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On December 29, Anthony Joshua was lucky to escape with just injuries in a fatal car crash that claimed the lives of two people.

Earlier this month, Joshua revived attention to his career after a dominant victory over YouTuber Jake Paul. The public considered the fight with the influencer a lose-lose for 'AJ', but after he landed a crushing right hand to knock his opponent out in the sixth round, opportunities arose, setting him up for a big 2026.

Those plans may now be put on hold after Anthony Joshua was involved in a car crash during a post-fight holiday in Nigeria. As he visited Africa to reconnect with his ancestral roots, the elite boxer was a passenger in the rear seat of a car that collided with a stationary truck parked on the side of the road. 

Investigations led by Nigeria's Federal Road Safety Corps suggest that the car carrying Joshua was traveling over the speed limit and lost control, crashing into the truck.

Of the five men in the car, two were unharmed, Joshua sustained minor injuries, and two others died.

Further reports suggest that the two men who lost their lives in the crash are close friends of Anthony Joshua.

One of the men, Sina, was his strength & conditioning coach. Sina has been working with Joshua for years, most recently during his preparation for the meeting with Jake Paul.

The other unfortunate casualty was a man named Latz. Also referred to as Latif, the man was both Joshua's best friend and his personal trainer. 

The wreckage was severe. The SUV carrying Joshua and his team was unrecognisable after the collision. 

Images have surfaced online of the damage the car endured, with Joshua seen sitting in visible pain as the front-end of the vehicle was completely mangled.

This article first appeared on MMA Weekly and was syndicated with permission.

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