Anthony Joshua has been told he was left "out to dry" by his team after his lengthy post-fight bluster following his defeat.
Joshua was eyeing revenge against Oleksandr Usyk at the Jeddah Super Dome in Saudi Arabia, but despite showing a series of huge improvements he was unable to get the nod and lost to a split decision. After the fight he was clearly frustrated with the performance and stormed out of the ring while tossing the belts after initially sharing an emotional prayer with Usyk for the people of Ukraine.
He then returned to the ring and hijacked the microphone to go on a lengthy X-rated rant defending his performance and hailing his rival. However training partner and heavyweight friend Frazer Clarke has issued an apology on Joshua's behalf for the speech and believes he would have taken "a dig" to remove him from the microphone.
"I'd like to apologise on AJ's behalf," Clarke said in the Sky Sports studio when assessing Joshua's rant. "He might not like me for this and his team might not either but they left him out to dry there. That was so out of character but the people around him, where were they? He's had a bad one there and if I was there, I would've took a dig just to take the mic off of him just to give him a minute to compose himself.
"It's words but in the true reflection of boxing, that was Oleksandr Usyk's time to celebrate that victory and he didn't get to do it straight away. I just don't think that was right but once again, Anthony is a great person, he does a lot for a lot of people, he's done a lot for me, but I feel like he had a bit of a bad one there and it was out of character."
Joshua's rant surprised many as he forced commentator Adam Smith into apologies on multiple occasions for the language in his expletive tirade. "Usyk is one hell of a f***ing fighter, let's give him a round of applause," Joshua said before launching into an emotional speech.
What did you make of Anthony Joshua's post-fight speech after losing to Oleksandr Usyk? Let us know in the comments section below
"Sorry guys, look, if you knew my story you'd understand the passion. I ain't no f***ing amateur boxer from five-years-old, I wasn't an elite prospect from youth, bro, I was going to jail.
"I seen some youths in Reading jail, I got bail and I started training my a*** off. Because if I got sentenced I wouldn't be able to fight. I bust my case, my cousin, where's he at? G14. I'm stealing this Usyk, I'm sorry but it's because of the f***ing passion we've put into this s***, man.
"I'm not a 12 round fighter? Look at me, I'm a new breed of heavyweight, all them heavyweights; Mike Tyson, Sonny Liston, Jack Dempsey - they say 'he doesn't throw combinations like Rocky Marciano,' because I'm not f***ing 14-stone, that's why, I'm 18-stone I'm heavy."
