Boxing
Seat Swap Saved Anthony Joshua in Crash That Killed Two Companions
Former World heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua narrowly escaped death after a last-minute change of seats moments before a devastating car crash that claimed the lives of two of his companions, according to revelations published by the UK newspaper Daily Mail.
The 36-year-old boxer had initially been seated in the front passenger seat of his SUV but switched to the back shortly before the collision, a twist of fate that may have saved his life.
The crash, which occurred on Nigeria’s notoriously dangerous Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, killed Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele just hours after they arrived in the country for a holiday.
The Daily Mail reports that the startling details emerged during proceedings at the Sagamu High Court, where Joshua’s long-time driver, Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, was arraigned on multiple charges including dangerous driving causing death. Kayode pleaded not guilty, insisting the crash was the result of brake failure.
Court revelations also disclosed that the driver did not possess a valid driving licence at the time of the accident.
Kayode, who has worked for Joshua for more than three years, was granted bail in the sum of five million naira, with the court noting that Nigerian law allows bail to be secured through valuables rather than cash. His trial has been adjourned until January 20.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, the driver’s lawyer, Olalekan Abiodun, said the journey had begun in Lagos with Joshua initially sitting in the front seat. According to him, the driver requested a seat change because Joshua’s size was obstructing his view of the wing mirror.
“He asked Anthony to move to the back seat so he could see properly,” the lawyer said. “Latif was originally at the back and then changed seats with Anthony.”
Outside the courtroom, emotions ran high. While Kayode’s wife was reportedly too distressed to speak, his 19-year-old son, Ifeoluwa Adeniyi, maintained his father’s innocence in comments to the Daily Mail.
“My dad is not a fast driver. He was following the speed limit when the brakes failed,” he said. “He tried to swerve to avoid a truck parked by the side of the road but ended up hitting it.”
He added that the group had been picked up from the airport and were only minutes away from arriving in Sagamu to visit Joshua’s family when tragedy struck.
Joshua, who was hospitalised following the crash, is understood to be in stable condition. The incident has sent shockwaves through both sporting and public circles, with the Daily Mail describing the seat swap as a chilling reminder of how narrowly the boxer escaped the same fate as his late companions.
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Oleksandr Usyk will put his WBC heavyweight title belt on the line against Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven on May 23 at Egypt’s Pyramids of Giza, Ring Magazine announced on Friday.
The Ukrainian three-times undisputed champion holds the IBF, WBA and WBC titles after vacating the WBO belt.
The 39-year-old has not boxed since beating Britain’s Daniel Dubois at London’s Wembley Stadium last July.
“I respect his (Verhoeven’s) journey – he’s truly the ‘King of Kickboxing’. But this is boxing – a different game, with its own rules and its own kings,” said Usyk, who has a 24-0 record.
“I’m ready and looking forward to meeting him in the ring. It’s going to be a unique experience for both of us, and I know the fans are excited too. A big night is coming.”
The ‘Glory in Giza’ fight will be streamed live on DAZN.
“I spent 12 years as the undisputed heavyweight kickboxing champion and accomplished everything I set out to accomplish,” Verhoeven, 36, told The Ring.
“But staying at the top for that long didn’t take away from the hunger; it strengthened it. Usyk is the undisputed champion in boxing. That’s the kind of challenge that motivated me. Undisputed versus undisputed.”
Verhoeven has sparred in the past with former champion Tyson Fury and had one professional bout in 2014, which he won by a knockout.
-Reuters
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Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will face off in a professional rematch at the Sphere in Las Vegas in September, with the bout streaming globally on Netflix, the fighters and promoters announced on Monday.
The fight marks Mayweather’s return from retirement and will be the first professional boxing match held at the Sphere.
Mayweather, who holds a perfect 50-0 record with 27 knockouts, defeated Pacquiao in their 2015 encounter dubbed the “Fight of the Century.”
That bout generated a record 4.6 million pay-per-view buys and a $72 million live gate at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
“I already fought and beat Manny once. This time will be the same result,” Mayweather said in a statement.
Pacquiao, whose record stands at 62-8-3 with 39 knockouts, expressed confidence he would hand Mayweather his first professional loss.
“I want Floyd to live with the one loss on his professional record and always remember who gave it to him,” the Filipino fighter said.
The rematch will stream to Netflix’s more than 325 million subscribers worldwide, continuing the platform’s push into live boxing.
The streaming platform has recently broadcast several high-profile fights, including Jake Paul versus Mike Tyson, which the company said drew 108 million live global viewers
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Former multi-weight world boxing champion Floyd Mayweather will come out of retirement this year for his first official fight in nearly a decade, his new promotion CSI Sports/Fight Sports said on Friday, though his opponent has yet to be decided.
Before his official return, Mayweather is set for an exhibition bout with fellow boxing great Mike Tyson, with the date and venue still to be announced.
“I still have what it takes to set more records in the sport of boxing – from my upcoming Mike Tyson event to my next professional fight afterwards – no one will generate a bigger gate, have a larger global broadcast audience and generate more money with each event – than my events,” Mayweather, 48, said in a statement on his new promotion’s website.
It will mark the American’s fourth comeback from retirement, following previous exits in 2007, 2015 and 2017 — the last after beating Conor McGregor to extend his record to 50-0. He has, however, fought several exhibitions since.
Across a three-decade career, Mayweather defeated many of his era’s top fighters and headlined the three highest‑grossing bouts in history, against Manny Pacquiao, McGregor and Canelo Alvarez.
-Reuters
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