Joshua wants Usyk rematch ‘110 per cent’

LONDON — Anthony Joshua said he was “110 per cent” likely to activate a rematch clause with Oleksandr Usyk after losing his world heavyweight titles to the Ukrainian in stunning fashion in London on Saturday

Usyk gave a boxing masterclass in recording a unanimous points victory to deprive Joshua of his World Boxing Association, International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organisation belts in front of the dethroned champion’s home crowd of more than 66,000 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

His victory extended Usyk’s unbeaten professional record to 19 wins and scuppered the prospects of an all-British world heavyweight title unification bout between Joshua and Tyson Fury.

It also meant Usyk became just the third cruiserweight world champion after Evander Holyfield of the United States and Britain’s David Haye to also take a heavyweight title, with the 34-year-old achieving the feat in just his third professional contest in the heavyweight ranks.

The contract for this bout, however, contained a rematch clause.

And Joshua, who previously lost his belts when beaten by Andy Ruiz in New York in June 2019 before regaining the titles in a rematch in Saudi Arabia six months later, is determined to face Usyk again.

“A hundred per cent, 110 per cent,” he told a post-fight press conference. “I’m ready to get back to training.

“There’s an old saying ‘If you want to go down as a great fighter, don’t fight southpaws’, especially good ones. He [Usyk] is a good fighter.”

Joshua suffered a badly swollen right eye which required medical attention in a fight where only the bell appeared to save him from a last-round knockout.

“I couldn’t see in the ninth round,” explained Joshua. “My eye was shut, but it was a good experience, because in adversity, you’ve just got to learn to control yourself... it’s the first time it’s happened in a fight.”

Joshua, sounding remarkably upbeat despite a convincing loss, insisted: “I’m a different kind of animal. I’m not a sulker, this is a blessed opportunity to be able to fight for the heavyweight championship of the world. 

“Straight away I’ve already been watching the fight and figuring out what I could have done better.”

Joshua’s defeat put paid to a fight anytime soon with Fury, who defends his World Boxing Council heavyweight title against Deontay Wilder in Las Vegas next month — the third time the pair have met after a split-decision draw and a win for Fury.

Joshua, however, insisted: “I’ll fight Tyson Fury, Wilder, without the belts. It’s great, it’s legacy but with or without the belts I’ll fight whoever.”

‘Lucky city’

Usyk, three years older than Joshua, also made light of giving away 7.62 centimetres in height as well as nearly nine kilogrammes in weight during his latest triumph in London following a heavyweight gold medal at the 2012 Olympics — a Games where Joshua took the super-heavyweight title.

“London is a really lucky city for me but not a single professional victory can be above an Olympic gold,” said Usyk via a translator. 

“At this point it is the biggest fight in my career but it wasn’t the hardest one. I cannot say [who was] but, most likely, it’s ahead of us.”

Most of Usyk’s wins have come outside Ukraine, with the new champion — who spent three months in a preparation camp away from his wife and family — adding: “I would love to have the rematch at Olympiyskiy Stadium in Kiev.”

But Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, suggested any rematch would be in Britain, in February or March.

Hearn said a defeat by the “outstanding” Usyk was easier to accept than the “bolt from the blue” that was the first Ruiz fight.

“I think in a strange way he [Joshua] enjoyed the fight because I think he knows he learnt so much and, deep down he knows he was beaten by the better man tonight,” he said.

“I think you need to credit him [Joshua] because he could have swerved that fight easy and maybe we should have, but that’s not really what he’s about.”

Hearn, who questioned whether Usyk could hit the same heights again after a “perfect fight”, added: “Anything can happen, but AJ will, I promise you, be much, much better than that in the re-match.”