Anthony Joshua says he is not yet ready to lose two of his close friends and team members as he prepares for his first fight since their deaths.
Sina Gami and Lateef “Lutz” Ayodele died when the car they were traveling in, along with heavyweight boxer Joshua and another passenger, collided with a stationary truck on a main road near Lagos, Nigeria, on December 29, 2025.
Joshua, who suffered minor injuries, is set to return to the ring against heavyweight Christian Prenga on Saturday for his first fight since knocking out American YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul 10 days before the crash.
The 36-year-old told BBC Sport: “It’s hard, every time I think about it it hurts.
“Even talking about it now… the pictures… it hurts, but I’m constantly busy with my thoughts, you know.
“If I stop, you’ll let it sink in, and I’m not ready for that yet.”
Gami was Joshua’s full-time sports and exercise rehabilitation coach and worked with him for over 10 years.
Hours before the crash, Joshua posted a video on Instagram of himself playing table tennis with his longtime friend Ayodele, a personal trainer.
Prenga will be Joshua’s first fight since his knockout loss to IBF world champion Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in September 2024.
The former world champion admitted that he was “a little nervous” before his return.
“This is competition at the highest level,” he added.
“I want to perform for my team, I want to make them proud and proud of myself.
“It’s a balance of nerves, but I understand what my job is. (I have) a lot of understanding and clarity about what I have to do.”