Anthony Joshua paid tribute to two friends, Sina Ghami and Latif 'Latz' Ayodele, who died in a car crash in December, during his return to the boxing ring after a seven-month absence. The heavyweight fighter, who was also present in the vehicle when it struck a truck near Lagos, honored Ghami, his strength and conditioning coach, and Ayodele, one of his trainers, by having their names displayed on his fight attire.
Joshua's military-style shorts featured the names 'Sina' and 'Latz' alongside pennants representing the IBF, IBO, WBA, and WBO titles he previously held. The canvas in his corner also bore the inscription ‘Latz x Sina, My Brother's Keeper, MBK’. He emerged victorious against Kristian Prenga, securing a knockout in the second round, despite being knocked down twice in the first.
"It's been tough," Joshua stated when asked about his coping process, becoming emotional. "That's my brothers. I don't want to talk about that." Eddie Hearn, chief of Matchroom Boxing, commented on Joshua's resilience, noting the difficulty of his past seven months and commending his return to the ring as "astonishing."
The boxer had previously commemorated Ghami and Ayodele in February with tattoos on his arm. Oleksandr Usyk, whom Joshua has faced in past world title fights, was present at the event in Jeddah to support Joshua. This victory positions Joshua for a potential future match against Tyson Fury.