Anthony Joshua says he is putting his own grief to one side to support the parents of two close friends killed in a car crash in Nigeria last December.
The two-time world heavyweight champion was speaking to the media for the first time since the accident as he prepares to return to the ring.
Joshua, 36, was left with minor injuries in the crash on 19 December, 2025 which claimed the lives of strength and conditioning coach Sina Ghami and trainer Latif Ayodele.
"I have to put my emotions to the side because I focus on the parents. I really look at their parents, and I understand it must be most difficult for them," he said.
Ghami and Ayodele were long-term members of Joshua’s team.
Ayodele, who Joshua described as being like a "twin brother," had worked with him for years.
The boxer paid tribute to both men in a video posted in January, calling them "my left and my right."
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The crash happened while Joshua was on holiday with the pair, days after his knockout victory over Jake Paul in Miami.
For a period after the accident it was unclear whether he would continue fighting.
He said boxing was now helping him cope. "Everyone does it differently, but for me that’s the best way of handling the situation. It’s not about me; it’s bigger than me.
"I’m just there for their parents. It’s about being a good soldier for them because I’ve got to look after them.
"This is my purpose. Boxing is not only good for the competitive side of things, it’s also quite therapeutic, it gives us fighters a lot of purpose and that’s what it does for me."
Joshua will return on 25 July in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, against Albanian fighter Kristian Prenga.
He is also expected to face Tyson Fury at Wembley later this year in a bout that would be the biggest in British boxing history, though details are yet to be confirmed.
A 46-year-old man, Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, has been charged with dangerous driving causing death, reckless and negligent driving, driving without due care and attention, and driving without a valid national driver’s licence in connection with the crash.
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