Boxing-Fury says Joshua’s fatal Nigeria crash spurred his decision to return


Boxing - Tyson Fury and Arslanbek Makhmudov Press Conference - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Britain - February 16, 2026 Tyson Fury during the press conference Action Images via Reuters/John Sibley

Feb 17 (Reuters) - Briton ⁠Tyson Fury said Anthony Joshua's tragic car accident ⁠in Nigeria that caused two fatalities was a "turning ‌point" for him in his decision to return to the ring.

Joshua, a former heavyweight champion, sustained minor injuries in the crash in ​Nigeria in December which killed his ⁠strength and conditioning coach ⁠Sina Ghami and his trainer Latif "Latz" Ayodele.

"The biggest turning point ⁠in ‌this comeback for me was the tragedy that happened with Anthony Joshua," Fury told reporters ⁠on Monday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where ​he will face ‌Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11 in his return ⁠bout.

"I hear ​all that bad news that's gone on and I thought, you know what, life is very short, very precious ⁠and very fragile.

"Tomorrow is a mystery, ​we have to live for today. And me living for that day, I made my mind up there and ⁠then that I'm going to come back to boxing - because it's something that I love, I'm passionate about and that I've always been in love with."

Fury, 37, ​announced his return from his latest ⁠spell of retirement in January. It will be the ​first fight for the former two-time ‌world heavyweight champion since losing ​to Oleksandr Usyk in December 2024.

(Reporting by Karan Prashant Saxena in Bengaluru; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus)

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