British heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua has cautiously returned to training, describing his time back in the gym as “mental strength therapy” as he continues to recover from a devastating car accident in Nigeria that claimed the lives of two close members of his team.
The former world champion was involved in a fatal road crash near Lagos on December 29, when a vehicle he was travelling in collided with a stationary truck. Joshua, who was a passenger at the time, sustained minor injuries and was later discharged from hospital before returning to the United Kingdom to complete his recovery.
The accident, however, proved fatal for his strength and conditioning coach, Sina Ghami, and his trainer, Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele, both of whom were pronounced dead at the scene. Their deaths sent shockwaves through the boxing community and raised questions about Joshua’s future in the sport.
Nineteen days after the incident, the 36-year-old shared a short video on Snapchat showing him back in the gym, working pads and training lightly. He captioned the clip “mental strength therapy,” suggesting that boxing has become a coping mechanism as he processes the emotional trauma of the loss.
In the immediate aftermath of the crash, reports emerged that Joshua was considering retirement from boxing. However, his promoter, Eddie Hearn, has since urged patience, stressing that no decision will be rushed.
Hearn said Joshua would need time to heal on multiple levels before addressing his future in the ring. “He will need his time physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually before he makes a decision on his future,” Hearn said. “It is certainly not a conversation I’ll be having with him any time soon.”
Hearn added that the priority remains Joshua’s wellbeing, noting that grief can often be masked. “The only conversation is, ‘Are you OK?’ Sometimes people put on a facade of being fine, but what he’s been through is not normal. It’s heartbreaking for everyone involved,” he said.
For now, Joshua’s return to the gym appears to be less about competition and more about recovery, as the former champion takes measured steps toward healing after one of the most difficult periods of his life.
