British heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua is confronting profound psychological trauma as he recovers from a devastating car accident that claimed the lives of two of his closest friends.
The Devastating Accident in Nigeria
The catastrophic crash occurred in Nigeria, where Anthony Joshua, 36, was involved in a collision that proved fatal for his friends and team members, Sina Ghami and Latif 'Latz' Ayodele. Both men were pronounced dead at the scene. According to a statement from the Ogun state government, Joshua was found to be stable and conscious and did not require emergency medical aid. He was, however, taken to hospital for checks, treatment, and observation.
Sources close to the boxer have suggested to the Daily Mail that his injuries might be more serious than initially reported. His promoters, Matchroom Boxing, and management company 258 BXG issued a statement expressing their "profound sadness" and offering "deepest condolences and prayers" to the families and friends of the deceased.
The Immediate Psychological Aftermath
Psychotherapist and grief expert Julia Samuel explains that survivors of such traumatic events are often plunged into a state of deep psychological shock. "The immediate aftermath of surviving such a devastating accident often leaves people in a state of profound shock," Samuel states. "The mind struggles to process the enormity of what has happened."
This shock, she notes, acts as a crucial buffer, protecting the individual from the full force of grief until their nervous system can begin to process the event. It can manifest through dissociation—a feeling of numbness or disconnection from reality—interspersed with flashes of intense distress. Physically, it may lead to disrupted sleep, altered appetite, hypervigilance, or emotional flatness. "The body remembers what the mind cannot yet fully accept," Samuel explains.
The 'Tormenting' Onslaught of Survivor Guilt
As the initial shock subsides, a more complex and painful emotion often emerges: survivor guilt. Samuel describes this as "one of the most tormenting aspects of such trauma," characterised by the agonising, unanswerable question: why did I live when they died?
"Survivors can become trapped in cycles of self-blame," she says, "replaying the event repeatedly and questioning whether a different action or decision might have changed the outcome." This can spiral into an exhausting loop of 'if only' thoughts, leading to feelings of unworthiness. Some may even feel they do not deserve the future that was denied to their friends, or experience conflict about moving forward with their own lives.
For an elite athlete like Anthony Joshua, whose profession is built on physical control and mental fortitude, this trauma can have significant professional repercussions. "It might also affect his confidence as a sportsman and as a man," Samuel observes, highlighting how trauma can destabilise even the strongest sense of self.
The Path to Recovery
Samuel stresses that healing from such an experience is a lengthy process that typically requires professional support. The key to working through survivor guilt, she emphasises, is not about forgetting those who were lost, but understanding that survival is not a moral failure.
"Honouring the people who died doesn’t mean remaining trapped in the moment they died," Samuel concludes. "Ultimately, it may mean choosing to live fully - carrying their memory forward through how you live." The boxer's team has requested privacy for all affected as they navigate this incredibly difficult time.
