Former heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua has returned to the United Kingdom, sharing his first public update since the fatal car crash in Nigeria last month, which claimed the lives of two of his closest friends.
Meanwhile, Jake Paul remains under an indefinite medical suspension due to a broken jaw sustained in his fight in December against Joshua.
Joshua, who sustained only minor injuries in the December 29 crash, was discharged from a Lagos hospital on December 31 after a medical assessment confirmed that he did not require any further treatment.
As previously reported by DX, eyewitness accounts have described him walking away without serious injury as remarkable, given the heavy damage to the Lexus SUV he was riding in that collided with a parked truck on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
Two passengers, Joshua’s longtime strength and conditioning coach Sina Ghami and personal trainer Latif “Latz” Ayodele, were pronounced dead at the scene.
Following his release from the hospital, Joshua reportedly visited a funeral home in Lagos with his mother to pay respects to Ghami and Ayodele before their bodies were sent back home. He has since flown back to the UK, where memorial services were held for his friends soon after he landed.
On the same day of those services, Joshua posted his first social media update since the crash on Instagram, which included photos of himself with his mother and family members of his deceased friends, captioned “My Brothers Keeper.”
The driver of the vehicle, Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, has been charged with dangerous driving causing death, reckless driving, and driving without a valid license. According to Reuters, his case has been adjourned until January 20.
In related boxing news, Jake Paul has been placed on indefinite medical suspension by the Florida Athletic Commission following his sixth-round knockout loss to Joshua on December 19 in Miami.
Paul suffered a double fracture to his jaw during the fight, requiring immediate surgery with multiple titanium plate implants, and even the removal of some damaged teeth.
The suspension from the Florida Athletic Commission, confirmed on January 4 by MMAFighting.com, is reportedly standard procedure for severe jaw injuries in boxing and will require Paul to obtain clearance from a doctor confirming full recovery before he can be licensed to compete again.
Paul has since shared a few updates on his recovery process, giving a glimpse into some daily challenges – like a liquid diet while his jaw heals. He has expressed intent to return to the ring in the future.