Former world heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, is contemplating stepping away from boxing, his uncle, Adedamola Joshua, has disclosed.
The PUNCH reported that Adedamola revealed that the decision comes in the wake of a devastating car accident that has profoundly impacted the boxer.
The 36-year-old survived the crash in Nigeria, which tragically claimed the lives of two close friends and members of his team.
According to his uncle, Joshua privately informed his family of his intention to quit the sport following the incident.
“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 family home in Sagamu on Monday morning.
“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.”
When asked whether Joshua had formally shared the decision with the family, his uncle replied, “Yes.”
In addition to his possible retirement, Joshua has vowed to support the families of his late friends, Sina Ghami and Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele, for the remainder of their lives. The two men lost their lives in the car accident near Lagos last Monday.
Joshua spoke publicly about the tragedy for the first time on Sunday, sharing photos with the grieving families on Instagram.
The post was captioned “My Brothers Keeper,” accompanied by two heart emojis and a military helmet symbol representing protection.
The phrase, drawn from Genesis 4:9, underscores a moral duty to care for others.
