“After the December knockout of Jake Paul in Miami, Joshua was on a high emotional upswing. But then came a very difficult period: the defeat by Daniel Dubois was still on his mind, and then there was that terrible accident in Nigeria, where his close friends died. It is a huge tragedy. Nevertheless, I see that boxing can become a refuge for him again. He will continue his career,” stated Hearn.
Let us recall that on December 19, Joshua dominated Jake Paul and finished the fight with an impressive knockout in the sixth round. That victory was supposed to be a springboard to a major clash with Tyson Fury—many experts expected AJ to have an interim fight in 2026, followed by a long-awaited mega-fight.
However, at the end of December 2025, Joshua was involved in a serious car accident in Nigeria, in which he survived but lost two close friends. Since then, no official announcements have been made regarding his return to the ring.