“I heard the pain, but also the fight” – Usyk opens up on Joshua’s future after tragic car crash

Anthony Joshua at the Crossroads – The Defining Chapter That Could Reshape a Heavyweight Icon’s Legacy

Anthony Joshua has never been short on moments that define eras. Olympic gold medalist. Unified heavyweight champion. Global superstar. And now, standing once again at the edge of uncertainty, Joshua faces perhaps the most important phase of his career — not about belts alone, but about legacy.

After years spent at the very top of boxing’s most brutal division, Joshua’s journey has become one of resilience, reinvention, and relentless scrutiny. Every move he makes now is dissected, every word weighed, every potential opponent debated as if it could decide history itself.

From the moment Joshua detonated onto the professional scene, he carried expectations few fighters ever experience. Sold-out stadiums, record-breaking pay-per-views, and a nation desperate for its next heavyweight king followed him everywhere. When he unified titles, he was hailed as unstoppable. When defeats came, they were magnified beyond the ring.

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Losses to Oleksandr Usyk shifted the narrative. No longer the untouchable powerhouse, Joshua became the fighter searching for answers — tactically, mentally, emotionally. But rather than retreat, he chose to rebuild, working with new trainers, reshaping his style, and attempting to balance raw power with patience and control.

While whispers of retirement have hovered around him, those closest to Joshua insist this is not a man ready to walk away quietly. Instead, this chapter feels like a calculated pause — a moment to reassess risk versus reward.

Joshua no longer needs boxing financially. Fame, wealth, and status are already secured. What remains is something far harder to obtain: closure. One more run. One defining win. One night that reminds the world who Anthony Joshua is when everything clicks.

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The timing could not be tougher. The heavyweight division is stacked with danger — Oleksandr Usyk’s technical brilliance, Tyson Fury’s mind games and size, hungry contenders circling like sharks, each seeing Joshua as the ultimate scalp.

Yet this is also what makes the decision so compelling. A single victory against the right opponent could propel Joshua back into title contention overnight. One misstep, however, could close the door for good.

For Joshua, this isn’t just about reclaiming belts. It’s about how he will be remembered. As a champion who dominated, fell, and rose again — or as one who stepped away just before the final test.

Boxing history is unforgiving, but it also rewards courage. And if Anthony Joshua has proven anything across his career, it’s that he has never shied away from the spotlight when the stakes are highest.

The question now isn’t whether Anthony Joshua can fight again.
It’s whether he’s ready to risk everything one last time — to define his legacy not by defeat or doubt, but by how he chose to face the end.

Hearn: No Matter The Pressure or Opinions Around Him, Only Joshua can Decide What Happens Next, Anthony Joshua’s boxing Future Comes Down To One Voice — His Own.

Anthony Joshua is the ‘only voice’ who can make a decision about his future in the sport, says promoter Eddie Hearn.

Joshua’s close friends and team members, Sina Ghami and Latif ‘Latz’ Adoyele, died after a fatal car crash in Nigeria last month. Joshua was also in the car and required hospital treatment for minor injuries before returning to the UK.

When asked whether he expects Joshua to take some considerable time off boxing, Hearn told Sky Sports News: “Yeah, I do.”

“That’s not a conversation that I think anyone’s comfortable in having in terms of asking what could be next or what he’s thinking.

“That’s something that has to come next. You need someone to have their time and to just be left alone, really, to get over, like I said, not just a terrible incident, but just one that you can never prepare for in life. You never, ever want to see anybody you know in any kind of this situation.

READ MORE :The Ultimate Risk That Could Define His Legacy – Anthony Joshua

“It’s heartbreaking. And when the time is right, I believe he will make his decision. You’ll hear it from him.

Hearn: “If Joshua Never Steps Back Into the Ring, Nobody Could Ever Blame Him — But What Could Drive Him to Make That Shocking Decision?”

Matchroom Boxing CEO Eddie Hearn says Anthony Joshua needs time to grieve before making any decisions on his boxing future – but he does believe the two-time heavyweight world champion will return to the ring, reports britishboxingnews.co.uk.

Joshua’s close friends and team members, Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele, tragically died in a car crash near Lagos in Nigeria on December 29 after their vehicle collided with a stationary truck on a busy, notoriously dangerous expressway.

Joshua suffered minor injuries and was kept in hospital for two days.

The incident came 10 days after the London 2012 Olympic gold medallist had defeated Jake Paul in Miami, in what was his first fight since defeat to fellow Brit Daniel Dubois in September 2024.

Joshua’s longterm promoter Hearn told The Sportsman Boxing: “I’ve had a few conversations with him.

“It’s only now we’ve been talking more because it’s going to take you time to get over something like that. I think all you can do in this situation is let people have their time.

READ MORE : The Ultimate Risk That Could Define His Legacy – Anthony Joshua

“It baffles me that people are on me asking what’s next and if I have spoken to him about his career. No, those conversations are a long way away.

“My plan will be to see him over the next week, as a mate. I’m not going to go in there and say, ‘I know this terrible tragedy has happened but let’s talk about what’s next’. I’d be an idiot to do that. It would be completely wrong.

“When things like this happen, it’s just not about boxing, not about business, it’s about you, the families of those two guys. Time to grieve and come to terms with a tragic incident.

“If he never fought again, you could never ever blame him but knowing AJ, after he’s grieved, I believe he will want to get back to boxing.

“The only thing that will make the mind clearer is time and he’ll be given all the time. We have no belts, we don’t have to do anything. We could not fight for two years or ever again.”

Hearn added that his “heart breaks” for Joshua after the passing of two friends who have played an instrumental role in his success.

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“Sina and Latz were two guys incredibly close to him on so many different levels.

“They came up with him and saw the rise but were also integral parts of the team. So loyal and passionate. Sina, going into the last fight, was like the leader of the camp

“I think things like this don’t hit you, don’t sink in for a long time. It hasn’t sunk in for me and I wasn’t around these guys that often, so imagine being AJ, imagine being involved in that incident. My heart breaks for him.

“I know how strong he is but you can try and be strong, give that image and front-facing attitude, but deep down you never really know how someone’s feeling.

“That’s why we’ve got to be there for him. We’ve got to give him all the support he needs and the time that he needs to make a decision on what he’ll do.”

Speculation Grows As Eddie Hearn Confident Joshua Will Fight Again as Comeback – Speculation Grows

Anthony Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, believes the former world heavyweight champion will return to boxing after grieving the deaths of his two close friends in a car crash in Nigeria, Sunday PUNCH reports.

Hearn, however, insisted that Joshua needs time to process the tragedy before making any decision on his boxing future.

“I’ve had a few conversations with him. It’s only now we’ve been talking more because it’s going to take you time to get over something like that. I think all you can do in this situation is let people have their time,” Hearn told The Sportsman Boxing.

“It baffles me that people are on me asking what’s next and if I have spoken to him about his career. No, those conversations are a long way away.”

Joshua’s friends and team members, Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele, died in the crash near Lagos on December 29 after a vehicle they were travelling in as passengers collided with a stationary truck. Joshua was also in the car and suffered minor injuries.

READ MORE :The Ultimate Risk That Could Define His Legacy – Anthony Joshua

The incident came 10 days after the 2012 Olympic gold medallist had defeated Jake Paul in Miami, in what was his first fight since his loss to Daniel Dubois in September 2024.

“My plan will be to see him over the next week, as a mate. I’m not going to go in there and say, ‘I know this terrible tragedy has happened, but let’s talk about what’s next. ‘ I’d be an idiot to do that. It would be completely wrong,” Hearn said.

“When things like this happen, it’s just not about boxing, not about business, it’s about you, the families of those two guys. Time to grieve and come to terms with a tragic incident.”

Despite the tragedy, Hearn believes Joshua will eventually return to the ring.

“If he never fought again, you could never ever blame him, but knowing AJ, after he’s grieved, I believe he will want to get back to boxing,” he said.

“The only thing that will make the mind clearer is time, and he’ll be given all the time. We have no belts; we don’t have to do anything. We could not fight for two years or ever again.”

Hearn added that his “heart breaks” for Joshua after the passing of two friends who played an instrumental role in his success.

“Sina and Latz were two guys incredibly close to him on so many different levels. They came up with him and saw the rise, but were also integral parts of the team. So loyal and passionate. Sina, going into the last fight, was like the leader of the camp,” Hearn said.

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“I think things like this don’t hit you, don’t sink in for a long time. It hasn’t sunk in for me, and I wasn’t around these guys that often, so imagine being AJ, imagine being involved in that incident. My heart breaks for him.”

“I know how strong he is, but you can try and be strong, give that image and front-facing attitude, but deep down, you never really know how someone’s feeling. That’s why we’ve got to be there for him. We’ve got to give him all the support he needs and the time that he needs to make a decision on what he’ll do.”

Joshua’s uncle, Adedamola Joshua, exclusively revealed to Sunday PUNCH that the boxer has decided to retire from boxing following the tragedy.

“The major thing there is that he has retired from boxing. That is one thing that makes us glad because each time he’s fighting in the ring, we are always carried away emotionally,” Adedamola told our correspondent during a visit to the family home in Sagamu.

Joshua spent New Year’s Eve in the hospital as he recovered before flying back to the United Kingdom for the funerals of Ghami and Ayodele held at the London Central Mosque on January 4.