After surviving a fatal car crash in Nigeria that claimed the lives of his two close friends, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua faces immense grief. Unsurprisingly, the tragedy pushed him to decide on retirement. Just last month, Joshua dominated a high-profile, one-sided bout against Jake Paul and, as a result, took home a retirement-worthy payday.

After the fight, retirement talks started. Then, following a fatal accident and its possible effects, such as PTSD, survivor’s guilt, or other psychological struggles, Joshua’s uncle finally confirmed his decision in a recent interview. He revealed that Anthony Joshua has decided to retire, a choice he had kept private until now.

Anthony Joshua’s exit comes with a lifelong commitment

“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,” Adedamola told The PUNCH during a visit to the Sagamu.

“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.”

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When the interviewer asked AJ’s uncle if Anthony Joshua had communicated this decision to the family, he confirmed, “Yes.” Alongside his recent retirement announcement, the Nigeria-Briton also plans to provide lifelong support to the victims’ families.

In fact, he posted a photo on Instagram with his friends Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, captioned “My brother’s keeper,” and added heart emojis and a soldier helmet, referencing the biblical phrase about looking after others.

Additionally, a teammate from Anthony Joshua’s camp confirmed his loyalty, saying he “will be there for them for the rest of their lives,” a teammate told The Sun. This week, ‘AJ’ attended his teammate’s funeral in Britain.

The tragedy didn’t break Joshua’s connection to Nigeria

After clips and photos of Anthony Joshua following the accident went viral, fans quickly criticized Nigeria’s infrastructure and questioned why the helicopter and ambulance didn’t arrive on time. They also scrutinized the high-security car that transported ‘AJ’ to the hospital, which, in turn, sparked even more discussion on social media.

Many fans even speculated that Anthony Joshua might avoid visiting Nigeria in the future. However, ‘AJ’s uncle addressed these concerns and reassured everyone, shutting down any doubts about the boxer’s connection to his home country after the fatal accident.

“There are a lot of things we have heard, but this is a Christian family, and everything we take with faith,” he said. “Once something like that happens, emotionally, you can say anything, but as time goes on, you know this is (always) your root.”

The police have, meanwhile, held Anthony Joshua’s logistics team member, Adeniyi Kayode, liable for the accident, since he was driving the car while Joshua and his friends rode as passengers. As a result, authorities have charged Kayode with four counts related to the crash. The court has now adjourned the case until January 20. Stay tuned for further updates.