adminJEDDAH. — Anthony Joshua broke down in tears after losing his decisive heavyweight boxing rematch with Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday night.
After failing in his attempt to win back the unified WBO, WBA and IBF heavyweight titles from his nemesis Usyk, he was visibly enraged in the ring after the contest.
Speaking in the early hours at the post-fight press conference, the former champion was still overcome with emotion.
Attempting to explain how he felt, he faltered as he choked back tears, holding his head in his hands.
“I don’t feel anything,” he said at first, as he tried to come to terms with the effect of the loss, before he had to admit, “I’m upset deep down in my heart.”
In the immediate aftermath of the fight, he had flung two championship belts from the ring, marched momentarily out of the arena before returning to grab the microphone, not initially giving Usyk, the champion, the chance to speak.
He explained that behaviour, saying, “I was mad at myself. Not at anyone, just at myself. So I thought I’ve got to get out of here because I’m mad. Like anyone when you’re angry, you might do stupid things.
“Then I realised, this is sport. Let me do the right thing.
“Then I just spoke from my heart,” he continued. “It’s been so tough. You see AJ holding it together and I’m a hustler so I try and hold things together and I try and work hard, put things together, make sure my team’s good. But it comes at a cost, a big cost. It’ll never break me, but it takes real strength for it not to break you.
“There’s a little crack in that armour. Because I took a loss and I think you just saw me upset.
“I’m a fighter,” he added, “I’m not a normal person, even though I try to hold it together.
“I was just in war mode.”
Joshua, who won Olympic gold at London 2012, won his first 22 professional fights but has now lost three of his past five contests, all of them for world titles.
Joshua lost his temper moments after Usyk had been declared the winner – dropping two of the champion’s belts over the top rope of the ring and then arguing with the opposing team.
Joshua’s promoter Hearn gave a passionate defence of his fighter.
“This is someone who I want my kids to look up to,” he said.
“If he’s out in public, he gives everyone his time. He’s one of the nicest guys. He’s a competitor and winner.
“What you saw was raw emotion. A real person who wanted to win badly.”
Hearn dismissed any suggestions of Joshua retiring, saying he would like see him be more active. He wants Joshua to return in December and have at least three fights in 2023.
Joshua has fought just twice — both against Usyk — in the last two and a half years. — Sky Sports.
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