ANTHONY JOSHUA’S immediate reaction to Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk was caught on camera.
Just seconds after the final bell and before the result was announced, TNT Sports focused in on AJ.
Joshua was chatting to his promoter Eddie Hearn and football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo when a Saudi Arabian local asked him to predict the winner.
Without hesitation – AJ replied with Usyk’s name before being talked into admitting, “it could be a draw”.
The Ukrainian’s win was sealed via a split decision and key to his victory was a fantastic ninth round that saw him land several powerful punches.
It left Fury stumbling around the ring and with just the ropes holding him, an official knockdown was awarded.
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On the decisive ninth round, Hearn joined in and said: “Even the ref could’ve stopped it. He was gone – out.
“When the ref jumped in I thought I didn’t know if he had given it.
“I think it’s Usyk’s. It could be a draw. I don’t think you can say Fury won the fight although he boxed very well.”
When the result was announced, AJ and Hearn applauded as Ronaldo looked stony-faced.
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And in an interview with iFL TV after the fight, Hearn added: “Joshua thought Usyk won. I come over and said, ‘what do you think?’
“He went, ‘Usyk won it easy’. I had it quite close.
“I thought Fury boxed fantastically well the first six rounds of the fight, I thought he was well on his way to boxing to a stoppage or a points decision.
“Usyk – just incredible, I can’t believe it.”
AJ has already lost to Usyk twice in his career and there has been talk of a blockbuster British clash against Fury.
Asked if yesterday’s defeat impacts those plans, Hearn said: “Not really, this is their night tonight.
“We want to regain the world heavyweight title, so whoever has got it has got it.
“But the rematch is a big fight. That looks like that’ll be set for October, if both guys take it and we have to work on our plans, whether that’s Wembley, we’ll see what happens on June 1.”
On June 1, Deontay Wilder gets in the ring with Zhilei Zhang with Joshua open to fighting the winner.
For all the love for resurgent AJ… these two are head, shoulders and fists ahead of everyone else
OLEKSANDR USYK is the deserved undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, writes Wally Downes Jr
A great biggun doesn’t always beat a great littleun, not when David has the weight of a besieged nation on his shoulders and is able to swing each compatriot into every punch.
Usyk did what Usyk does, he moved magnificently, he counter punched and he outworked his taller and heavier opponent.
He somehow manages to use every physical disadvantage to his favour.
But what the hell is Fury doing getting up in round nine?
Why is a father-of-eight with £300million in the bank, three best-selling books and a Netflix series going to the well like?
Britain is not fighting back Putin’s army, Morecambe is not occupied.
So when the 35-year-old’s senses are scrambled, when the canvas is calling him, when he is so desperate not to be felled he is willing to bounce around all the ropes like a drunk, when he eventually has to collapse into a corner, why doesn’t he just stay down?
He has earned the right to surrender as well as his millions.
The sheer courage and guts and bloody mindedness it takes to climb off that deck, with a broken nose and a crumbling ego is not comprehensible to us mortals.
Fury said he felt he won the fight but was too dignified to call robbery or corruption, no doubt his dad will taint that decency by the time you’ve read this.
The rematch will be superb.
Because for all the love we have for a resurgent Anthony Joshua – who was ringside for that iconic event – these two polar opposite men are head, shoulders, fists, hearts and brains ahead of everyone else.
There is the top two, then there is a void and then there is the rest.
Read Wally’s big fight verdict in full here…
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
