Anthony Joshua pays tribute to friends killed in crash

Anthony Joshua paid tribute to two close friends killed in a car crash in December as he returned to the ring for the first time since the tragedy. Sina Ghami and Latif 'Latz' Ayodele died when the car they were travelling in struck a truck on a road near Lagos in December. The pair had been on holiday with Joshua after he beat Jake Paul in Miami. Joshua, who was also in the vehicle, was taken to hospital but later discharged and returned home to the UK, where he attended the funerals of his strength and conditioning coach Ghami and Ayodele, one of his trainers. Returning to the ring after seven months of inactivity, Joshua defeated Albanian Kristian Prenga by knockout in the second round, despite being knocked down twice in the first round. In honor of Ghami and Ayodele, Joshua had their names printed on his military camouflage trunks and wore a military-style jacket that matched his shorts. The jacket featured a medal bar displaying the IBF, IBO, WBA, and WBO titles he previously held, along with pennants bearing Ghami and Ayodele's names. Additionally, 'Latz x Sina, My Brother's Keeper, MBK' was printed on the canvas in his corner. After the fight, Joshua expressed his emotions, stating, "It's been tough," before pausing to regain composure. "That's my brothers. I don't want to talk about that." Matchroom Boxing chief Eddie Hearn commented on Joshua's resilience, saying, "Nobody can imagine what he's been through in the last seven months. In that first round, I thought we'd come back too soon. Boxing got him through. To even be in the ring tonight is astonishing. You don't know what he's been through. He had to go to the depths one more time to get up, like he has done the last seven months." In February, Joshua memorialized Ghami and Ayodele by tattooing their names on his arm. Oleksandr Usyk was present ringside in Jeddah to support Joshua, whom he defeated in two world title fights. The victory places Joshua on track for a long-awaited fight against Tyson Fury in a British heavyweight showdown.