Anthony Joshua released from hospital in Nigeria after deadly car crash

The two-time heavyweight champion was discharged on New Year’s Eve as the loss of two close team members casts a shadow over his return to the ring.

Anthony Joshua is now recovering at home in Lagos after being discharged from the hospital following a fatal car crash that claimed the lives of two of his friends, according to authorities.

Nigerian authorities confirmed Wednesday night (Dec. 31) that the British boxer was released from Duchess International Hospital in Ikeja on New Year’s Eve, after doctors determined he was clinically fit to recuperate at home. Joshua, 36, had been under observation since Monday after sustaining minor injuries as a passenger in the crash near Lagos.

The accident proved devastating. Latif Ayodele, Joshua’s personal trainer, and Sina Ghami, his strength and conditioning coach, were both killed in the December 29 crash. According to Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy Gbenga Omotoso, Joshua and his mother visited a funeral home in Lagos on Wednesday afternoon to pay their final respects as preparations were made to repatriate the bodies later that evening.

Omotoso described the boxer as “heavy-hearted and full of emotions” over the loss of his two close friends. The grief was made even more acute by the timing. Just hours before the crash, Joshua and Ayodele had shared social media clips of themselves playing table tennis together.

The tragedy has also reignited broader concerns about road safety in Nigeria. Data from the country’s Federal Road Safety Corps shows that 5,421 people died in 9,570 road accidents in 2024, which is an increase of 340 deaths compared to the previous year.

Joshua’s hospitalization came less than two weeks after a high-profile return to the ring, where he defeated YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul on December 19. The bout marked Joshua’s first fight in 15 months and signaled a renewed chapter in his storied career as a two-time former heavyweight champion and 2012 Olympic gold medalist.

Now, instead of training camps and title talk, the focus has shifted to healing, both physical and emotional.