LONDON, Dec 30 (Bernama-PA Media/dpa) -- British boxer Anthony Joshua has suffered “minor injuries” after the car he was travelling in crashed in Nigeria, resulting in the deaths of two people, PA Media/dpa reported.
The former two-time unified world heavyweight champion is on holiday in Africa following his sixth-round knockout win over YouTube-turned-boxing superstar Jake Paul in Miami less than a fortnight ago.
Ogun State Police said the incident occurred along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway on Monday morning. Unverified footage online showed Joshua topless looking dazed in a vehicle surrounded by what appeared to be broken glass.
A police statement said: “The Ogun State Police Command confirms that world-renowned boxer, Anthony Joshua, was involved in a road traffic accident at about 11 am in Makun, Ogun State.
“The vehicle conveying Mr Joshua, a Lexus SUV, was involved in the accident under circumstances that are currently being investigated. Joshua, seated in the rear of the vehicle, sustained minor injuries and is receiving medical attention with another injured person.
“Tragically, two other passengers in the vehicle lost their lives at the scene. Further updates on the incident will be communicated as investigation progresses.”
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Nigeria posted several pictures of the crash scene on X, revealing preliminary findings suggested a Lexus Jeep “was suspected to be travelling beyond the legally prescribed speed limit”.
The FRSC added the car lost control during “an overtaking manoeuvre” and crashed into a stationary truck by the side of the road.
Following a 15-month boxing layoff, Joshua broke Paul’s jaw in two places en route to victory in a contest broadcast by streaming giants Netflix. The broadcast drew a global audience of 33 million viewers.
After the win, which was his 29th in 33 professional contests, Joshua called out British rival Tyson Fury, who is currently retired, for a long-awaited bout in 2026.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn told Daily Mail Sport he is attempting to ascertain the extent of Joshua’s injuries from the road accident, saying: “I am away on a family holiday and awoke to the news of this incident.
“We are trying to contact Anthony and in the meantime we don’t want to speculate on how he is but thankfully he appears OK from what I have seen in the images.
“We are awaiting more information on what has happened and will update in due course.”
The Press Association has contacted Joshua’s promoter and publicist.
-- BERNAMA-PA MEDIA/dpa
BERNAMA provides up-to-date authentic and comprehensive news and information which are disseminated via BERNAMA Wires; www.bernama.com; BERNAMA TV on Astro 502, unifi TV 631 and MYTV 121 channels and BERNAMA Radio on FM93.9 (Klang Valley), FM107.5 (Johor Bahru), FM107.9 (Kota Kinabalu) and FM100.9 (Kuching) frequencies.
Follow us on social media :
Facebook : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatv, @bernamaradio
Twitter : @bernama.com, @BernamaTV, @bernamaradio
Instagram : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatvofficial, @bernamaradioofficial
TikTok : @bernamaofficial
