Jake Paul breaks his silence on ex-rival Anthony Joshua's shock car crash in Nigeria... just days after their fight
Paul and Joshua shared the ring just 10 days prior to the car crash, in a blockbuster bout which saw the influencer-turned-boxer suffer a knockout defeat in the sixth round.
By JAMES COHEN, SPORTS REPORTER
Published: 16:07 GMT, 29 December 2025 | Updated: 20:01 GMT, 29 December 2025
Jake Paul insists that he's 'praying' for former rival Anthony Joshua after the heavyweight boxer's horror car crash.
On Monday morning, the British star, 36, was injured in a crash that killed two other passengers in Nigeria, before being 'rescued alive' and taken to a local hospital.
Paul and Joshua shared the ring just 10 days prior, in a blockbuster Netflix bout which saw the influencer-turned-boxer suffer a knockout defeat in the sixth round.
There appeared to be no bad blood between the two camps after the fight and Paul showed that again as he spoke on Joshua's car crash, just hours after it happened.
Taking to X, he wrote: 'Life is much more important than boxing. I am praying for the lost lives, AJ and anyone impacted by today’s unfortunate accident'.
Former heavyweight champion Joshua was in a Lexus SUV when it smashed into a stationary truck shortly after 11am Monday on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
Jake Paul said that he's 'praying' for Anthony Joshua after the boxer's horror car crash
Paul and Joshua shared the boxing ring on Dec 19th, just 10 days before Joshua's crash
Footage posted online appears to show former heavyweight world champion Joshua, 36, shirtless and looking dazed as he sits in the wrecked Lexus among shattered glass
Images of the SUV's crumpled wreckage were released by Nigerian officials, while a Mitsubishi believed to be part of Joshua's convoy sat undamaged just yards away.
The entire front of the vehicle is destroyed, with the car's doors ripped out and the roof smashed out of place.
Footage posted online earlier show the former heavyweight world champion shirtless and looking dazed as he sat in the wrecked vehicle among shattered glass.
But while two of the five people involved in the collision died, Joshua miraculously cheated death and was later seen in the front seat of an emergency vehicle speaking to officials.
Five men were involved in the collision in total, Nigerian road safety officials said this afternoon.
It is understood that Joshua was seated behind the driver, along with another passenger, when the crash occurred. His security detail followed behind the Lexus.
Authorities said the SUV is believed to have been travelling 'beyond the legally prescribed speed limit' and lost control while making 'an overtaking manoeuvre', before crashing into a truck parked on the side of the road.