Anthony Joshua, who recently beat YouTuber Jake Paul with a knockout during their Netflix-streamed bout, was injured in a car crash that killed two people.
As reported by The Guardian, Joshua was riding as a passenger in a vehicle that crashed into a stationary vehicle on Monday (Dec. 29) on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Nigeria. The driver of the vehicle was also injured in the crash, and they were both taken to a nearby hospital, Ogun state police commissioner Lanre Ogunlowo said. “It’s still sketchy for us here. We are trying to establish all the facts from the first responders and that is the most we can say … We will be giving details as we have updates,” Ogunlowo added.
Joshua was seated in the rear of the Lexus SUC when it crashed. Despite him sustaining minor injuries, two other people were killed. “Tragically, two other passengers in the vehicle lost their lives at the scene,” Ogun police said in a statement. "The deceased have been conveyed to Livewell Hospital Morgue, Sagamu. The Ogun State Police Command extends heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and assures the public that a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the accident has commenced.”
An investigation into the incident is ongoing, but video and photos circulating online appeared to show people helping Joshua, who was dazed and in pain, out of the vehicle. Joshua is the son of British-Nigerian parents and has family in the country.
“Anthony Joshua is well and responding to treatment,” a spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, told CNN.
The news comes just over a week after Joshua knocked out Jake Paul during their highly-anticipated fight at Miami’s Kaseya Center. The event was live-streamed on Netflix, and it set a new social media record for the platform after a slow-motion clip showing Joshua’s knockout blow gained over 214 million impressions. The fight itself was watched by over 33 million people around the world.
Paul tweeted his condolences, and said he's "praying" for Joshua.
"Life is much more important than boxing," he wrote. "I am praying for the lost lives, AJ and anyone impacted by today’s unfortunate accident."