Tragedy follows triumph for Anthony Joshua with boxing future uncertain

LONDON (AP) — Fondly known as AJ, Anthony Joshua is one of Britain’s most popular sports personalities.

Just 10 days before being injured in a highway crash that killed two of his friends in Nigeria, the former heavyweight world champion knocked out YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in a Netflix bout in Miami.

That was 36-year-old Joshua’s first fight since September 2024 when he lost to Daniel Dubois in London.

Joshua has built a huge fan base in Britain, selling out big stadiums on his journey to become one of the most destructive heavyweights of his generation.

He won a gold medal at the London Olympics in 2012 before turning professional. Within four years he became world heavyweight champion and, in 2017, effectively ended the career of longtime champ Wladimir Klitchsko at Wembley Stadium.

Joshua won each of his first 22 fights as a professional, only to lose his belts with a shocking loss in 2019 to Andy Ruiz Jr. in New York — his first fight outside Britain.

He became a two-time world champion by taking revenge on Ruiz Jr. six months later, but back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk saw Joshua lose his titles once again.

Joshua vowed to continue boxing despite another setback when he lost to Dubois in London last year. He used the Netflix bout against Paul as a means to regain sharpness in the ring.

It was not immediately clear how the road accident in Lagos on Monday would affect his plans to return to top-level boxing.

Joshua’s promoter, Matchroom Boxing, said he was in “stable condition” after the accident, which killed his friends and team members, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele.

Nigerian authorities said the car Joshua was in collided with a stationary truck by the roadside.

Joshua has family roots in Nigeria and he briefly attended boarding school there as a child. He also holds Nigerian nationality.

Anthony Joshua, right, punches Jake Paul during their heavyweight boxing match, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Miami, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

LONDON (AP) — Eurostar is advising passengers to postpone their journeys after a problem with the overhead power supply disrupted rail services on Tuesday as travelers prepared for the busy New Year's holiday.

Eurostar's website shows that four trains between London and Paris have already been canceled and three more are listed as delayed.

“We strongly advise all our passengers to postpone their journey to a different date,” Eurostar said. “Please don’t come to the station unless you already have a ticket to travel.″

Delays and cancellations are being caused by an overhead power supply problem and a failed Le Shuttle train, Eurostar said. Le Shuttle trains transport vehicles between Folkstone, England, and Calais, France.

“Services are temporarily suspended for both terminals due to a power supply issue,” Le Shuttle said. “We are working hard to resolve this. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.”

Passengers queue to enter the Eurotunnel site in Folkestone in Kent, England, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (Gareth Fuller/PA via AP)

FILE - A train coming from London leaves the Northbound Channel tunnel in Calais, northern France, on Jan. 31, 2020. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)