Joshua: Boxing still my ‘purpose’ despite fatal crash
Anthony Joshua has said he never considered walking away from boxing because it is his ‘purpose’ following the fatal car crash which claimed the lives of his two friends in December.
Joshua’s friends and teammates, Sina Ghami and Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele, died after the vehicle the three of them were travelling in struck a stationary truck on a major road near Lagos, Nigeria.
After a period of uncertainty around his future in the sport, the former heavyweight champion has confirmed he will return to the ring on July 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia against Kristian Prenga (20-1, 20 KOs) before a potential fight against Tyson Fury, which is being targeted for November.
Joshua (29-4, 26 KOs) sustained moderate injuries in the crash and returned to the gym in the months following the incident.
![Man United flop Antony our greatest-ever signing —Betis chief ANTONY gave a glimpse against Nottingham Forest as to why Real Betis sporting director Manu Fajardo believes the Manchester United flop might be "the most import¬ant signing" in the club's history. The 25-year-old has been reborn in Andalusia after an underwhelming stint at Old Trafford, where he failed to get anywhere near justifying the lofty fee paid to Ajax three years ago. Antony arrived for an eye-popping €95 million ($111.6m), plus a potential €5m in add-ons, but failed to consis¬tently impress and fell down the pecking order at United. The Brazil international sparkled after joining Betis on loan in January and made the move permanent after protracted talks brought a deadline-day switch for up to €25m. United included a clause that gives them 50% of any future deal for Antony, who followed a smart assist with a late goal to secure a 2-2 draw in Wednesday's Europa League opener against Forest. Betis sporting director Fajardo told the PA news agency: "I am 100% sure that maybe Antony is the most import¬ant signing in Betis' history. "Everything [about the signing] be¬cause the talent, the level of the player, the level of the club as Manchester United a big team, a big project, so I am 100% sure that Antony is the best signing in Betis' history." "In the first moment we spoke with Manchester United for Antony to stay in Betis one year more on loan. "But for Antony, for Manchester it was very, very important to recover the investment, so for Betis it was not easy. The move was so much for us. "But Manchester United made a big effort, Betis made a big effort, Antony made a big, big effort to play here again. Maybe in that situation that was the secret." Betis may not be able to compete with Premier League clubs' financial clout, but they boast talent that Fajardo hopes can see them to push for Europa League glory this season. "For Betis it is not easy to sign players from Premier League, because the dif¬ference in respect to the salary between the Premier League and LaLiga is too big," Fajardo added. "But when a player like Antony, for example, wants to come to Betis it's easier. "Antony only thought to play in Betis again, so when you have a negotiation with a big club in Manchester United, a club that paid a big amount for Antony, it's not easy. But the player wants to play in Betis."-ESPN](https://ghanaiantimes.com.gh/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Antony-220x150.jpg)
He has most recently been in camp with unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in Spain, training with the Ukrainian in the lead up to his return in July.
The Brit said while had been working in the gym for a while, he felt ready to return to proper training two months ago and that he is “mentally very strong.”
Asked if he considered walking away from the sport, Joshua told reporters on Monday: “No because it’s my purpose. Boxing is not only good for the competitive side of things, it’s quite therapeutic. It gives us [fighters] purpose.
Joshua explained that he has learned the importance of prayer while training with Usyk, a devout Christian, and said while he personally has no specific religion, prayer has helped him in the last five months.
When asked how he is dealing with the emotion of what happened as he prepares to fight again, Joshua said he has focused on the families of Ghami and Ayodele, who he will continue to support.
“Everyone’s different. For me, I have to put my emotions to the side because I’m focused on the parents if I’m honest,” Joshua said.
“My emotions can come at a later stage. I really look at the parents and understand it must be most difficult for them. So, I don’t make it about me, I make it about them. The mums and dads.
“Everyone deals with it differently, but I think for me that’s the best way of handling the situation. It’s not about me. It’s bigger than me.” –ESPN
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