Boxer Anthony Joshua Survives Deadly Nigeria Highway Crash That Claimed Two Lives [Video]

A shocking road tragedy in Nigeria left the boxing world stunned after news broke that heavyweight star Anthony Joshua survived a deadly car crash that killed two people, just days after his blockbuster knockout win over Jake Paul.

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The incident happened on Monday morning in Ogun State while Joshua was riding in the back seat of a vehicle traveling with his security detail. Ogun State Police Commissioner Lanre Ogunlowo told ESPN that a tire burst caused the driver to lose control, sending the car into a stationary vehicle on the highway. The impact proved fatal for two passengers inside the vehicle.

An eyewitness speaking to Nigerian outlet Punch said two vehicles from Joshua’s party were traveling together, with his security team following closely behind. According to that account, the individual seated in the front passenger seat and another person sitting next to Joshua, reportedly positioned behind the driver, “died on the spot.”

Joshua is believed to have suffered only minor injuries. Images circulating online showed him conscious and upright at the scene, though visibly shaken. His promoter Eddie Hearn urged caution while details were still emerging, telling the Daily Mail, “We are trying to contact Anthony and in the meantime we don’t want to speculate on how he is but thankfully he appears OK from what I have seen in the images. We are awaiting more information on what has happened and will update in due course.”

The crash comes less than two weeks after Joshua’s December 19 fight in Miami, where he stopped Paul in the sixth round and reportedly broke his jaw. The bout marked Joshua’s first win since 2024 and handed Paul his second professional loss. Both fighters reportedly earned around $92 million for the matchup.

After the fight, Joshua spoke respectfully about his opponent, saying, “It takes a real man to do that, and he deserves respect for trying and trying and trying. But he came up against a real fighter tonight.”

Joshua, a former unified heavyweight champion and 2012 Olympic gold medalist, was visiting Nigeria, where both of his parents are from. As investigations continue, fans are holding space for the lives lost while expressing relief that Joshua survived a moment that could have ended very differently.