What was meant to be a quiet holiday visit to his ancestral home in Nigeria turned into a nightmare for Anthony Joshua, the British boxing star who narrowly escaped death in a devastating car crash that claimed two lives on Monday. The former unified heavyweight world champion was reportedly en-route to visit family in Sagamu when the SUV he was riding in slammed into a stationary truck on the notorious Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
The scene, as captured in haunting video footage now circulating online, shows Joshua shirtless, dazed, and sitting in the wreckage surrounded by shattered glass. Moments later, he’s seen speaking to officials from the front seat of another vehicle, his typically commanding presence replaced with visible shock.
According to eyewitnesses and Nigerian road safety authorities, the SUV—a Lexus—was attempting to overtake another vehicle at high speed when a tire blew out, sending the car into a parked truck.
Five individuals were in the convoy. Joshua, seated behind the driver, sustained minor injuries but was quickly taken to a nearby hospital. Two foreign nationals, tragically, were not as fortunate—both died at the scene. Their bodies have since been transferred to the Livewell Morgue in Sagamu. Nigerian police have confirmed the incident and said a full investigation is underway.
The Ogun State Government later issued a solemn statement mourning the lives lost and extending heartfelt condolences to the victims’ families. While grateful that Joshua survived, they emphasized the tragic nature of the crash and pledged a thorough probe.
The timing of the accident is especially jarring. Joshua had just returned from a triumphant performance in Miami, where he defeated YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in a widely watched bout streamed by over 30 million on Netflix. The fight netted Joshua a reported £70 million and positioned him on a collision course—figuratively—with longtime rival Tyson Fury for a potential showdown in 2025.
But all of that was put on hold in an instant.
Joshua’s close friend Kevin Ayodele had posted a video just hours earlier of the two enjoying a game of table tennis, laughing and carefree. That brief Instagram Story, tagged “@healthy_mindset dishing out table tennis smoke,” now reads like a snapshot of serenity before tragedy struck.
Though early reports suggest Joshua escaped with only minor injuries, a close friend told the press that he is “badly shaken up” and still processing the trauma. Promoter Eddie Hearn said the team was still trying to reach Joshua and would not speculate on the full extent of his injuries, though he too was encouraged by the early signs.
