Anthony Joshua’s uncle has claimed the boxing star has decided to retire from the sport in the wake of last week’s tragic car crash in Nigeria.
Two of his close friends, Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami, tragically lost their lives when the Lexus they were travelling in collided with a stationary lorry.
Joshua himself suffered minor injuries, with the 36-year-old spending the New Year in hospital before later being discharged. They had been on their way to visit his family in the country before the tragedy struck.
Prior to the incident, the Briton had beaten Jake Paul in Miami, Florida. There had also been rumours of a seismic, all-British showdown with Tyson Fury that would take place in 2026.
According to his uncle, however, Joshua won’t ever return to the ring after the crash – with the heavyweight star reportedly informing his family that he’s going to hang up his gloves.
Speaking to Nigerian newspaper The Punch, Adedamola Joshua said: “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.
“Each time he’s knocked down, it is just like the heart is coming out of our chest.
“All these emotional feelings whenever he’s fighting, it’s too much trauma for us, also.
“Now that he has said that he’s leaving while the ovation is highest, we are happy.”
When quizzed on whether Joshua had confirmed his decision to retire to his family, his uncle replied: “Yes.”
Joshua broke his silence on the tragic car crash on Sunday, sharing photos of himself with the bereaved relatives of Mr Ayodele and Mr Ghami.
And a source has told The Sun that the boxing star has pledged to financially support the loved ones of his two close friends, with the boxing star described as ‘fiercely loyal’.
“AJ is fiercely loyal to his friends and their families and will be there for them for the rest of their lives,” an insider said.
“He’s had the same team around him for his whole career, and that team included Sina and Latz.”
Joshua first became a household name back in 2012, when he won gold in the super-heavyweight division at the London Olympics.
His first professional boxing fight took place the following year, with AJ beating Emanuele Leo at the 02 Arena in London.
Since then, he has claimed many big scalps – overcoming the likes of Dillian Whyte, Wladimir Klitschko, Joseph Parker, Otto Wallin and Robert Helenius.
Joshua has won 28 of his 33 fights, suffering defeats on just four occasions.
Before his bout with Paul, he had lost to Daniel Dubois in front of a packed Wembley stadium in September 2024.