Anthony Joshua will bounce back and take a rematch against Oleksandr Usyk after the latter’s defeat at his hands, according to promoter Eddie Hearn.
Anthony Joshua will bounce back and take a rematch after his defeat to Oleksandr Usyk.
Anthony Joshua was defeated for the second time in his career by Oleksandr Usyk.
After losing his world heavyweight championships to Oleksandr Usyk, Anthony Joshua claims he is “a different animal, not a sulker,” and that he “will bounce back.”
After suffering an eye injury in Saturday’s 12-round battle with the Ukrainian at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Joshua claimed he “couldn’t see in round nine.”
Eddie Hearn, his promoter, speculated that his boxer had a fractured eye socket.
“I can’t go back and pout because it would be a waste of time,” Joshua, 31, said.
“I couldn’t see in the ninth round, couldn’t see anything really because my eye was shut,” the beaten Briton stated after the fight when asked what went wrong.
“It was a wonderful experience because in adversity, you simply have to learn to manage yourself and remain on top of things, so when I couldn’t see anything – it’s the first time it’s occurred in a battle,” says the fighter.
Hearn said Joshua had shown too much deference to Usyk, 34, and that he would have to make “fundamental adjustments” to reclaim the WBA, WBO, and IBF belts he had lost in the bout.
The Briton’s contract with Usyk includes a rematch option, which he subsequently stated he would accept.
“Today, this knowledge is priceless. This will be very beneficial in the next battle “said Joshua, who was photographed with a swollen eye in the middle of a fight.
“I just thought to myself as I was going back through the tunnel, ‘I’m ready to get back to the gym, I’m ready to just put the work in,’” Joshua said.
“All I want to do now is go back to the gym, get back on the grind, and develop so that when I face these good men and see that they’re wounded, I can take advantage of the situation.”
“Today’s lesson was fantastic. I know we may look at it negatively, but I’ve got to look at it as a wonderful lesson and build on that scenario for myself.
“I don’t usually glance at the opponent.” I just look in the mirror and see where I went wrong. So it’s not so much what he did that matters, but the chances I provided him. It isn’t so much his fault. I’m simply going to look in the mirror and fix my mistakes.
“I’m a unique species of animal.” I’m not someone who mopes about. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to fight for the world heavyweight championship, to face excellent opponents on a regular basis, and to draw crowds.
“I’m not going to weep over it when I go home because this is war.” It’s a lengthy procedure. This isn’t going to be a one-and-done situation.
“I’m going back to see what I can do to better. I’ve already been watching the battle and thinking to myself, “I could’ve done it better.””
‘Doubtful’ Fury battle Warren –
After a dominating Usyk became the unified heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury’s co-promoter Frank Warren is now dubious that a long-awaited all-British bout with Joshua would take place.
Warren told Sport, “I don’t see that happening now.”
“What would Tyson have done to him if that had happened?” It would not have gone to a total of 12 rounds. He would have been annihilated by Tyson. Absolutely. The unification battle was there, and it was a huge one. Heartbreaking.
“What would Tyson Fury have done to Joshua if he got the chance? A larger puncher with a stronger chin.”
Warren said Joshua “lacked strategies” and likened Saturday’s fight to his stunning loss to Andy Ruiz Jr. in June 2019.
“Usyk is a terrific fighter,” Warren remarked. “He boxed very well.”
“However, one of my concerns about this battle is Joshua’s vulnerability. He’s been like this for a long time.
“I believed Joshua would be too large for Usyk, but if he was still standing at the end, I knew he’d been outboxed. At the end, Usyk was on the verge of defeating him.”
“He was afraid of guns.” Never let go of his grip. They may speak about rematches all they want. He’s been completely exposed, exactly like he was against Ruiz. How could he be being outjabbed by Usyk, who was putting up a fight? That caught me off guard.
“What is Tyson Fury going to do to Joshua if he defeats Usyk? You’d put your money on Tyson to defeat him.”
“The path to undisputed is marketing,” Joshua remarked when asked about a potential fight with WBC champion Fury. It simply reminded me that it’s a huge circus as I pulled up today. This is the most amazing show in the planet.
“Without the titles, I’ll face Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder.” The belts are enjoyable, it’s wonderful, it’s a legacy – but I’ll fight whomever I want, belts or no belts. The path to undisputed [champion] is a great title to have and pursue, but would you watch it if the belts weren’t there?
“The most important thing is that you have two competitive fighters from the United Kingdom in the ring who just want to go toe-to-toe.”
Eddie Hearn, the manager of Matchroom, said he was “gutted” by the loss.
After the bout, Hearn told Radio 5 Live, “He’ll have to make fundamental adjustments, he’ll have to box differently.”
“I can’t see AJ fighting in a 10-round fight; he only fights twice a year, so that’s something we’ll have to consider.”
“He’s going away, and all he’ll think about is Oleksandr Usyk.” ‘How can I beat him, how can I improve?’ he’ll be wondering. He’s preoccupied with becoming better.
“I simply think Anthony Joshua is capable of so much more in that fight, but he’ll have to do a lot more in the rematch to win.”
Analysis
Coral Barry of Sport, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Joshua is a classy boxer, even when he loses.
Following the bout, it was reported that the heavyweight will be taken to the hospital to be treated for an eye injury. Joshua, as when he was beaten in New York by Andy Ruiz Jr, addressed the media.
A battered Joshua sat down hours after the 65,000-plus fans had departed Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and made no excuses for his performance. Accepting loss by a superior opponent is an uncommon characteristic in boxing.
As Joshua quietly answered questions about what went wrong, there were no flashes of rage. The two-time world champion seemed practically giddy at the idea of overcoming what could only be characterized as a humiliating defeat at the hands of an outstanding opponent.
Joshua’s confidence remained intact, and it remains to be seen whether his audacity would get him through another difficult period in his career.
To defeat Ruiz, Joshua was able to reinvent himself. It will be much more difficult to beat Usyk in the same way.
Anthony Joshua will bounce back after his loss to Oleksandr Usyk and take a rematch. Reference: joshua boxer.
Related Tags
- usyk
- oleksandr usyk
- anthony joshua next fight
