Tyson Fury Issues Statement After Anthony Joshua's Friends Die in Car Crash
Tyson Fury has paid tribute to Anthony Joshua’s two friends who died in a car crash in Nigeria.
Joshua, along with four other adult males, was involved in a car crash while travelling on an expressway near Lagos, Nigeria, on Monday (December 29).
The Lexus SUV Joshua was travelling in reportedly struck a stationary truck at around 11.a.m local time.
The boxer suffered minor injuries, appearing dazed and in pain during video footage showing the aftermath of the crash. He has since been taken to hospital and remains under observation.
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According to Police Commander Babatunde Akinbiyi of Nigeria's Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), early investigations into the incident appear to suggest that the Lexus “experienced a tyre burst” due to “excessive speed” which caused “lost control”.
The two fatalities were Joshua’s friends Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele. Both were pronounced dead at the scene before Joshua’s team confirmed the tragic news in a later statement.
A spokesperson described the pair as “close friends” and “integral members of Anthony’s team”, while also asking that privacy be given to their respective families.
Just a few hours before the crash, Joshua posted a video of himself and Ayodele playing table tennis to his Instagram story. Although it is unclear when the video was recorded.
Tributes quickly began pouring in with Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, describing the pair as “great men”.
Then on Tuesday (December 30), Joshua’s fellow British heavyweight Fury posted a tribute on his Instagram story with the words: “This is so sad, may god give them a good bed in heaven."
The 'Gypsy King' also commented: "There is no tomorrow, live, love and give," on an Instagram post.
Meanwhile, Fury's father, John, took to Instagram to offer his condolences.
“AJ, you’ve got a guardian angel, my friend," John said in a video uploaded to his Instagram account.
"God has his arms wrapped around you."
John then reminded his followers of the importance of paying attention while driving.
“When driving a vehicle, you’ve got to be on clock at all times,” he added.
“It’s a stark reminder that life’s most fragile when you’re enjoying yourself the most."
The 60-year-old continued to advise his followers of the dangers of driving a vehicle: "People have to start putting it out there that you can’t drive a vehicle at speed. You can’t drink and drive. You can’t drug and drive.
“I’m not saying any of these boys have being doing that. Not at all. I’m just putting it out there because it’s the time of year.
“It’s Christmas. It’s New Year. Now you’ve got to be careful.”
Following the crash, Nigerian president Bola Ahmed Tinubu took to X to offer his condolences while confirming that he had spoken to Joshua on the phone.
Joshua has yet to publicly comment following the tragic crash.
Topics: Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, Nigeria, Boxing, Eddie Hearn, Heavyweight Boxing
Luke Davies