LONDON
\nAnthony Joshua on Thursday broke weeks of public silence and spoke on camera for the first time since a car crash which killed two of the former world heavyweight champion\u2019s close friends.
\nIn a video posted on his YouTube channel, Joshua held back tears at one point as he reflected on the loss of backroom team members Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami, describing the pair as his \u201cbrothers\u201d.
\nThe British fighter was a passenger in an SUV that collided with a stationary truck on a busy highway linking Lagos and Ibadan in Nigeria on December 29, and sustained minor injuries in the accident that claimed their lives.
\n\u201cI know what I have got to do,\u201d Joshua said in the video shared Thursday evening, speaking directly into the camera.
\n\u201cI\u2019m going to do what is right by them, do what is right by their family and it is about what is important.\u201d
\nJoshua added that he understood what the pair had \u201cwanted to do for their families\u201d and that his goal \u201cis to continue to help them achieve their goals\u201d.
\nAyodele was the personal trainer of the former two-time unified heavyweight champion while Ghami was Joshua\u2019s strength and conditioning coach. Both died at the scene of the crash.
\nIn his video, Joshua gave little away about his boxing plans, but noted \u201cthe mission must go on\u201d.
\n\u201cIt ain\u2019t about legacy, it\u2019s just about doing what is right and I know I am going to do what is right by them,\u201d he reiterated.
\nThe accident occurred weeks after Joshua stopped YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Miami to stay on course to face old foe Tyson Fury this year.
\nFury has since announced his eagerly anticipated return to the ring and is set to face Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11.
\nThe fate of the mooted all-British battle between the two heavyweights Joshua and Fury remains unclear, with speculation the former could now retire.
\nBut promoter Eddie Hearn has said the 36-year-old Joshua would be given all the time he needed to cope with the loss.
\nEarlier this month, Joshua shared online footage of himself returning to the gym, hitting pads with a trainer for what he called \u201cmental strength therapy\u201d.
\nIn the video posted Thursday, Joshua said: \u201cOne day my time will come and I\u2019m not scared either at all. It\u2019s actually comforting knowing that I\u2019ve got two brothers on the other side.
\n\u201cI\u2019ve lost people before, but I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve lost people like that, my left and my right, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
LONDON Anthony Joshua on Thursday broke weeks of public silence and spoke on camera for the first time since a car crash which killed two of the former world heavyweight champion\u2019s close friends. In a video posted on his YouTube channel, Joshua held back tears at one point as he reflected on the loss of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":528691,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-528670","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\n