Anthony Joshua is convinced he does better in rematch with Usyk
Unfortunately for Anthony “AJ” Joshua (24-2, 22 KO’s), he has suffered his second professional loss. This time he was defeated by Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk (19-0, 13 KO’s) in his own backyard. Had things gone his way, Joshua would now be awaiting the results of the upcoming scrap between WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder. Yet, instead of thoughts of becoming the undisputed champion of the division dancing around his skull, he is now busy trying to become a champion again. As is his nature though, AJ appears to be taking everything in stride and not allowing himself to become overly glum about the matter. In fact, let him tell it, Joshua is already thinking about strategy for the next fight.
“I am a different kind of animal yeah, I’m not a sulker. This is a blessed opportunity to be able to fight for the heavyweight championship of the world. To fight good fighters time and time again, for people to come out, so it’s a blessed opportunity. I’m not going to go home tonight and be crying about it because this is war. It’s a long process.
This is not like, ‘one fight and then I am done.’ I’ve got the opportunity to go back to the drawing board, so I can’t go back and sulk. That’s wasting time, I’m going back to looks at ways I can improve, straight away. I’ve already been watching the fight and figuring out, ‘oh I could have done that better,’ already, in my mind, anyway. So yeah, I am not too bothered.”
CALM UNDER FIRE
Of course, AJ has his own personal motivations for wanting to get his belts and get back on top again. Yet, as he is apt to say, Joshua feels a deep sense of obligation to the boxing fans.
“I just want to make sure that people appreciate the work I put in because I don’t take it for granted. As I always say, when I come out I’m not just looking at it like ‘I am the man!’ That’s why I want to get back to the gym and work hard because I don’t take it for granted. I know how these people put their time and effort into supporting me.
And I know that it’s going to upset some people that I lost but I say, ‘keep positive.’ This is just part of life. Everyone’s going through stuff in their life, I go through some stuff, mine’s just publicized to people and we just go to keep on moving. Keep my head up, no one is going to pick me up that’s what I am trying to say.”
It’s good to see that Anthony Joshua is upholding a strong outer exterior during this calamitous time. Underneath it all though, he must be hurting inside. In the immortal words of Smokey, ‘he gonna cry in the car.’ In this instance however, what is paramount is not his stoic demeanor at the moment but how he uses this fire to rebound. Can he make the adjustments to retrieve his belts as he did against Ruiz? Or has Joshua hit a brick wall that will leave him stranded out in the cold indefinitely, if not forever? Only time will tell, but no matter what the outcome, 3kingsboxing will be here to narrate the tale.
By: Bakari Simpson
