ANTHONY JOSHUA has been accused of accepting defeat ‘too easily and too graciously’ ahead of his crunch rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.
The Watford warrior has only lost to Andy Ruiz Jr and Usyk in his 26-fight career but has handled both defeats with the utmost class.
But legendary boxing coach and pundit Teddy Atlas believes the former unified heavyweight champ wilts when the going gets tough and after being bested.
During the latest episode of The Fight with Teddy Atlas, the 65-year-old said: “Joshua, he’s made too much money.
“I do [think that]. He accepts defeat too easily, too graciously.”
Atlas is a fan of fighters showing humility after setbacks but believes Joshua doesn’t show enough disappointment and hunger to settle the score with his conquerors.
The former trainer of undisputed heavyweight king Mike Tyson said: “I want a good winner and a good loser, don’t get me wrong.
“I believe as much as anybody, if not more than most people, about that.
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“About showing that kind of graciousness whether you win or lose, but he’s too gracious when it comes to it.
“Like a guy that made too much money.”
Joshua, 32, suffered a lopsided points defeat to Usyk in their tussle at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in September.
AJ will have the opportunity to exact revenge on the slick southpaw in a rematch next year, which SunSport understands is in the works for late March.
And the Golden Boy of British boxing is hellbent on decimating on his fellow London 2012 Olympian second time around.
He recently told iFL TV: “I have one thing in my mind, that’s war, that’s murder, that’s war, let’s go out there and hurt the guy.
“Take his soul to the point where he wants to give up. That’s what boxing’s about, I’ve learned that.
“You hit people constantly, keep on applying a certain amount of pressure, before they know it they’ll realise you aren’t going anywhere, you’re here to stay.
“With the game plan, that’s all I have in my mind at the minute, that one track, stay on course, take this guy to places he doesn’t want to go.”
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Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk