Unfortunately, Anthony Joshua grabbed headlines for his post-fight comments after his second bout with Oleksandr Usyk. Let’s break down what happened.
It’s too bad that the aftermath of Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua 2 attracted more attention than the high-skill boxing match that took place at Jeddah Superdome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday, Aug. 20. Joshua’s night went from bad to worse due to his post-fight speech at center ring.
Social media went wild with Joshua’s comments. Adjectives like ‘rant’ and ‘meltdown’ described Joshua’s two-minute speech. There were memes galore reducing the former unified heavyweight champion of the world to a laughingstock.
But rewatching Joshua’s comments makes it harder to ridicule him. Maybe he’s more worthy of pity, or even better, some empathy.
Prior to June 1, 2019, Joshua was on top of the world. He was undefeated and held the IBF, IBO, WBA and WBO heavyweight titles. His debut contest in the U.S. was supposed to be a ceremonial anointing of the heavyweight ruler.
Instead, last-minute replacement, Andy Ruiz Jr., crashed the party and embarrassed Joshua by knocking him down four times to force the round 7 TKO. Joshua’s belts were gone, and so was his indestructible reputation.
Joshua faced adversity in the ring before. Wladimir Klitschko proved he was mortal in 2017 by knocking Joshua down in round 6, but Joshua’s recovery and eventual TKO win highlighted his heart instead of his weakness.
In comparison, Joshua’s loss to Ruiz deflated his ego and aura.
Yes, Joshua won the rematch, but it was a lackluster performance against an opponent who let himself go and came in badly out of shape. It didn’t do much to buoy belief in Joshua as the heavyweight kingpin.
Anthony Joshua had an odd moment after his contest with Oleksandr Usyk that spanned a multitude of emotions
He took a predictable win against Kubrat Pulev before losing to Usyk in their first matchup. There’s no shame in losing to arguably one of the most skilled boxers in history. Usyk won gold at the 2011 world amateur championship and 2012 Olympics.
Usyk’s professional career is as sterling as his amateur days. He became the undisputed cruiserweight champion in 2018 and won three of the four heavyweight titles with his first defeat of Joshua.
Usyk’s agility for a 6-foot-3 heavyweight is rare, as are his skills and intelligence. He’s a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer at 35 years old and further added to his legacy with his second consecutive victory over Joshua.
Joshua fought better the second time, but his punch output lagged behind Usyk’s. Usyk once again outworked Joshua to retain his claim to the heavyweight throne.
Joshua is not used to losing. The 6-foot-6 powerhouse from England spent years at the top of the division, and losing to Usyk for a second time must have been devastating to his ego and confidence.
Joshua had so many hopes but lost to another great boxer.
After the fight, Usyk came over to praise Joshua’s effort like a gentleman. The loss left Joshua raw and exposed. Usyk called Joshua strong, and Joshua’s response was filled with self-loathing and frustration.
“I don’t care about strong,” Joshua retorted to Usyk. “I’ve got to have skills. Being strong doesn’t win boxing. Skills win boxing.”
Usyk knew Joshua was upset and tried to interject and calm Joshua down, but Joshua’s emotions flowed unfiltered for all to see.
“You’re not strong,” Joshua said somewhat condescendingly. “How did you beat me? How? I’ve got skill. I’ve got character.”
Joshua’s anger and frustration were the last throws of arrogance. He’s used to being the best and having it solidified that he’s not seemed too much for Joshua to handle at the moment.
Joshua went on to grab the microphone. He started by praising Usyk to the audience calling him “one hell of a f**king fighter.”
His thoughts grew discombobulated as he delved into his own story. Joshua appeared to excuse his loss by saying he didn’t start training as a boxer as a child–suggestively comparing his background to Usyk’s.
Joshua talked about jail and righting his life, then discussed how he’s a “new breed” of heavyweight. He said he’s not a 12-round fighter, contrasting himself to smaller boxers of the past like Rocky Marciano.
Joshua was out of sorts but returned to praising Usyk. Hints of sportsmanship leaked out, but Joshua’s shock and the struggle to maintain his shattered self-image got the best of him. It was a human moment where the world saw an elite athlete battling inner conflicting feelings.
Sure, Joshua displayed some hubris. Dismissing Usyk’s power and narrating his life story is proof, but maybe as the loss settled in, some humility and reality also returned.
Everybody is flawed, and Joshua showed some of his lesser traits in defeat, but he also displayed vulnerability, pain and disappointment. It was one of the most authentic moments you will see in boxing.
Joshua issued an apology later that day on social media.
“I wish @usykaa continued success in your quest for greatness,” Joshua tweeted. “You are a class act champ. Yesterday I had to mentally take myself into a dark place to compete for the championship belts! I had two fights, one with Usyk and one with my emotions and both got the better of me.”
Joshua acknowledged his shortcomings and his regret and offered an explanation. His emotions got the better of him. Enough said.
Life is a grind. We all can act irrationally and lose control when we fail, but when those moments occur, we don’t have millions of people watching us on their T.V.s or mobile devices.
Joshua did. That doesn’t excuse his actions, but maybe it helps others understand them.