Just hours before a tragic car accident in Nigeria, Anthony Joshua was spotted engaging in a casual game of table tennis. The renowned British boxing champion, aged 36, was involved in the crash that resulted in the deaths of two passengers, but fortunately, he survived with only minor injuries. Joshua is currently receiving medical attention in the hospital.

The collision occurred on a bustling section of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, specifically in the Makun area, at approximately 11 a.m. local time on Monday. The incident involved five individuals, including Joshua, who was a passenger in a Lexus Jeep that collided with a stationary truck near a petrol station. His security team was following closely behind in another vehicle.

Local authorities have indicated that the Lexus was likely exceeding the speed limit and lost control during an overtaking maneuver, leading to the devastating crash. The former two-time heavyweight champion, who shares Nigerian roots through his parents, had earlier shared an Instagram story at 9:30 a.m. local time. In the video, he appeared cheerful while playing table tennis with his close friend, Kevin Ayodele.

Joshua was one of five men involved in the crash when the Lexus Jeep he was travelling in the back of ploughed into a stationary truck near a petrol station. His security entourage was following in a separate car.

Authorities said the black Lexus is believed to have been travelling ‘beyond the legally prescribed speed limit’ and lost control while making ‘an overtaking manoeuvre’. 

The former two-time heavyweight champion, whose parents are both Nigerian, shared a story on Instagram at 9.30am local time (8.30am GMT), where he appeared happy as he played table tennis alongside his long-time friend, Kevin Ayodele.

In a short clip posted to his 18 million followers, a shirtless Joshua is seen smiling as he rallies with the personal trainer. He accompanied the clip with the message: ‘@healthy_mindset dishing out table tennis smoke.’

It is unclear when the footage was taken but it was posted just an hour and a half before the accident. Joshua’s strength and conditioning coach, Sina Ghami, had also shared an Instagram story of what is believed to be the back of the Lexus the boxer was travelling in.

Footage from the scene of the crash shows Joshua looking dazed and wincing in pain.  

Joshua had posted a clip of him playing table tennis with his long-time friend Kevin Ayodele just hours before the crash

Footage posted online appears to show former heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua, 36, shirtless and looking dazed as he sits in the wrecked Lexus among shattered glass

A picture of Joshua’s Lexus Jeep which was posted on Instagram by his strength and conditioning coach 

He is later seen in the front seat of an emergency vehicle, speaking to officials. It is reported that Joshua sustained minor injuries and was taken to hospital. Two other people were pronounced dead at the scene and two more escaped unhurt.

Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn told Daily Mail Sport: ‘We are trying to contact Anthony and in the meantime we don’t want to speculate on how he is but thankfully he appears okay from what I have seen in the images. 

‘We are awaiting more information on what has happened and will update in due course.’  

CP Lanre Ogunlowo, Commissioner of Ogun State Police, said: ‘I can confirm an accident occurred and Anthony Joshua has been taken to hospital.’ 

He added: ‘A vehicle rammed into a stationary vehicle. Unfortunately, there were two fatalities. Anthony Joshua was treated by first-responders at the scene and then taken to hospital.’ 

A friend of Joshua’s said that ‘he’s okay but badly shaken up’. 

‘Nobody knows quite what damage has been done, but was able to escape the wreckage,’ they added.

‘Others weren’t quite so lucky so it’s been a traumatic ordeal which he’s trying to process.’

Oluseyi Babaseyi, police spokesperson for Ogun state, said: ‘The vehicle conveying Anthony Joshua, a Lexus SUV, was involved in the accident under circumstances that are currently being investigated. He was seated in the rear of the vehicle, sustained minor injuries and (is) receiving medical attention.’

The heavyweight has family roots in Sagamu, a town in Ogun State, Nigeria, and has a tattoo of Africa on his right shoulder. 

Anthony Joshua pictured after a car crash in Nigeria on Monday which killed two people

Joshua was later seen sitting in the front seat of an emergency vehicle, speaking to officials. It is reported Joshua sustained minor injuries and two others were pronounced dead at the scene

The truck that the Lexus Jeep crashed into is pictured here 

Joshua is seen on his feet after being helped from the wrecked Lexus Jeep

It is understood that Joshua was seated behind the driver, along with another passenger, when the crash occurred.

Four people were inside the Lexus at the time, while his security followed in a separate vehicle.

An eyewitness told Punch newspaper: ‘It was a two-vehicle convoy: a Lexus SUV and a Pajero SUV. 

‘Joshua was seated behind the driver, with another person beside him. 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.

‘Other eyewitnesses and I began the rescue and flagged down oncoming vehicles to assist. A few minutes after the crash, officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps arrived.’

Joshua is pictured with his entourage in Nigeria at the beginning of this year, with the Lexus Jeep involved in the crash in the background

Joshua was expected to fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in February next year after his sixth-round knockdown of YouTuber Jake Paul in Miami this month.

He had flown back to Britain after his knockout victory before his pre-planned trip to Nigeria where he was expected to stay for a week.   

Joshua pocketed a reported £70million from his fight with Paul, which was viewed by more than 30 million people on Netflix. 

The father-of-one, as expected, emerged triumphant – breaking his opponent’s jaw in two places ahead of the final knock-out, although later said he should have won sooner.

Joshua gave Paul credit while speaking to reporters after his victory, admitting it took him ‘a bit longer than expected’ to stop the American.

‘It wasn’t the best performance,’ he said.

‘The end goal was to get Jake Paul, pin him down and hurt him. That has been the request and that was on my mind. Took a bit longer than expected but the right hand found the destination.

‘Jake Paul has done really well tonight, I want to give him his props. He got up, time and time again. It was difficult in there for him, but he kept on trying to find a way through.

‘You have to give Jake his respect for trying, trying and trying. But he came up against a real fighter tonight that’s had a 15-month lay-off.’

Joshua and his promoter Hearn also looked ahead to the future, urging Tyson Fury to sign on the dotted line and set-up arguably the biggest fight in British boxing history.

Fury is expected to come out of retirement next year after stepping away from the sport when he suffered a second consecutive loss to Oleksandr Usyk in May 2024.

Hearn said: ‘We want the Tyson Fury fight of course. That’s the fight, the biggest fight.

Joshua was expected to fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in February next year after his sixth-round knockdown of YouTuber Jake Paul in Miami this month

‘We can do that, by the way, straight away. No interim fights. If Tyson’s ready and AJ is ready, we don’t have to fight in February or March. I think he’s saying eight weeks, 24 hours to sign a contract.’

Before Joshua added: ‘The best promoter in the world has been speaking with Turki [Al-Sheikh], His Excellency, Riyadh Season, and now he’s going to relay those messages and speak to my training team.

‘I’m a strong guy. I want to push on – but the coaches, it’s really up to them, they’re the ones that guide me. Fighters will always fight, coaches are there to guide us.

‘They know what I’ve been through over the x amount of weeks I’ve been with them so it’s up to them to make a decision. They’re going to speak with Eddie, and then hopefully in a week or so, I’ll have some news.’