Anthony Joshua has vowed to act as a good soldier and support the parents of his late friends following a fatal car crash in Nigeria.
The tragedy claimed the lives of his personal trainer, Latif Ayodele, and his strength and conditioning coach, Sina Ghami.
Heartbreaking Car Crash
The accident occurred on December 29 along the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway when the SUV they were traveling in collided with a parked truck. Joshua survived the wreckage but suffered minor injuries.
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Since the heartbreaking event, the former world heavyweight champion has made it his primary focus to care for the families of his late associates.
Speaking ahead of his fight with little-known Albanian Kristian Prenga in Jeddah on July 25, Joshua said he has put his own grief aside to focus on supporting the parents of his late friends.
“I have to put my emotions to the side because I focus on the parents, if I’m honest,” Joshua said, having pledged to do everything he can to support Ghami and Ayodele’s families, financially and beyond,” Joshua told Boxing Scene.
“My emotions can come at a later stage. I really look at the parents and understand it’s been most difficult for them. So, I don’t make it about me, I make it about them — the mums and the dads of my two friends.
“Everyone does it differently, but for me that’s the best way of handling the situation. It’s not about me, it’s bigger than me. I’m just there for their parents. It’s about being a good soldier for them because I’ve got to look after them.
“This is my purpose. Boxing is not only good for the competitive side of things, but it’s also quite therapeutic; it gives us fighters a lot of purpose, and that’s what it does for me.”
New Challenges
Apart from learning technical improvements alongside Usyk, he has also been taught the power of prayer and been instilled with renewed self-belief after the Ukrainian great backed him to become the division’s undisputed champion.
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“I had to take time to think about that and at first I was like, ‘F****** hell!’,” Joshua said. “But I get it. Why not? I can, I can. He sees it, I know I can do it, so let’s just f****** go for it.
“That’s the goal, how do we get there? Don’t just say it, lay out the roadmap. Give me work. You tell me what to do, I’ll do it. So that’s the roadmap – undisputed champion.
“July 25 is like getting back on that gravy chain. Obviously there’s going to be some really tough nights, but I think I’m the man to go through these tough nights and get the job done.”
Joshua is expected to face Fury at Wembley, although the details for the biggest fight in British boxing history have yet to be announced.
The Fury bout would end the two-fight deal signed with Saudi Arabia’s boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh, with Joshua planning to fight for three more years.
