Eddie Hearn breaks silence after boxing star injured in car crash that killed two others
Eddie Hearn has revealed he learned of Anthony Joshua’s involvement in a fatal car accident while on a family holiday, stating the boxer appears to be unharmed based on footage he has viewed.
Footage has emerged showing the Briton looking dazed and confused after an incident in Nigeria.
Hearn, speaking to the Daily Mail, said: “I am away on a family holiday and awoke to the news of this incident.”
The boxing promoter also explained that efforts were underway to reach the 36-year-old former heavyweight world champion directly.
“We are trying to contact Anthony and in the meantime we don’t want to speculate on how he is but thankfully he appears OK from what I have seen in the images,” he said.
“We are awaiting more information on what has happened and will update in due course.”
The crash occurred shortly after 11am today when the Lexus Jeep in which Joshua was travelling collided with a stationary truck on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway in Makun, according to Nigerian media reports.
Anthony Joshua appeared dazed in video footage that emerged on social media after his car crash
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Two people were pronounced dead at the scene, while the boxer is reported to have sustained only minor injuries.
Video footage circulating online shows the former two-time unified heavyweight champion appearing dazed and shirtless amid broken glass in the damaged vehicle.
He was subsequently filmed seated in an emergency response vehicle, conversing with officials.
Eddie Hearn is Anthony Joshua’s promoter
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PAJoshua had been positioned in the rear seat behind the driver, with another passenger beside him, meaning four people occupied the Lexus when the collision took place.
A witness who spoke to Punch newspaper described how the boxer had been travelling as part of a two-car convoy comprising 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,” the eyewitness said.
The witness recounted how members of the public immediately began assisting those involved in the collision.
“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.”
Jake Paul lasted six rounds before being battered by Anthony Joshua earlier this month
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REUTERSJoshua had shared a video on his Instagram account just hours before the accident, showing him playing table tennis shirtless with close friend Kevin Ayodele, captioning the clip: “@healthy_mindset dishing out table tennis smoke.”
The British boxer had been on a pre-arranged week-long visit to Nigeria following his return to the UK after defeating YouTuber Jake Paul in Miami earlier this month.
Joshua stopped Paul in the sixth round of their bout, securing a knockout victory that set up his next scheduled contest.
The 36-year-old had been due to return to the ring in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in February for his next fight.
