ANTHONY JOSHUA is picking up the pieces after defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in their heavyweight title showdown. Usyk boxed beautifully at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, winning 117-112, 116-112, 115-113 on the judges scorecards to take AJ’s WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles.
The Ukrainian sensation finished the fight putting AJ under enormous pressure and had the Briton rocked on the final bell.
AJ suffered a suspected damaged eye socket in the brutal defeat, though he was not taken to hospital.
And now the Olympic gold medallists will look forward to a massive money-spinning rematch.
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FURY’S TOO FIERCE
Frank Warren reckons Anthony Joshua would ‘not survive’ in a fight with Tyson Fury.
The 69-year-old promoter admitted to being impressed by the pugilistic skills of Oleksandr Usyk.
Warren told talkSPORT: “I said to Tyson, ‘Can you imagine if you were in there with him, how long that would’ve lasted?’
“Tyson’s got as fast hands as Usyk’s got, as good a boxing brain as Usyk’s got and as good footwork as Usyk’s got.
“But he’s a bigger puncher and he’s got a better chin.”
FIGHT SITE
Eddie Hearn hopes Anthony Joshua’s rematch with Oleksandr Usyk will be held on British soil.
The boxing promoter is eyeing the possibility of a February or March date for a clash between the rivals.
Hearn told iFL TV: “There will be approaches to do it elsewhere.
“(But) after Saturday, the pluses and minuses of Saturday, I mean, have you ever seen anything like that? How good was it? Have you ever seen anything like that?
“So I’d like to do it in England again. Maybe at Spurs, maybe at Wembley, maybe at the Emirates.
“They’ll be approaches to do it elsewhere but I don’t see any reason to take it outside of England.”
SAVED BY THE BELL?
Eddie Hearn has brushed off suggestions that the duel between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk was ended early.
Joshua lost his heavyweight belts following a boxing masterclass by Usyk with Ukrainian dominating in the final round.
And Hearn dismissed talk that the bell was rung early.
Hearn told iFLTV: “I don’t believe it did, I saw that it did on the DAZN clock but I remember specifically the ten seconds came and it was ten seconds.
“Because I remember hearing when there was ten seconds to go, it wasn’t three seconds after the clock went so I don’t believe that was an early bell.
“One for the BBBofC not for me, but it wasn’t like ‘he is in trouble here let’s ring the bell’, again it is one for the board but what I do know is he got hit by a couple of shots but it wasn’t early.”
THE JUDGED FUDGED
Michael Bisping reckons “should never judge again” if he is not able to explain his scoring for Anthony Joshua’s and Oleksandr Usyk’s fight.
The ex-UFC middleweight champ disagreed with Foster’s scoring of six rounds during the fight.
Foster gave the Ukrainian the win with a score of 115-113, but the judge actually had Joshua up by two after six rounds.
Bisping tweeted: “He should be held accountable for this. Explain why he scored it that way to his peers.
“No understandable reason then he should never judge again.”
TYSON TICKED OFF
Mike Tyson was reportedly unimpressed with the quality of the fight between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Osyk.
And the legendary ex-heavyweight questioned whether either boxer would have been able to stop him in his prime.
Tyson said on Twitter: “After watching the Joshua vs Usyk fight, maybe they had a bad day that night.
“From that performance do you really think they could have beat me in my prime?”
WARREN SWIPE
Frank Warren has taken a dig at Anthony Joshua describing him as ‘damaged goods’ following his loss to Oleksandr Osyk on Saturday night.
Joshua lost his IBF, WBO, and WBA world heavyweight titles to his Ukrainian opponent.
Warren told the Daily Mail: “He shouldn’t go anywhere near Usyk – he will never beat him.
“In terms of fighting Tyson Fury, it can happen. Joshua losing has taken away the belts and he is damaged goods now.
“But people would still buy into that fight. It can happen and it can happen in the UK.”
REMATCH RUMOUR
World Boxing Council President Mauricio Sulaiman has questioned whether Anthony Joshua would be up for a rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.
And the Council chief reckons the British heavyweight seemed demoralised by his defeat.
Sulaiman told World Boxing News: “Few gave the Ukrainian a chance to win, as he has been moving up from cruiserweight, and Joshua was considered a great champion.
“There is a contract for a rematch, but I saw a Joshua very demoralized at the end.
“It will be a matter of time to know if he will seek revenge – or not.”
JOSHUA WILL GET CRACKEN
Anthony Joshua’s trainer Rob McCracken expects the Brit will get his revenge on Oleksandr Osyk after the Ukrainian outboxed him in the ring.
It is thought a rematch could happen within the first quarter of 2022.
McCracken said: “Usyk is a good boxer and Anthony is still learning on the job and if he applies himself he will get the right result in the rematch.”
“There is no drawing board to go back to, you’ve got to apply pressure with your jab and your right hand and you’ve got to keep him off balance.
“And you’ve got to put shots together when you get there.”
BOX CLEVER
Eddie Hearn reckons Anthony Joshua is likely to get a rematch against Oleksandr Osyk in February or March 2022.
And the high-profile promoter says will be ’20 times better’ in the follow-up clash although he reckons the Brit did underperform at Tottenham Stadium.
Hearn told iFL TV: “It’s frustrating because he can box 20 times better than that, and he will.
“Now the operation is revenge. That’s all that matters; that’s all he’s thinking about.
“That operation is underway. He’ll be written off [by fans]. Give him the respect for taking on Usyk. He might be pound-for-pound #1, Usyk.
“He’s certainly pound-for-pound #2. He’s got to use that to drive him, and he wants it more than ever.”
SHOW MORE AGGRO
Lennox Lewis reckons Anthony Joshua will need to be more aggressive in the ring should he get the chance to avenge his loss to Oleksandr Osyk.
And the three-time heavyweight champ reckons the Ukrainian ace put on a great tactical display against Joshua.
Lewis tweeted: “For [Joshua] it’s not the end of the road, but u can’t be so tentative or wait till the 8th round to turn it on. Learn from this and improve.
“[Usyk] showed his pedigree in the ring. Amateur Champion. Olympic Gold medalist. Undisputed Cruiserweight Champion and now World Heavyweight champion.
“It pays to take the long road, put in the hard work and aggressively go after your goals.”
BOUNCE BACK
Chris Eubank Jr is backing Anthony Joshua to come back even stronger from his shock loss to Oleksandr Osyk at Tottenham Stadium.
Boxing Scene says the Brit heavyweight is planning to utilise a clause for an immediate rematch with the first quarter of 2022 earmarked as a possible timeframe.
Eubank Jr told Sky Sports: “He is a career professional. He has been in the game long enough to know what to do, with or without his trainer.
That’s not an excuse he will use. It just wasn’t his night. You can’t win them all.
“The only fighter I can think of who won them all was Floyd Mayweather.
“You take your losses and come back stronger. That’s exactly what he is going to do.”
JOSH GET PHYSICAL
David Haye reckons Anthony Joshua could win a rematch with Oleksandr Usyk if he makes more use of his physical power.
Joshua was outboxed by the Ukrainian in a gripping 12-round bout with Usyk winning the IBF, WBO, and WBA world titles.
Haye told IFL TV: “Just rewatch the (Usyk) fight with Dereck Chisora. Chisora brought a game plan to the table.
“He doesn’t have the physical attributes of Anthony Joshua but was able to win significantly more of the rounds in a very, very close fight.
“So if Anthony Joshua uses his physical attributes in the fight – it’s no good looking at them in the mirror, they’ve got to be implemented in the fight.
“If they can be forced on Usyk, he can reclaim the titles. But if he tries to have a boxing match, or does anything remotely close to what he was doing on Saturday night, it will be the same again.”
JOSH K.O
Anthony Joshua’s only chance of beating Oleksandr Usyk in their rematch is if he knocks him out, Frank Warren claims.
Joshua was given a boxing masterclass by Usyk and risks the same thing happening the next time they face each other.
The only way there will be a different outcome is if Joshua can put the Ukrainian on his bum.
When asked about Joshua’s chances, Warren said: “No, not unless he can land a bomb on him.
“He can’t outbox him. It’s impossible for him to outbox him. So what is he going to have to do? He’s [Joshua] going to have to stop him.”
OUT OF THIS WORLD
Oleksandr Usyk has offered Elon Musk the space-inspired ring walk helmet he wore before beating Anthony Joshua as a gift.
Usyk made his entrance wearing a custom-made jacket and space helmet and then delivered a performance that was from another planet.
After blowing AJ away with a 12 round clinic, the Ukrainian called on billionaire Musk, 50 – whose firm SpaceX launched the first all-civilian space flight earlier this month – to collect the boxing attire.
Usyk tweeted: “I’ve got a very special gift for a person who inspires me a lot!
“@elonmusk , your customized JAXET is waiting for you – a gear equipped with the latest technologies and an exclusive art piece from the new reality.
“Let’s express our respect to the superhero of the new world together and invite Elon to pick up his gift by sharing hashtag #ELONgetyourJAXETfromUSYK @elonmusk.”
‘NOT TYSON’
Critics reckon Anthony Joshua had the wrong mentality going into his loss against Oleksandr Usyk.
The Brit lost his heavyweight titles to the Ukrainian and some believe it’s because Joshua underestimated his opponent.
Boxing journalist Gareth Davies claims Joshua was too relaxed coming into the fight.
Joshua was showing love to fans and parents as he entered the ring, which something that you’d never see Mike Tyson or Lennox Lewis doing, Davies thinks.
He said: “He was fist-bumping people into the ring, kissing mothers, you never saw Mike Tyson or Lennox Lewis do that on their way.
“It was a heavyweight title defence.
“He wasn’t in the right frame of mind, he underestimated the guy in my view and a lot of us that know boxing said that if Oleksandr Usyk is still standing after the tenth round, he will have done something wrong in the fight.”
FIGHT FURY
Tyson Fury watched in horror as he watched his mega-bucks fight against Anthony Joshua go down the pan.
Fury was glued to the screen during Anthony Joshua’s defeat at the hands of Oleksandr Usyk, putting their proposed £200million fight in doubt.
The only way Joshua can get his fight with Fury back on track is if he wins his rematch with Usyk.
Speaking on Fury’s reaction to Joshua’s loss, his promoter Frank Warren revealed: “I spoke to Tyson during the fight and we were both of the same opinion.
“All Tyson could see was a massive big fight going down the drain, which is what happened.”
BELL RING
Boxing fans have claimed that Anthony Joshua could’ve been knocked out by Oleksandr Usyk if the last round wasn’t ended early.
Footage of the final round appears to show the bell ring five seconds early.
Which fans reckon was done to save Joshua from being sent to the canvas by the Ukrainian who went on to win on points.
In response to the alleged early bell ring, one fan wrote on Twitter: “They knew Joshua was getting tagged up.”
Another said: “Robbed Usyk of the KO. That was a stoppage.”
And even UFC commentator Joe Rogan questioned whether the bell was rung before it should’ve been.
He said: “Did they really ring the bell for the last round early?”
RUIZ PRAISE
Andy Ruiz Jr has praised Oleksandr Usyk for his victory over Anthony Joshua on the weekend.
The Ukrainian became the second person to hand Joshua a defeat in his career so far.
The Brit’s first loss came at the hands of Ruiz Jr in 2019, although Joshua won the next time the pair were face to face.
Speaking after the match, Ruiz Jr said: “Congratulations to Oleksandr Usyk. He did his thing. Congratulations brother.”
CHISORA SUPPORT
Derek Chisora was full of praise for Anthony Joshua following his loss to Oleksandr Usyk.
Despite losing on points, Chisora, who is signed to Joshua’s management company 258, reckons his fellow Brit put on a great display.
And next time the pair meet, Joshua will be better prepared as they can’t cry over spilt milk.
Chisora said: “Fight was great, what I will say and I thought AJ was moving his jab very amazingly and the points was unbelievable.
“The last round was a bit tricky for him, we don’t cry over spilt milk mate. We just have to knuckle down and regroup to go back again.”
OUR SAB-IOUR
Oleksandr Usyk was given a hero’s welcome by fans when he arrived back in Ukraine after beating Anthony Joshua.
When the new heavyweight champion stepped off the plane in his home country, supporters were on hand to greet him with yellow and blue sticks which they’ve labelled ‘lightsabers.’
The blue stick holders stood on one side and the yellow ones on the other, creating a tunnel for Usyk to walk through.
And in a much more subtle token, he was also handed a bouquet of flowers by fans in the same colours.
USYK MUST BE CRAZY
Oleksandr Usyk and Eddie Hearn are at odds about where Anthony Joshua’s rematch against the Ukrainian should take place.
Usyk, who beat Joshua in his own backyard on Saturday to become heavyweight champion wants their second duel to happen in his homeland.
However, Hearn is adamant that the rematch takes place in the UK as it makes more financial sense for the fighters.
Speaking to iFL TV, the Matchroom boss said: “We will work together to maximise (the income), Ukraine is very unlikely.
“I think it will be international or the UK, I would think it would be in the UK.”
JOSH IT ALL WRONG
Anthony Joshua has implied that he used the wrong tactics in his loss to Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday.
Joshua admitted he should’ve gone into the fight against the Ukrainian with a different game plan after the brawl.
But upon reflection, the former heavyweight champion claims he will prepare differently for their rematch which will be phenomenal.
Speaking to iFL TV, the Brit said: “I let a few people down, obviously people that support me.
“There’s other people that probably thought I should have gone in with a different gameplan.
“There’s certain things I know I can improve on for sure and there’s certain things that he can probably improve on, that’s why I feel like the next fight will be phenomenal.”
OVER AND OUT
Tyson Fury’s promoter Frank Warren has no doubt who would’ve won if it was his fighter stepping into the ring against Anthony Joshua last night and Oleksandr Usyk.
In fact, Warren believes the fight wouldn’t have lasted more than four rounds.
“Tyson Fury would have destroyed him inside three or four rounds,” Warren told the MailOnline.
“Tyson has great footwork, a great chin and his hands are as fast as Usyk’s and he is bigger – he would have destroyed Joshua.”
HERE EU GO
Chris Eubank Jr is in line for a domestic blockbuster in December with Billy Joe Saunders and Liam Willaims among the targets, JACK FIGG reports.
But a super-fight with Gennady Golovkin, 39, is parked until the summer, with the Kazakh due to fight Japan’s Ryota Murata, 35, in a unification.
Middleweight Eubank Jr returns to the ring on Saturday and will do so as the new face of Sky Sports Boxing in a tune-up bout against Sven Elbir.
And promoter Kalle Sauerland promised a massive pay-per-view worthy fight will follow before the year’s out, should any slip ups be avoided.
Sauerland told SunSport: “Golovkin I can categorically rule out, Golovkin right now is obligated to fight Murata.
“That is an ongoing one, something we said we would re-visit when he’s had that fight. That’s going to be a big summer one for next year.
“We’re looking at domestic fights, Liam Williams is on that list, Billy Joe is on that list.”
Credit: Getty
‘HAVE A F****** GO’
Whyte went on to say on AJ: “It’s good he is using more athleticism and boxing responsibly but being a big strong guy is what has worked for him, got him an Olympic gold medal and world titles so he just needs to have a f****** go.
“He was not hungry enough because when the chips are down and sh!t is against you, you have to have a go. And he did not want to have a go.
“He never tried to finish him off when he hurt him, it was madness.”
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