British boxer Tyson Fury ‌says Anthony Joshua’s car accident in ⁠Nigeria that ⁠caused two deaths was a “turning point” for him in his decision to return to ⁠the ring.

Fury’s compatriot Joshua, a former heavyweight champion, sustained minor injuries in the crash in Nigeria in December that killed his strength and conditioning coach Sina Ghami and his trainer Latif “Latz” Ayodele.

A week later, Fury announced his comeback. Any plans to fight Joshua this year were set aside, but Fury acknowledged how his old rival played a part in his return.

“The biggest turning point in this comeback for me was the tragedy that ‌happened with Anthony Joshua,” Fury told reporters on Monday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Former two-time heavyweight champion Fury (34-2-1) is ending a 15-month retirement from the ring on April 11 against Russian-born Arslanbek Makhmudov (21-2) at the London venue.

“I was on holiday with my family in Thailand for Christmas just to get away from the rain. I was sick of the rain, it was depressing me, and then I hear all about the bad news that’s gone on and I thought, ‘You know what, life is very, very short and very precious and very fragile and anything can happen at any given moment.’

“You should never put things off until tomorrow, or next year, or next week because tomorrow is not promised to nobody.

“I made my mind up there and then I was going to come back to boxing because it’s something I love, I am passionate about and I have always been in love with. There is no tomorrow, so that’s why I am back today.”

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Fury, 37, announced his return from his latest ‌spell of retirement in January. It will be the first fight for the former two-time world ‌heavyweight ‌champion since losing to Oleksandr Usyk in December 2024.

“Since I’ve retired for the fifth time over a year ago, boxing for me has gone on a downward slope and it’s become quite boring,” he said. “I am coming back to make boxing great again.”