for Joshua told The Independent that the former world champion’s UK-based team was investigating.
The crash comes just 10 days after Joshua knocked out YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in a fight in Miami.
The Briton beat Paul in six rounds in his first fight since a knockout defeat by Daniel Dubois in September 2024. It was his 29th win from 33 professional fights.
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Joshua used his post-fight interview in the ring to call out Tyson Fury, with reports suggesting the two are close to agreeing a long-awaited fight in Saudi Arabia in 2026. However, Joshua is being lined up to fight beforehand, with a February return to the ring mooted – but now complicated by the crash.
After the fight with Paul, Joshua told streaming platform Netflix: “It wasn’t the best performance. We have to give Jake his respect for trying and trying and trying, but he came up against a real fighter tonight that’s had a 15-month layoff, who shook off the cobwebs.
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“I can’t wait to roll into 2026. If Tyson Fury is as serious as he thinks he is, and he wants to put down his Twitter fingers and put on some gloves and come and fight one of the realest fighters out there, that will take on any challenge, step in the ring with me next if you’re a real bad boy. Don’t do all that talking, ‘AJ this, AJ that.’ let’s see you in the ring and talk with your fists.”
Paul reacted to the news of Joshua’s car crash by tweeting: “Life is much more important than boxing. I am praying for the lost lives, AJ and anyone impacted by today’s unfortunate accident.”
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