Former world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua is giving serious thought to ending his professional career. This follows a tragic car accident in December 2025 that claimed the lives of two of Joshua’s closest friends and left the athlete himself injured.
The news was shared by his uncle, Adedamola Joshua, who indicated that the devastating event has led the 34-year-old boxer to deeply reflect on his future in the sport.
Joshua, a two-time unified heavyweight champion, was involved in the collision in December. While he sustained injuries described as non-life-threatening, the emotional toll of losing two lifelong friends has been profound.
The former two-time heavyweight world champion was with his friends in Lexus SUV which collided with a stationary truck on a major expressway near Lagos, Nigeria
Before attending the funeral, ‘AJ’ posted two images on Instagram on Sunday, sitting alongside his mother and three other women, one of whom clutched a photograph of Ghami. The British boxing star captioned the post ‘My Brothers Keeper’.
Joshua has been on a career resurgence, winning against Jake Paul after losing his titles to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and 2022. A potential fight against fellow Briton Tyson Fury or a bout for a world title had been widely discussed for later this year.
Promoter Eddie Hearn has previously stated that Joshua’s next steps would be decided in the summer. However, this tragic event has clearly introduced a deeply personal factor into all future plans.
Anthony Joshua has not yet made a public statement regarding his uncle’s comments. The focus for the athlete and his family remains on recovering from his injuries and mourning the profound loss of his friends