British heavyweight Anthony Joshua, who defeated YouTuber-turned boxer Jake Paul earlier this month, was injured in an automobile crash in Nigeria that killed two people, authorities said Monday.
Joshua, 36, was a passenger in a vehicle that was traveling on the Ogun-Lagos state expressway, the BBC reported.
The boxer, a two-time unified heavyweight champion who also won a gold medal in the super heavyweight division for Great Britain in the 2012 Summer Olympics, has family roots in Sagamu, located in southwestern Nigeria.
Police confirmed to the BBC that Joshua had minor injuries but is “fine.” He was reportedly traveling as a passenger in a Lexus at the time of the collision.
Nigerian authorities say Anthony Joshua has been involved in a car crash on the Ogun–Lagos state expressway.
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) December 29, 2025
Local media reports say two people died in the crash.
Police confirm to the BBC that Joshua had minor injuries but is "fine".
Photos and videos online show what… pic.twitter.com/GsSGzA8aGi
Authorities are investigating the cause of the accident and have not released any other information.
“I can confirm an accident occurred and Anthony Joshua has been taken to hospital,” Lanre Ogunlowo, Commissioner of Ogun State Police, said in a statement. “A vehicle rammed into a stationary vehicle. Unfortunately, there were two fatalities. Anthony Joshua was treated by first-responders at the scene.”
Eyewitness Adeniyi Orojo told the Nigerian newspaper, The Punch, that a Lexus and a Pajero were involved in the crash.
“Joshua was seated behind the driver, with another person beside him,” Orojo said. “There was also a passenger sitting beside the driver, making four occupants in the Lexus that crashed. His security detail was in the vehicle behind them before the crash.”
“Anthony Joshua is well and responding to treatment,” Babaseyi Boluwatife, a spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, told CNN.
Joshua (29-4, 26 KOs) defeated Paul (12-2, 7 KOs) in a sixth-round knockout on Dec. 19 in Miami.
Eddie Hearn, who is Joshua’s promoter, said he was attempting to contact his fighter.
“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,” Hearn said. “We are awaiting more information on what has happened and will update in due course.”
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