Anthony Joshua suffered a personal tragedy recently, with two friends and team members dying in an automobile accident in Nigeria.
Now, retirement rumors are swirling around the former heavyweight champion,
with his uncle saying that AJ has privately told the family he will not box again.
Joshua, 36, suffered minor injuries in the accident, coming just days after his December 19 win over Jake Paul in Miami. He was on holiday in Nigeria, where his parents were born.
Joshua’s uncle, Adedamola Joshua, told The PUNCH that the fighter “has retired from boxing,” saying AJ had communicated as such to his family.
There is no confirmation from Anthony Joshua himself on this matter at this time, nor from Matchroom Boxing channels.
Joshua (29-4, 26 KO) had called out Tyson Fury, his longtime media rival, after the win over Jake Paul, and with Fury announcing that he will return to boxing in 2026, it was starting to look like we might finally get the long-awaited showdown between the UK’s top two heavyweight stars of a generation. There was also talk of Joshua potentially challenging Fabio Wardley for the WBO heavyweight title, which promoter Eddie Hearn suggested was actually more important to Joshua, potentially, with a world title on the line.
Those tragically killed in the accident, Kevin Latif “Latz” Ayodele and Sina “Evolve” Ghami, were not just friends but also longtime Joshua coaches and team members. Joshua is known to be fiercely loyal to those close to him, and at the very least will need time to mourn and really assess what he wants to do with his career.
