FACT-CHECK: Viral Video Falsely Claims Anthony Joshua Retired from Boxing Following His Fatal Car Crash Involving Close Friends
By: Aminat Miskilu
Claim:
A viral video circulating on X (formerly Twitter) purports to show British heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua announcing his retirement from boxing following the death of two close friends in a car accident in Nigeria.
Verdict:
False and Misleading.
The video is not recent and does not relate to the recent car accident Anthony Joshua was involved in, or deaths of his friends, an accident confirmed by reports from Nigerian national newspapers, international sports media, boxing regulatory bodies, Anthony Joshua’s management team and Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn. It originates from August 2022 and captures Anthony Joshua’s emotional post-fight press conference after his second defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia.
Full Text:
A video widely shared on X shows a visibly emotional Anthony Joshua speaking at what is presented as a retirement announcement prompted by the deaths of two close friends in a car crash in Nigeria.
The accompanying captions claim the incident occurred on December 29, 2025, and that Joshua sustained minor injuries while his friends died at the scene. The post attracted significant engagement, leading many users to believe the claim is genuine.
A user, @fcspokesman, posted the clip with the caption:
“Anthony Jushua finally decided to retire from Boxing due to th3 recent acc¡d£nt that happened and took two of his best friends at the spot 😢😢😢. This is really a hard time for him and the families affected.”
This post garnered 1 million views, 977 reposts, 4,500 likes and 529 replies.
However, FactCheck Africa found that the narrative attached to the video is entirely fabricated.
Transcript Misrepresentation
The speech quoted in viral posts transcription reads: “I have decided to formally retire from the boxing world. Thank you all for your continued support, but I truly cannot keep fighting with a broken heart. My friends accompanied me back to my hometown, yet they lost their lives there while I survived. The guilt and remorse are unbearable. To be honest, I would rather it had been me who died instead of them. They were my friends of more than 10 years, and also the coaches who gave me tremendous help. Every medal I ever won carries their contribution. And now, they have left this world forever because of me. Therefore, I have decided to officially step away from boxing. Because the moment I step into the ring, their faces appear in my mind, and that grief completely crushes me. In addition, I will personally cover all funeral expenses for my two brothers. This is the only thing I can do for them. From now on, I will live on with their memory in my heart, and I will take care of their families on their behalf. May there be no car accidents in heaven. My brothers, rest in peace.”
It does not match the actual content of Anthony Joshua’s remarks in the original video.
In the authentic 2022 footage, Joshua speaks emotionally about his loss to Oleksandr Usyk, his personal struggles, dedication to boxing and sense of national and personal pride.
The traced video does not mention any car accident, deaths, retirement from boxing or funeral expenses
The quoted “transcript” circulating online appears to be fabricated or dubbed, a common tactic in misinformation campaigns.
Verification:
FactCheckAfrica conducted a verification process using reverse-image searches through various fact-checking platforms for credibility and to strengthen findings
1. Reverse Image and Video Search
FactCheck Africa conducted reverse-image searches using InVID WeVerify, extracting multiple keyframes from the viral video.
Results given by Yandex traced the footage to August 2022, with identical visuals appearing in:
Boxing Social (YouTube), post-fight press conference following the Usyk rematch.
Daily Star (UK), article dated August 21, 2022, reporting Joshua’s emotional breakdown after the loss.
Chat Sports, coverage of the “Rage on the Red Sea” rematch.
LiveVideos.ru, archived version of the same press conference.
All sources confirm the video was recorded immediately after Joshua’s defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
2. Official Statements Contradict the Claim
Following the car crash in 2025, Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn publicly stated Anthony Joshua needs time to grieve before he makes a decision on his boxing future – but does think the former heavyweight champion will return to the ring.
As of the time of this fact-check, there’s no known official announcement of Anthony Joshua retirement as a professional boxer.
Conclusion:
The viral claim that Anthony Joshua retired from boxing following the death of two close friends in a car crash is entirely false. The video being shared is from August 2022, taken out of context and paired with a fabricated narrative. This case highlights how old emotional footage is frequently repurposed with false captions to mislead audiences on social media.
