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Heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua was injured in a car crash in Nigeria that killed two people just days after his knockout victory over influencer Jake Paul.
According to Newsweek, the fatal crash occurred at roughly 11 a.m. local time along the Lagos-Ibadan highway in Makun, Ogun State. Joshua’s vehicle was reportedly involved in a collision with a truck. Videos shared on social media showed Joshua inside a visibly damaged vehicle at the scene.
The Ogun State Police Command confirmed that two people died in the crash. Police told the BBC that Joshua was “fine.” Joshua and other injured individuals were reportedly taken to an unnamed hospital for treatment.
Eyewitness Adeniyi Orojo told The Punch that the vehicles involved in the crash were a Lexus and a Pajero.
“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.”
Ogun State Police Commissioner Lanre Ogunwalo told ESPN that a tire on Joshua’s vehicle “burst,” causing the driver to crash into a truck parked along the road.
The crash came just days after Joshua knocked out Paul on December 19, earning the 29th win of his professional career. Joshua is a three-time heavyweight world champion, having previously held the WBA Super, IBF, and WBO titles. He was born in Watford, England, and has family roots in Sagamu, a town in Ogun State in southwest Nigeria.
It remains unclear when Joshua will return to the ring.
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