Speculation surrounding Anthony Joshua’s future has intensified in recent days, but there has been no confirmation that the former heavyweight champion plans to retire. Despite online claims and a manipulated AI-generated video suggesting otherwise, Joshua has made no public statement about stepping away from boxing following last week’s fatal car crash in Nigeria that claimed the lives of two close friends and team members, Latif “Latz” Ayodele and Sina Ghami.
Joshua has remained deliberately silent on his career since the tragedy. His first public appearance came at the funerals of Ayodele and Ghami in London, where he paid his respects privately alongside their families. Shortly afterward, Joshua shared a single social media post showing him with grieving relatives, captioned “My Brothers’ Keeper,” without any reference to boxing.
Confusion has been exacerbated by a doctored AI video circulating online that falsely implies Joshua announced his retirement. In addition, comments attributed to an unnamed family member suggesting he intends to walk away from the sport have not been verified and remain unsupported by any on-the-record confirmation from Joshua or his camp.
Neither Joshua’s promoter nor his management team has issued any further statements beyond acknowledging the accident. There has been no official communication indicating a decision about retirement, and no timeline has been set for Joshua to speak publicly about his future.
So as of now, Joshua has not retired, and any decision regarding his career is expected to come directly from him, when he is ready to speak on his own terms. Please be aware of AI and other software used to manipulate the information online, because nowadays it's very hard to distinguish the truth from lie.
Image Credit: Matchroom Boxing