Tough times don’t last. And Anthony Joshua is gradually finding his way through his. The former champion endured a devastating loss last December, when two close friends and members of his team were killed in a tragic car crash in Nigeria. While the pain of that tragedy remains fresh, the British boxer has begun taking visible steps toward healing.

Of late, Anthony Joshua was seen spending time with children at a local soccer practice. Boxing Scene shared a clip of the visit on X, capturing the former heavyweight champion in noticeably better spirits. “Anthony Joshua visited a group of children at their local soccer practice. Great stuff from AJ,” the outlet captioned the post.

Notably, rumors had circulated about a potential retirement for Joshua as he recovered from his December crash. However, his long-time promoter, Eddie Hearn, has suggested that boxing has taken Joshua out of tough times before, and the sport should be able to have that same healing effect on the Brit once again. 

After spending some time with the former unified heavyweight champion, Hearn appeared in an interview on The Ariel Helwani Show. While there, the British promoter shared what’s on the horizon for Anthony Joshua. “I think he will fight on, and I think he’ll do it in [his late friends’] honor. But it’s not going to be easy,” Hearn told Helwani. 

In 2024, Joshua endured a devastating defeat at the hands of Daniel Dubois. However, he rebounded in November with a knockout victory over Jake Paul. Coming back to the recent clip of Joshua spending time with children at a soccer practice, fans were quick to celebrate his recovery from the tragic loss and note the lift in his spirits.

Fans take a sigh of relief, seeing Anthony Joshua with children

‘AJ’  has always had a loyal British fan base, and they were obviously happy to see him. “Always will be the people’s champion @anthonyjoshua,” one user commented. And a champion he is—Joshua won gold in the 2012 London Olympics. When he turned professional, he became a champion after just 16 pro fights. Joshua went on to become a two-time unified champion as well.

Another user appears to have even more respect for ‘AJ’ now. “Joshua Good guy,” the user wrote. Anthony Joshua founded Clean Herts Community to uplift and provide practical support to people in Watford and Hertfordshire. He did this through community initiatives, youth empowerment, and local aid.

Someone else praised Joshua’s energy. “He is the man of the people. Some amazing energy he brings to the world,” the user commented. Just before Christmas in 2024, Joshua visited the children’s ward in Watford General Hospital. Having been born in the same hospital, ‘AJ’ handed out gifts to young patients, many with serious illnesses.

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The next user pointed out what Joshua’s visit meant for the children. “When you are blessed in life and do good, it’s great to give back because it means a lot to the youngest who look up to you and inspire them to do good. More successful people should do it because it’s priceless,” the user wrote. Besides helping the youth, ‘AJ’ is also involved with Ringside Charitable Trust (RCT), which aims to help ex-boxers in need. 

Meanwhile, this user celebrated how good Joshua is with kids. “Great with the kids,” the user commented. And why wouldn’t he be? After all, Joshua is a father himself to a boy named Joseph ‘JJ’ Joshua.

From the looks of things, Anthony Joshua is on the right path to recovery, but whether that path leads him back to the boxing ring is yet to be seen. What did you make of the Brit’s visit to soccer practice?