By Charles Burn
August 29, 2022
Source: Boxing News 24
Photo Source: Mark Robinson, Matchroom Boxing
Oleksandr Usyk has arrived back in his home country in Ukraine following his splendid victory over former two-time world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia. The IBF, WBA & WBO champion Usyk (20-0, 13 KOs) may have ended Joshua’s career as a major player with that win, as it’s going to be next to impossible for the big Brit to overcome his consecutive defeats mentally and rise back to the top.
Usyk is going to wait and see if an undisputed match can be put together with WBC champion Tyson Fury, who already seems to be dragging his feet about making the fight by prizing himself out.
“Joshua, knowing in fact that he had lost his rematch despite his best effort, tossed Usyk’s belts out of the ring and realized that he shouldn’t have, grabbed the microphone and went on a long speech that was at times uncomfortable to watch,” said Max Kellerman to Max On Boxing about Anthony Joshua’s meltdown inside the ring moments after his loss to Oleksandr Usyk. “He praised Usyk and groped for the right way to articulate his feelings and left most with the impression that whatever his intention, he lost the self-awareness to let Usyk have his big moment. Hey, AJ. This isn’t just about you right now.
“Your attempt at righting the wrong at being ungracious upon losing, in that attempt, you just dug a deeper hole. At least that feeling, if not thought, was undeniable as AJ addressed Usyk in the crowd.
“But if you really listen to what he said, Joshua was characteristically open and honest and admitted things in the moment that most fighters would not. That Usyk was just better, and it had to do with experience.
“He explained, AJ, why he fights in the style that he does and can’t compete quite the way people want him to. The thing is, as he waxed philosophical, he told the truth. Yes, he seemed to lack a certain sense of social awareness, but his boxing self-awareness seemed keen.
“He started boxing too late in life to match skills with Usyk. He’s too big to fight in the style and stamina of Rocky Marciano. He was especially crushed because he gave his best and his best was not good enough,” said Kellerman about Joshua.
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