Brit boxer Anthony Joshua released from hospital after crash

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ABUJA, Nigeria — British boxer Anthony Joshua has been released from hospital, Nigerian authorities said late Wednesday night.

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The two-time former heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist was involved in a fatal road crash near Lagos on Monday which killed two of his close associates and team members.

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Joshua had been under “observation” at Lagoon Hospital in Lagos while recovering from minor injuries, promoter Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing said Monday.

The Lagos state commissioner for information, Gbenga Omotoso, said in a statement on X that Joshua was discharged late Wednesday afternoon after being deemed clinically fit to recuperate from “home.”

“Anthony and his mother were at the funeral home in Lagos this afternoon to pay their final respects to his two departed friends as they were being prepared for repatriation scheduled for later this evening,” Omotoso said.

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Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele were killed in the crash. Ghami was Joshua’s strength and conditioning coach while Ayodele was a trainer. Just hours before the crash, Joshua and Ayodele posted clips on social media playing table tennis together.

Earlier Wednesday, Hearn paid tribute to the two victims after the vehicle they were traveling in with Joshua struck a stationary truck on a major road near Lagos.

Hearn posted on Instagram: “Rest in peace Latz and Sina. Your energy and loyalty among so many other great qualities will be deeply missed. Praying for strength and guidance for all their family, friends and of course AJ during this very difficult time.”

The crash occurred on a major thoroughfare — the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway which links Ogun state to Lagos, the country’s economic capital — at about 11 a.m. local time. Footage on social media showed Joshua being extricated from a wrecked vehicle while he was wincing in pain. Nigeria is the homeland of Joshua’s parents.

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The accident has elicited growing concerns about road safety in Nigeria, where accidents are common.

The West African nation recorded 5,421 deaths in 9,570 road accidents in 2024, according to data by the country’s Federal Road Safety Corps. Its data showed 340 more people were killed in road accidents last year compared to 2023.

Just 10 days before being injured in the accident, Joshua knocked out YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in a Netflix bout in Miami, a fight he used to improve fitness in a bid to contest future top-flight boxing titles.

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