Anthony Joshua may not fight again after car crash, Tyson Fury’s promoter fears

Frank Warren fears Anthony Joshua may never fight again after the devastating car crash that injured the former heavyweight champion and left two of his close friends dead.

Joshua is in a stable condition and did not require any emergency medical treatment after the vehicle he and three other passengers were travelling in collided with a stationary truck near Lagos, Nigeria on Monday.

Two other passengers were killed – named this week as Joshua’s close friends and trusted members of his team Sina Ghani and Latif Ayodele.

Joshua’s injuries have been described as minor with the former Olympian being treated in one of Nigeria’s best hospitals where he remains under observation. But the loss of two men who have been by his side throughout his boxing career and in Ayodele’s case, before it even began, will leave bigger scars.

Joshua fought in Miami just 11 days ago, knocking out Jake Paul in brutal fashion in the sixth round. He was expected to return to the ring in early 2026 with a long-awaited showdown with Tyson Fury seemingly back on the table for 2026.

Monday’s devastating tragedy however could change all that with Fury’s promoter Warren believing Joshua may no longer have ‘the appetite’ to fight again.

‘This is an awful time for everyone involved and hopefully AJ has come out of physically well but mentally is another issue,’ Warren told ITV News.

Who were Anthony Joshua’s friends Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami?

Throughout his time in boxing, Anthony Joshua has kept a close-knit circle of friends and associates around him, plenty of those working silently behind the scenes during his ascent to the summit of the sport.

Both Ghami and Ayodele were part of that group, considered good friends having worked closely with him for years.

Who is Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele?

‘Latz’ is a long-time friend of Joshua’s and has been part of the AJ team going all the way back to his maiden world title victory over Charles Martin in 2016.

Ayodele was Joshua’s personal trainer and a dedicated Muslim having converted to Isam in 2012.

His Instagram feed is littered with images and videos of him alongside Joshua in the gym and relaxing away from it.

Just hours before the crash, he shared a video on Instagram of him and Joshua smiling and laughing over a game of table tennis.

Latif worked with a number of other prominent sports men and women with New Zealand rugby legend Sonny Bill Williams among those paying tribute.

According to his Facebook profile, he attended St Joan of Arc Catholic School in Rickmansworth, a few miles from Joshua’s hometown of Watford.

Who is Sina Ghami?

Ghami was Joshua’s strength and conditioning coach, a role he held for more than a decade.

He was also the co-founder of Evolve Gym in London. Their website states Ghami was a qualified sports and exercise rehabilitator who specialises in musculoskeletal injuries and corrective exercise.

Ghami was at Joshua’s side throughout his career, including his crowning moment against Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley Stadium in 2017.

His last Instagram story appeared to be a shot of Joshua’s motorcade through Lagos.

‘I don’t even know if he will ever have the appetite to fight again or if he will ever fight again, that is something that only time will tell.’

Fury, who has not fought since his second defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in May last year, send his support to Joshua after Monday’s crash and the loss of his friends.

‘This is so sad. May god give them a good bed in heaven,’ Fury said.

In a separate interview with The Mirror, Warren appeared to dismiss talk of Joshua vs Fury taking happening until ‘very late’ in 2026 if it is to happen at all.

‘There’s obviously a lot bigger things going on than boxing with two people losing their lives, but Tyson hadn’t even made a concrete decision that he was definitely coming back,’ the Queensberry Promotions boss said.

‘I can’t see that fight [with AJ] happening now, certainly not until very late in the New Year.’

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