Anthony Joshua says he is not ready for the loss of two close friends and team members to "sink in yet," as he prepares for his first fight since their deaths. Sina Ghami and Latif "Latz" Ayodele died when the vehicle they were travelling in, alongside Joshua, collided with a stationary truck near Lagos on 29 December 2025.
Joshua, who sustained minor injuries, returns to the ring against Kristian Prenga on Saturday — his first contest since knocking out Jake Paul days before the crash. "It's tough, every time I think about it, it hurts," he told BBC Sport. "If I stop, you let it sink in and I'm not ready for it to sink in yet." Ghami was his rehabilitation coach of more than ten years; Ayodele a long-time friend and personal trainer.
The 36-year-old admitted feeling "a little bit nervous" before his return. "I want to perform for my team, I want to make them proud," he said. Prenga will be his first competitive bout since a knockout loss to Daniel Dubois in 2024. A long-awaited meeting with fellow Briton Tyson Fury is expected later this year if both men win their next fights.
Hours before the crash, Joshua posted a video of himself playing table tennis with Ayodele. The tragedy has reframed a comeback that was already freighted with expectation. For now, the ring offers structure and purpose — a place to keep his mind occupied, as he put it, rather than let grief take hold.
Joshua's return is more than a sporting fixture; it is a test of composure under the heaviest of personal weights. Whatever the result, the night will be measured less by rounds won than by the simple act of stepping back through the ropes.
Beyond the personal, the bout is a step in Joshua's long climb back toward a world-title conversation. Defeats and tragedy have reshaped a career once defined by undefeated swagger, and the boxing public will watch whether the old dominance survives the interruption. A clean win against Prenga restores rhythm; a flat one raises questions. Either way, the ring offers the structure he says he needs — a place where the only opponent in front of him is the one across the ropes, not the memory he is not yet ready to face.## Back in the ring
Beyond the personal, the bout is a step in Joshua's climb back toward a world-title conversation. Defeats and tragedy have reshaped a career once defined by undefeated swagger, and the public will watch whether old dominance survives the interruption. A clean win restores rhythm; a flat one raises questions. Either way, the ring offers the structure he says he needs — a place where the only opponent is across the ropes, not the memory he is not yet ready to face.
Whatever the result, the night will be measured less by rounds won than by stepping back through the ropes.
