After the shocking car accident in Nigeria in which two of his longtime friends lost their lives, Anthony Joshua will need to find the strength within himself to move forward. It is not certain that boxing will remain part of his future. According to Adedamola Joshua, Anthony’s uncle, the sport will be set aside, at least as far as competing in the ring is concerned.
Here is what he told The Punch:
“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.”
At the moment, there has been no confirmation from the former heavyweight world champion himself. Matchroom Boxing, led by Eddie Hearn, when contacted by several media outlets, declined to comment.
It is certainly too soon after such a horrific crash for Joshua to make a definitive decision about the future of his career with the necessary peace of mind. Time will tell whether his uncle’s words are simply a personal hope or whether they will be backed up by AJ’s concrete choices.