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  • Anthony Joshua’s driver appears in court after crash that killed two

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    A chauffeur who was driving Anthony Joshua when their car crashed, killing two of the boxer’s friends, has appeared in a court in Nigeria.

    Adeniyi Kayode, 46, was previously charged with four crimes, including death by dangerous driving.

    Joshua’s personal trainer, Latif Ayodele, and strength coach, Sina Ghami, died on 29 December after their vehicle collided with a stationary lorry near Lagos. Joshua was treated in hospital for his injuries.

    Kayode arrived at Sagamu Magistrates Court in Ogun state on Tuesday, but the case was adjourned until the 25 February after the prosecutor was granted more time to gain legal advice.

    Kayode faced the court wearing a black hoodie, black shoes and a pair of black trousers. He did not speak during the hearing.

    He was previously released from custody after being granted bail of 5m naira ($3,500; £2,600).

    Joshua, a former heavyweight champion, was discharged from hospital two days after the Lexus SUV crashed on the busy Lagos-Ibadan expressway, in south-west Nigeria.

    Ghami and Ayodele were both pronounced dead at the scene, while 36-year-old Joshua was pictured being helped from the wreckage.

    Following the crash, the boxer posted a tribute to Ghami and Ayodele on Instagram, writing: “I didn’t even realise how special they are.

    “I’ll just be walking with them and cracking jokes with them, not even knowing God kept me in the presence of great men.

    “100% it’s tough for me, but I know it’s even tougher for their parents.”

    The former heavyweight champion was a passenger in the crash, which killed his team members Latif Ayodele (left) and Sina Ghami (right) [Social Media]

    Joshua, who was born in Watford, has family roots in Sagamu – a town in Ogun state, near the crash site.

    He was on his way to visit relatives for New Year celebrations in the town at the time of the crash, a family member told the BBC.

    Kayode has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving, reckless and negligent driving, driving without due care, and driving without a valid driver’s licence.

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  • Nigeria police charge Anthony Joshua’s driver with dangerous driving after fatal crash

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    The driver of a car that was involved in a fatal crash while carrying British boxer Anthony Joshua has been charged by Nigerian police with “reckless” and “dangerous driving causing death.” 

    Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, 46, was also charged with “driving without a valid national driver’s licence” and “driving without due care and attention, causing bodily harm and damage to property,” Oluseyi Babaseyi, a spokesman for the police in Ogun state, told the Agence France-Presse news agency.

    His bail was set at five million naira, or around $3,500, with two sureties, but he will remain in detention until he meets the bail conditions, the police spokesman said. Kayode’s next court appearance is set for Jan. 20.

    Road accidents are common in Nigeria. The West African nation recorded 5,421 deaths in 9,570 road accidents in 2024, according to data from its Federal Road Safety Commission, CBS News previously reported. 

    Kayode was driving Joshua, a former two-time heavyweight champion, and two friends in a Lexus SUV on a busy highway linking Lagos and Ibadan, in southwest Nigeria, on Dec. 29. The vehicle struck a stationary truck. 

    The Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency in the Ogun state section of the highway, where the crash occurred, told AFP earlier in the week that its preliminary investigations showed that the vehicle was moving at an excessive speed and had a burst tire before the collision.

    Truck being towed at accident site on December 29, 2025 in Sagamu, Nigeria.

    Temiloluwa Johnson / Getty Images


    Joshua’s friends, identified as Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami, died at the scene, police said. Ghami was Joshua’s long-time strength and conditioning coach, while Ayodele was his personal trainer, according to British media. Joshua and Ayodele had posted videos of themselves playing table tennis on social media just hours before the crash. 

    Joshua and Kayode sustained minor injuries, officials said. Photos from the aftermath of the crash showed Joshua sitting in the rear of the car without a shirt on and surrounded by broken glass but seemingly uninjured. 

    Joshua’s promoter said that he was kept under observation at Lagos’ Lagoon Hospital while recovering from minor injuries and was released on New Year’s Eve. 

    anthony-promo.jpg

    British boxer Anthony Joshua gets into an emergency responders’ vehicle after sustaining minor injuries in a car crash, in Ogun State, Nigeria, Dec. 29, 2025, in this screen grab obtained from social media video. 

    Sodiq Ayo/via REUTERS


    Joshua was born in Britain to Nigerian parents and often visits the African nation. The crash occurred nine days after he beat YouTube personality Jake Paul in a non-title bout in Miami. 

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  • Anthony Joshua, British heavyweight champion boxer, released from hospital after fatal crash in Nigeria

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    British boxer Anthony Joshua was released from the hospital, Nigerian authorities said late Wednesday night.

    The two-time former heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist was involved in a fatal road crash near Lagos on Monday, which killed two of his close associates and team members.

    Joshua had been under observation at Lagoon Hospital in Lagos while recovering from minor injuries, his promoter said Monday.

    The Lagos state commissioner for information, Gbenga Omotoso, said in a statement on X that Joshua was discharged late Wednesday afternoon after being deemed clinically fit to recuperate from home.

    “Anthony and his mother were at the funeral home in Lagos this afternoon to pay their final respects to his two departed friends as they were being prepared for repatriation scheduled for later this evening,” Omotosho said.

    Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele were killed in the crash. Ghami was Joshua’s strength and conditioning coach, while Ayodele was a trainer. Just hours before the crash, Joshua and Ayodele posted clips on social media playing table tennis together.

    The accident has elicited growing concerns about road safety in Nigeria, where accidents are common.

    The West African nation recorded 5,421 deaths in 9,570 road accidents in 2024, according to data from the country’s Federal Road Safety Corps. Its data showed 340 more people were killed in road accidents last year compared to 2023.

    Joshua had recently won a bout against YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul on Dec. 19, a fight he used to improve fitness in a bid to contest future top-flight boxing titles. 

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  • British boxer Anthony Joshua injured in car crash that killed two close friends in Nigeria

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    (CNN) — Former world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua escaped with minor injuries in a car crash that killed two of his friends and team members on Monday, according to Nigerian authorities and his promoter.

    The incident occurred around 11 a.m. (5 a.m. ET) on a busy stretch of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, which connects Ogun to the commercial center of Lagos, local police in Ogun state reported.

    Joshua, who has family ties in Ogun, sustained only “minor bruises,” but Babaseyi Boluwatife, a spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, said two other occupants in the vehicle with him, including the driver, were killed.

    “Anthony Joshua is well and responding to treatment,” Boluwatife told CNN.

    Joshua’s friends Sina Ghami and Kevin Latif Ayodele were killed in the crash, according to Joshua’s promoter, Matchroom Boxing, and Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    “I have spoken with AJ to personally convey my condolences over the passing of his two close associates, Kevin Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami in the recent accident,” Tinubu wrote on X. “I wished him a full and speedy recovery, and prayed with him. AJ assured me he is receiving the best possible care.”

    Ghami was Joshua’s strength and conditioning coach and frequently traveled with him in Nigeria, according to social media videos. Ayodele was Joshua’s personal trainer and could be seen playing ping pong with him in a video posted to his Instagram story just hours before the accident. Ayodele’s first Instagram photograph features a fresh-faced Joshua in the early stages of his fighting career.

    Ghami, who was pictured conditioning training with Joshua recently in Miami ahead of his high-profile fight with Jake Paul, posted a final Instagram story showing a black SUV in Lagos.

    He worked with Joshua for ten years as his full time sport and exercise rehabilitation coach. Ghami has also worked with NFL player Le’Veon Bell from the Pittsburgh Steelers and NBA player Draymond Green from the Golden State Warriors.

    Eddie Hearn of Matchbox Boxing said in a statement that Ghami and Ayodele were Joshua’s “close friends and team members,” and great men.

    Hearn added that Joshua was taken to hospital for “checks and treatment” and will “remain there for observation.”

    Joshua previously held three of the four major world championship belts in boxing and secured a gold medal in the super heavyweight category at the 2012 Summer Olympics while competing for Great Britain.

    The fatal crash happened just over a week after he achieved a knockout win against YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in their heavyweight bout in Miami on December 19. Joshua broke Paul’s jaw during the fight.

    “Life is much more important than boxing,” Paul posted to X. “I am praying for the lost lives, AJ and anyone impacted by today’s unfortunate accident.”

    The highway on which the crash occurred has recently been identified as the most dangerous road in Nigeria, with more than 600 fatalities over a period of 27 months, according to statistics reported by local media.

    According to a statement from Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Joshua was traveling in a Lexus SUV that collided with a parked truck while attempting to overtake.

    It said preliminary findings indicated that the Lexus Jeep, “which was suspected to be traveling beyond the legally prescribed speed limit on the corridor,” lost control while overtaking and crashed into the stationary truck at the side of the road.

    The agency added, “The primary causes of the crash being excessive speed and wrongful overtaking constitute serious traffic violations and remain among the leading causes of fatal road crashes on Nigerian highways.”

    A video showing Joshua being rescued from the wreckage has been circulating on social media. The boxer, born to Nigerian parents in Watford, near London, has stayed connected to his roots.

    The Joshuas have a prominent presence in Sagamu town, in Ogun, with their lineage spanning multiple generations. Joshua embraces his Nigerian heritage, which he visibly honors with a tattoo of Africa – specifically highlighting Nigeria – on his right shoulder.

    Joshua could not immediately be reached for comment.

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    Nimi Princewill and CNN

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  • Anthony Joshua Injured In Car Crash In Nigeria That Kills Two

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    British boxer Anthony Joshua has been injured in a car crash in Nigeria that killed two other people. 

    The accident happened on the Lagos–Abeokuta Expressway, Nigeria’s busiest highway, on Monday. Local police told the BBC in a statement that Joshua has been taken to the hospital and his injuries are minor. 

    The officials said Joshua is doing “fine.” Graphic and unverified videos of the crash and its aftermath were posted across social media sites this morning. 

    Joshua, a former world champion and Olympic gold medallist, was born in Watford, England, to British Nigerian parents. The fighter is coming fresh off his exhibition bout with YouTuber Jake Paul. 

    Joshua defeated Paul via knockout in the sixth round. Paul was hospitalized after suffering a broken jaw. The fight, organized by Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions, is the former YouTuber’s second live event on Netflix following his bout with Mike Tyson. Paul had been scheduled to fight Gervonta Davis next. But that fight was canceled when the latter became embroiled in a civil lawsuit where he was accused of battery, aggravated battery, false imprisonment, kidnapping, and intentional infliction of emotional distress by ex-girlfriend Courtney Rossel.

    Netflix reported that the Paul and Joshua fight attracted 10.9M views. That put it in third place for the week. The figure is substantially lower than the audience for Paul’s Mike Tyson matchup. That fight racked up 46.6M views. The Tyson and Paul fight was No. 1 in 78 countries and in the Top 10 in all 91 countries that Netflix tracks.

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    Zac Ntim

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  • Jake Paul Is ‘Ready to Die’ Fighting Anthony Joshua on Netflix

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    Photo: Eva Marie Uzcategu/Getty Images for Netflix

    Jake Paul is being very emo in his pre-bout trash talk. “I want him to cut me up, I want him to break my face,” he said of upcoming opponent Anthony Joshua, “but guess what, he’s gonna have to kill me to stop me, and I’m ready to die. Seriously, ready to die in the ring to win this fight.” Do you still technically win a fight if you’re dead? Sure there’s that ancient Greek wrestler, but that story seems apocryphal at best. TMZ reported the press conference, held ahead of their December 19 fight in Miami.

    Paul was originally scheduled to fight WBA lightweight champ Gervonta “Tank” Davis last Friday, but that match was called off after Davis was accused of intimate partner violence in a lawsuit. It’s a big change for Paul, who had been expecting to box against someone much smaller than him in an exhibition match. He’s now going into a sanctioned heavyweight fight against someone bigger and more experienced than him. Joshua is a former Olympic gold medalist and two-time unified heavyweight champion.

    Joshua is on-board with Paul’s plan of getting his face broken. “If I’m being honest, I’m going to break his face,” he said, “I’m going to break his body up, I’m going to stomp all over him.”

    You can watch this all-over stompage live on Netflix, by the by. The pair will face off at Kaseya Center in Miami. The live-streamed fight is scheduled for eight 3-minute rounds. Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, doesn’t like Paul’s odds. “They say be careful what you wish for, kind of feel like that’s all I need to say,” Hearn said in a statement obtained by ESPN. “Two of the biggest names in the sport will collide on Dec 19. Whilst I admire Jake’s balls, he’s going to find out the hard way in Miami.”

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    Bethy Squires

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  • Cruiserweight Jake Paul and lightweight Gervonta Davis announce they will fight on Nov. 14

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    ATLANTA (AP) — YouTuber-turned-cruiserweight boxer Jake Paul and undefeated WBA lightweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis have agreed to fight on Nov. 14 at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena.

    Paul’s promotional company, Most Valuable Promotions, and Netflix announced the highly unusual matchup Wednesday. Netflix will stream the fight worldwide to its more than 300 million subscribers.

    The 30-year-old Davis (30-0-1, 28 KOs), a three-division world champion, would be the first star near his ostensible prime to face Paul (12-1, 7 KOs), the online celebrity who has become one of the world’s highest-paid combat sports athletes despite never fighting an elite boxer.

    Netflix and Nakisa Bidarian, Paul’s business partner, did not refer to the fight as an exhibition, but it’s unclear how Georgia officials would allow the matchup to be held as a competitive bout, given the fighters’ dramatic difference in size and experience.

    Paul typically weighs more than 200 pounds in the ring, while Davis is a 135-pound champion who has never fought above 140 pounds. The fighters did not announce a contracted weight or the number of rounds in their planned bout.

    The fight would mark a return to Netflix for the 28-year-old Paul, whose victory last November over the then-58-year-old Mike Tyson drew an estimated 108 million viewers globally.

    After Paul beat a tepid Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. by decision earlier this summer, he entered the World Boxing Association’s cruiserweight rankings at No. 14, making him eligible to fight for world titles.

    Instead of pursuing a cruiserweight belt, Paul recently discussed a fight with two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua — a more logical opponent in terms of size and strength — but shifted his focus to the popular Davis. who has jousted with Paul on social media for years.

    Perhaps Paul can look inside his own family for a plan: His older brother, Logan, weighed 189 pounds before fighting Floyd Mayweather at 155 pounds in an eight-round exhibition bout in 2021. Promoters said the spectacle sold more than 1 million pay-per-view buys and made more than $80 million.

    Davis has been billed by his promoters as “the modern day Mike Tyson” because of the frequency with which he has won by knockout, but his career and life have been rocky in 2025. He struggled to a shocking draw against Lamont Roach Jr. in his most recent ring outing in March, and he was arrested on a domestic violence charge in Florida last month before the misdemeanor battery case was dropped last week.

    Bidarian said Paul and Davis are “favorites of the Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences,” and that their bout will “determine the true face of boxing’s next generation.”

    “This isn’t just a fight, it’s a spectacle that brings together two of the most electrifying figures in boxing today,” Netflix vice president Brandon Riegg said.

    ___

    AP boxing: https://apnews.com/boxing

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  • Anthony Joshua vs. Otto Wallin Odds, Time, and Prediction

    Anthony Joshua vs. Otto Wallin Odds, Time, and Prediction

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    Anthony Joshua’s odds suggest he’s going to have a relatively easy job in Saudi Arabia, but only if he doesn’t underestimate his opponent. Otto Wallin is someone who’s only lost once, and it happened against Tyson Fury. Plus, the loss in question was a loss by decision.

    When, Where, and How to Watch?

    • Place: Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
    • Date: Saturday, December 23, 2023
    • Time: ~3:00 p.m. ET
    • How to Watch: PPV

    Anthony Joshua vs. Otto Wallin Odds

    Moneyline Odds
    Anthony Joshua -435
    Otto Wallin +300


    9378 players claimed the offer this month

    Anthony Joshua Plotting His Comeback to the Top

    From 2017 to 2019, Anthony Joshua was in possession of four heavyweight titles – WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO. Then, in 2019, Andy Ruiz Jr. shocked the world by beating AJ by a TKO.

    That still remains one of the biggest betting upsets in the history of boxing as the Mexican fighter was a +1300 underdog before the bout. AJ got his belts back in the rematch, but rather disappointingly, he didn’t get spectacular revenge. Instead, he beat his foe by decision.

    His second reign as the heavyweight champ in four federations lasted for one fight only (a KO win over Kubrat Pulev). The Englishman lost the titles to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 who beat him by unanimous decision.

    A year later, he got a chance to get them back, but the Ukrainian beat him again, this time by a split decision. It was a tense match, but what happened after the bout got into the headlines. AJ had a sort of meltdown, taking the mic from Usyk and rambling all sorts of confusing stuff for a couple of minutes.

    This made boxing fans that he’s got some serious emotional problems that could have a negative impact on his career. However, he proved his doubter wrong this year. In 2023, he’s fought twice already, beating Jermaine Franklin by unanimous decision and Robert Helenius by a KO.

    Can Otto Wallin Stage an Upset in Riyadh?

    Otto Wallin is 26-1-1 in his professional boxing career, with 14 wins by KO/TKO. He’s got one no-contest under his belt, which happened against Nick Kisner in 2019 after an accidental headbutt.

    His only loss happened the same year to legendary Tyson Fury. It was a close fight, though. He went back and forth with “The Gypsy King” for the full 12 rounds, losing by unanimous decision in the end.

    Since then, however, “All In” is undefeated. He’s won his last six bouts, with his most recent win earning him the WBA Inter-Continental title. He took it from Murat Gassiev whom he defeated by a split decision in Turkey.

    That wasn’t Wallin’s best performance, especially given that Gassiev is a former cruiserweight fighter who’s shorter, lighter, and less powerful than Wallin’s next opponent.

    Anthony Joshua vs. Otto Wallin Prediction

    If Anthony Joshua’s mental and emotional issues are behind him, he’s going to win this fight. The evidence that he’s doing alright is that he’s won two bouts this year already. We think he’s going to win this one too, which could get him back in the conversation about possible title fights in 2024.

    Pick: Anthony Joshua

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    Jessie Carter

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