Anthony Joshua thinks Oleksandr Usyk beat him by just two rounds in their heavyweight title fight
Joshua lost his heavyweight titles for the second time when he was outclassed by former undisputed cruiserweight champion Usyk last September. The pair are expected to meet for a second time on July 23 with Saudi Arabia reportedly forking out £90million to host the title clash.
All three judges scored Usyk's first fight with Joshua in favour of the Ukrainian. One judge had Usyk winning nine of the twelve rounds, with Joshua winning five rounds at best on any of the three scorecards.
Joshua, who admitted he tried to outbox Usyk, thinks he won at least five rounds in the fight, stating: "I thought I could compete with him as a boxer. I think he won two more rounds than I did. That's how he became champion. So the goal now is to go back to basics and go for the knockout," he told the Oxford Union.
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A rematch between Usyk and Joshua has been expected since their first meeting, but it was brought into question when Russia launched an invasion of Usyk's native country in February. Usyk joined the territorial army and admitted he was not thinking about defending his heavyweight titles.
Joshua has followed the advice of fans and his promoter Eddie Hearn by parting ways with former coach Rob McCracken ahead of the rematch. 'AJ' will now work solely with Angel Fernandez, who previously coached him for a rematch with Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019.
Usyk said the ongoing Ukraine crisis will motivate him whilst preparing for the fight, stating: "Of course, what’s going on currently in Ukraine will motivate me a lot in the gym, in training sessions and of course during the fight," he said on the Block Party YouTube show.
"We’re currently looking into the [fight] contract and if everything is okay we’re going to sign it very soon. If everything goes well, we’ll select the exact date soon. It’s another way to make people happier, those who are at home right now. The fight is continuing but I’m keeping posted on my friends and I’m regularly updated by them.
"I made the decision to return to training sessions as my friends and my colleagues from authorities some of them are public figures. they asked me to return and to get back training. This way I can help my country way more than just staying [in Ukraine] or joining the territorial defence battalion."
