Anthony Joshua explains why he threw belts away after Oleksandr Usyk defeat

07 November 2023 , 15:13

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Anthony Joshua explains why he threw belts away after Oleksandr Usyk defeat

Anthony Joshua has blamed his ego and pride for his meltdown which followed his second loss to Oleksandr Usyk.

Former two-time heavyweight champion Joshua first lost his belts to Usyk in September 2021 and failed to reclaim the world titles in their rematch last August. 'AJ' was restrained by members of his team after lashing out as he swiftly exited the ring only to return moments later and go on a bizarre rant.

"It was like 'These [belts] don’t even mean anything anyway, yeah what?' I ain't got them and because I ain't got them, they don't mean anything. Right or wrong, I've thrown them because that's what I felt like. I grabbed the mic and addressed the crowd, could I have done it better? Of course I could have," Joshua told Louis Theroux.

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"I had just finished a 12-round fight and I felt frustrated and annoyed. I knew I was out of the title race and the questions started, 'What is he like, where is his head at?', all of this 'Can he be three-time champion of the world?' People now create this narrative and put pressure on me, it’s too much. Gone are the days when it was for the fun, when you are just doing it for the passion and you are a prospect."

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Joshua has won back-to-back fights since losing to Usyk as he beat Jermaine Franklin in April and knocked out Robert Helenius in August. The Brit's promoter Eddie Hearn was hoping to sort 'AJ' one more fight before the end of the year, but it seems unlikely he will fight again until early next year.

Joshua has been linked to fight against fellow knockout artist Deontay Wilder for years but their mega-fight is yet to take place. Wilder hasn't fought since knocking out Helenius in less than two minutes over a year ago, but he insists he is ready to fight and is waiting on Joshua.

"I’m letting you know right now, right here, I’m ready to fight and get in that ring. Let’s make this the best time of our lives. This will be a major disaster if we would never be able to get in the ring and put our stamp down in history. When people think about classic or great fights, I want them to think about us as well," Wilder said.

Harry Davies