Anthony Joshua 'Couldn't Talk' After Deadly Car Crash: 'I Feel Pain All Over My Body'

Anthony Joshua is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Nigeria following a fatal car crash that killed two of his friends. According to reports, the boxer has “searing pain” in his knees but suffered no fractures as he was pulled out from the wreckage after the car he was travelling in collided with a stationary truck on the notorious Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

“I feel pain all over my body,” the 36-year-old was quoted as saying by The Sun.

Eyewitnesses reported hearing a loud bang, and Joshua being “visibly shaken” following the accident, which they initially mistook for a tyre burst.

“He (Joshua) was shocked, he couldn’t talk,” Ajala Yusuf Oluwaseyi was quoted as saying by Sky News.

Another eyewitness told Nigeria’s Vanguard that they initially

thought it was a bomb blast.

“At first, we thought it was another bomb blast,” they said. “When we realised it was an accident, people rushed down. Some people started videoing the scene, while others opened the doors to see if they could rescue anyone.”

Who Is Anthony Joshua?

Joshua, who is fondly known as AJ, turned professional following his gold medal-winning performance at the 2012 London Olympics. He first became a world heavyweight champion in 2017, defeating Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley Stadium in 2017.

He went on to win his first 22 professional bouts before being stunned by Andy Ruiz Jr. in New York, where he also lost his belts. However, six months later, he exacted revenge on Ruiz Jr. but followed that with back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk, thus losing his titles again.

Joshua suffered another blow when he lost to Daniel Dubois in 2024.

Just days ago, he squared up to YouTuber-turned-pro boxer Jake Paul. The Briton knocked out his American opponent in the sixth round.

What Caused The Crash?

Federal Road Safety Corps’ spokesperson says their preliminary investigation has revealed that the vehicle was “travelling beyond the legally prescribed speed limit” and “lost control during an overtaking manoeuvre.”

Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele were named as the two passengers who tragically died in the accident.