Despite defeat, Jake Paul pays tribute to Joshua’s late crew

By : Musa Adekunle

Date: 3 January 2026 9:39am WAT

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Jake Paul, left, and Anthony Joshua, right. PHOTO: AP

Jake Paul, left, and Anthony Joshua, right. PHOTO: AP

American YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul has paid tribute to two late members of Anthony Joshua’s team, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, weeks after losing to the British heavyweight in their Netflix bout.

Paul shared the tribute on his X page on Friday, alongside a video clip about the fight, describing the event as a global moment made possible by the hard work of many people, including Joshua’s camp.

The tribute comes about two weeks after the bout, which streamed live on Netflix and attracted massive global attention.

In his post, Paul wrote, “2 WEEKS LATER…#JakeJoshua 33M viewers tuned on Netflix to watch boxing. The event was #1 in 45 countries. This night was only made possible by the hard work of many, including Team Joshua. This video is dedicated to the memory Sina and Latz. Rest in peace.”

Ghami and Ayodele were members of Joshua’s inner circle and were widely described as more than just aides to the former world heavyweight champion.

Their deaths followed a fatal car crash in Nigeria in December 2025, in which Joshua was also injured. The accident occurred along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway when the vehicle conveying the boxer and members of his team collided with a stationary commercial truck.

The Ogun State Government had said Joshua was conscious and stable after the crash and did not require emergency medical intervention.

Joshua’s promoters, Matchroom Boxing, later confirmed the deaths of Ghami and Ayodele in a statement, describing the development as tragic.

“With profound sadness, it has been confirmed that two close friends and team members, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, have tragically passed away,” the statement read.

“Matchroom Boxing and 258 BXG can confirm that Anthony sustained injuries in the accident and was taken to hospital for checks and treatment. He is in a stable condition and will remain there for observation.” Ghami, a sports rehabilitation expert, had worked with Joshua for more than a decade as his strength and conditioning coach.

He played a key role in preparing the boxer for some of the biggest fights of his career, including his 2017 title-winning bout against Wladimir Klitschko and his recent victory over Paul.

Ayodele, popularly known as Latz, was Joshua’s personal trainer and close friend. Just hours before the crash, Joshua had shared a video on social media showing both men playing table tennis together.

Federal Road Safety Corps said five adult men were involved in the crash, adding that preliminary findings suggested the Lexus vehicle was suspected to have been speeding before losing control during an overtaking attempt.

Joshua was in Nigeria to spend the New Year with family after stopping Paul in the sixth round of their heavyweight clash in Miami in 2025.

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