Anthony Joshua has emotional reunion with old coach as British fighter returns to first ever gym boxing gym

Ed Griffiths

By Ed Griffiths


Published: 07/03/2026

- 10:53

The British star appears to be seeking familiar ground as he continues his recovery from the tragic accident

Anthony Joshua has made an emotional return to Finchley Amateur Boxing Club, reuniting with Sean Murphy, the coach who first taught him to box.

The 36-year-old heavyweight shared footage and images on his Instagram story showing him training alongside Murphy once again.


Joshua captioned the post: "Quality time with (Sean Murphy)."

The visit marks a poignant return to his roots following the devastating car crash in Nigeria on December 29 that claimed the lives of two people extremely close to him.

The British boxing star appears to be seeking familiar ground as he continues his recovery from the tragic accident.

The fatal collision occurred just ten days after Joshua had secured victory over YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Miami.

Personal trainer Kevin "Latz" Ayodele and long-standing therapist Sina Ghami, both described as very close friends of the boxer, lost their lives in the crash.

Joshua himself survived the accident but has required extensive medical attention in the months since.

\u200bAnthony Joshua

Anthony Joshua has made an emotional return to Finchley Amateur Boxing Club

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INSTAGRAM

The Watford-born fighter has been receiving physical therapy as part of his rehabilitation, with intensive treatment focusing particularly on injuries to his ribs.

His return to the Finchley gym suggests he is now well enough to resume some form of training activity.

Joshua first stepped through the doors of Finchley Amateur Boxing Club at the age of 18, seeking a path away from trouble on London's streets.

Under Murphy's guidance, the orthodox fighter went on to win elite national championships.

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Anthony Joshua shared footage and images on his Instagram story showing him training alongside his former coach once again

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INSTAGRAM

Their partnership culminated in Olympic glory, with Murphy laying the foundations before Joshua claimed gold under Team GB head coach Rob McCracken at London 2012.

The pair subsequently worked together during Joshua's professional career as he captured the unified heavyweight world titles.

However, their collaboration ended following Joshua's defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in September 2021, prompting the British star to seek new guidance.

For the rematch against Usyk, Joshua turned to American trainer Robert Garcia, though this change failed to reverse his fortunes as he again lost on points to the Ukrainian.

Anthony JoshuaAnthony Joshua was in a fatal car crash in Nigeria | X

A subsequent move saw him relocate to Dallas to work with Texan coach Derrick James, a partnership that yielded victories over Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius.

Most recently, British trainer Ben Davison has been in Joshua's corner for his past three contests.

Davison guided him to wins against former UFC champion Francis Ngannou and Paul, although he was also present for the knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois last September.