Heavyweight boxing

ANTHONY JOSHUA was LEADING after eight rounds against Oleksandr Usyk before his nasty eye injury in the ninth sparked a meltdown.That is according to the official scorecards which have been released by AJ’s Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn.
Anthony Joshua was narrowly leading after eight rounds against Oleksandr UsykCredit: Instagram / @eddiehearn
But a nasty eye injury saw him throw away the fight in the final roundsCredit: Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
The Brit lost 115-113, 116-112, 117-112 at Tottenham’s stadium on Saturday night and the exact scoring has now emerged.
Howard Foster scored the bout 115-113 with the contest all square with two rounds to go.
Steve Weisfield gave Usyk an extra point on his 116-112 card and only had them level after the eighth.
And Viktor Fesechenko judged the Ukrainian to have won by the biggest margin – awarding him 117 points to Joshua’s 112.
But after eight rounds Foster had the fight for Joshua, Weisfield scored it a draw and Fesechenko was in favour of Usyk.
Foster had Joshua up 77-75 after the eighth, Weisfeld scored it level 76-76 and Fesechenko called it 77-76 to Usyk.
So at that stage, the Brit was ahead on the three judges’ total scoring by a single point – at 229 for Joshua, and 228 for Usyk.
However, if the last four rounds had been shared, it would have finished a draw.
But his right eye continued to swell and impede his vision – with AJ admitting after he could not see out of it from the ninth round.

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As a result, Usyk stormed the last rounds and walked away with a unanimous points win.
After the shock defeat, Hearn warned AJ he must trigger his Usyk rematch clause immediately or risk NEVER having the chance to win his belts back.
Fellow British heavyweight Dillian Whyte also hit out at AJ after the clash labelling the Londoner ‘gun-shy, negative and lacking ambition’.
The Body Snatcher told BBC 5 Live: “I said if Joshua tried to box he was always going to lose.
“If he had come out and bullied him and pushed the pace and let his hands go he could have knocked him out in the first even round.
“But he came out and was being too negative, he seemed like a gun-shy fighter. You are the bigger man, have a go.

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“I don’t know, he lacked ambition in the ring there tonight.
“The first round, Usyk landed the first strong blow and Joshua was a negative fighter.
“He got tagged with a left and he was worried the whole time.”

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Anthony Joshua discusses losing to Oleksandr Usyk in post-fight press conference More

ANTHONY JOSHUA was ‘gun-shy, negative and lacking ambition’ against Oleksandr Usyk.That is according to fellow Brit Dillian Whyte who let rip at AJ after his points defeat to the Ukrainian in London on Saturday night.
Anthony Joshua could have been much braver during his defeat to Oleksandr Usyk
That is according to fellow British heavyweight Dillian WhyteCredit: Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Joshua failed to make use of his 18lb weight advantage over former cruiserweight king Usyk, who landed a barrage of heavy southpaw shots throughout the bout at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.
The Ukrainian finished with a flourish in the final rounds to put the result beyond doubt and seal the unanimous 117-112, 116-112 and 115-113 win at the new White Hart Lane.
Joshua admitted afterwards he could not see out of his right eye from the ninth round onwards.
But Whyte reckons the Brit should have won the fight well before then and could have done so if he had been braver.
The Body Snatcher told BBC 5 Live: “I said if Joshua tried to box he was always going to lose.
“If he had come out and bullied him and pushed the pace and let his hands go he could have knocked him out in the first even round.

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“But he came out and was being too negative, he seemed like a gun-shy fighter. You are the bigger man, have a go.
“I don’t know, he lacked ambition in the ring there tonight.
“The first round, Usyk landed the first strong blow and Joshua was a negative fighter.
“He got tagged with a left and he was worried the whole time.”
After the fight, Eddie Hearn warned AJ he must trigger the Usyk rematch clause immediately or risk NEVER winning belts back again.
Meanwhile Whyte faces Otto Wallin at the O2 on October 30 – a bout he is expected to win.
And the Brixton scrapper said he would go toe-to-toe in a ‘shoot-out’ with Usyk if he ever got the chance.
He added: “I have to go through Wallin first, after we will see.

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“But I tell you what, I will not be losing to an overall decision like that, I can tell you that now.
“I will go out and I will have a shoot-out – if I get knocked out, I get knocked out.
“But I will have a shoot-out, I am not getting out boxed over 12 rounds like that, no chance.”

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ANTHONY JOSHUA must trigger his rematch clause against Oleksandr Usyk or risk NEVER having the chance to win the world championship belts back. That is according to AJ’s Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn who ‘cannot see another option’.
Anthony Joshua MUST trigger his rematch clause against Oleksandr Usyk or risk NEVER having the chance to win back the belts he lost on Saturday
That is according to AJ’s Matchroom promoter Eddie HearnCredit: PA
Joshua failed to make use of his 18lb weight advantage over former cruiserweight king Usyk, who landed a barrage of heavy southpaw shots throughout the bout at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.
The Ukrainian finished with a flourish in the final rounds to put the result beyond doubt and seal a unanimous 117-112, 116-112 and 115-113 win at the new White Hart Lane.
A rematch clause exists in the contract for Saturday night’s fight and Hearn reckons AJ must trigger it and battle Usyk again straight away.
Asked if he would advise AJ to take the rematch, Hearn said: “Yeah because at the end of the day, what are you going to do?
“Are you going to go and have a ten-rounder or fight an interim bout?
“Ultimately if he doesn’t accept the rematch clause, he will not get a chance to win his world championships back… possibly ever the way this game works.

“And that was the same with [Andy] Ruiz.
“To be honest, I would have actually probably advised him not to take the Ruiz match after that kind of defeat.
“I know he was out-boxed tonight but against Ruiz he went down four or five times and he was stopped quite badly in that fight.
“Tonight he was out-boxed and started to get a little bit beat up towards the end – but there were a number of reasons for that.
“But I don’t see another option. He’s not going to want to go and have a ten-rounder at the O2. He’s going to want to try and win his belts back.
“And he should be commended for it. And this time as an underdog in that rematch.”

Although AJ is expected to trigger the rematch clause, new world champ Usyk said the fight won’t be for some time.
The Ukraine hero said: “This means a lot to me.
“I’ve been working so hard since January. It took me some half a year.
“I miss my children. I want to go home. I’m not thinking about the rematch.
“You didn’t see the best Usyk. I can be much better. The fight went exactly the way I expected it to go.
“There was times when Anthony pushed me hard but nothing special.
“I had no objective to knock him out. My corner pushed me not to do that.
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“My trainer said no and to stick to my job.”
Joshua could could not see out of his right eye from the ninth round on Saturday.
And Hearn revealed after the Brit would head to hospital to check if he had broken his eye socket.

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Anthony Joshua discusses losing to Oleksandr Usyk in post-fight press conference More

ANTHONY JOSHUA has vowed to ‘keep positive’ after being stunned by Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk in London on Saturday night. Usyk nabbed AJ’s WBA, WBO and IBF belts following a unanimous decision after a boxing masterclass at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
AJ took to social media to post a selfie after the fightCredit: Instagram
And a bruised AJ addressed the media at a late night press conference, explaining what went wrongCredit: PA
It’s the second time he has tasted defeat in his careerCredit: Reuters
But it didn’t take long for Joshua to take to social media to thank the 67,000 fans in attendance for their support.
In a dressing room selfie, a bruised AJ flexed his bicep and wrote: “Keep positive even if the world’s crumbling in front of you!
“London I love you & thank you each and every time!”
“Keep positive even if the world’s crumbling in front of you!”Anthony Joshua on social media
The 31-year-old fighter is expected to exercise the rematch clause in his contract with former cruiserweight Usyk, after seeing his belts ripped away from him for a second time in his career.
Watford-born AJ first tasted defeat at Madison Square Garden in 2019 when he was sensationally stopped by Andy Ruiz Jr.
And a bruised AJ congratulated Usyk in his post fight press conference, before vowing to return stronger.

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He said: “Well done to the winner and we’ll be back again.
“[I’ll] get back into training, [it was] a great twelve rounds, a great experience as well in the ring.
“And we progress from this point on once again, so we’ll be doing it all again soon.”
When asked where it went wrong, AJ replied: “What went wrong? Just taking a loss, but we’ll get it right.
“Probably from the ninth [round] I could not see in the ninth round, [I] couldn’t see anything really, my eye was shut but it was a good experience.
“Because in adversity you have to learn to control yourself, [and] stay on top of things.
“So when I couldn’t see anything…
“It’s the first time it’s happened in a fight so I was thinking ‘ok cool, this is the first time my eye has closed in a fight, I can’t see nothing, I’m looking out of one eye’.
“But it got better as the rounds went on, and we’ll be back.”
And the former champ finished by saying: “It was a good twelve rounder so I’ll be in a good place when we get back into training to pick up where we left off.”
It’s not yet clear when or where a rematch between the pair will be, but AJ is desperate to avenge his first-ever stadium defeat.
Although promoter Eddie Hearn has warned that AJ will need ‘big changes’ to win any potential second bout between the pair.
Hearn told Sky Sports Box Office: “He will have to make some big changes in the rematch to avenge that defeat.
“He will want to go straight back into that rematch.”

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Anthony Joshua discusses losing to Oleksandr Usyk in post-fight press conference More

ANTHONY JOSHUA could not see out of his right eye from the ninth round during his battering by Oleksandr Usyk.The Londoner was stunned at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as his Ukrainian challenger secured an emphatic, comprehensive unanimous points win on Saturday night.
Anthony Joshua could not see out of his right eye from the ninth round against Oleksandr Usyk
The Londoner went to hospital to check on his eye socket after the defeat
Anthony Joshua’s eye looks swollen at the post-fight press conferenceCredit: ©Ian Walton Matchroom Boxing
Joshua failed to make use of his 18lb weight advantage over former cruiserweight king Usyk, who landed a barrage of heavy southpaw shots throughout the bout.
By the 10th round of the thrilling contest, AJ had a visible black and swollen eye as Usyk took control of the bout.
The Ukrainian finished with a flourish in the final rounds to put the result beyond doubt and seal the unanimous 117-112, 116-112 and 115-113 win at the new White Hart Lane.
And AJ admitted after that he couldn’t see which was a new experience for him.
He said: “It was bad at one stage but it’s getting a lot better now.
“From the ninth I couldn’t see. I couldn’t see anything really.

“My eye was shut but it was a good experience because in adversity you’ve just got to learn to control yourself and stay on top of things.
“So when I couldn’t see anything…
“It’s the first time it’s happened in a fight so I was thinking ‘ok cool, this is the first time my eye has closed in a fight, I can’t see nothing, I’m looking out of one eye’.
“But it got better as the rounds went on, and we’ll be back.”
Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn also confirmed the Brit would go to hospital to check if his eye socket was fractured.
Hearn told BBC 5 Live: “He will go to hospital.
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“I don’t know if he has broken his eye socket, it doesn’t look great.”
Hearn added: “He said he couldn’t see after the ninth round, obviously he was getting tagged a lot as well.
“His power looked like it had left him, the tank was empty and it was only heart which kept him on his feet in the 12th round.”

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Anthony Joshua shows his pain during his loss to Oleksandr Usyk
Anthony Joshua discusses losing to Oleksandr Usyk in post-fight press conference More

ANTHONY JOSHUA does have a rematch clause in his contract to face Oleksandr Usyk again – and plans to exercise it.But the new heavyweight world champion insists it will not happen anytime soon.
Anthony Joshua has the option of a rematch after defeat to Oleksandr UsykCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
AJ lost on a unanimous points decision at Tottenham Hotspur StadiumCredit: Getty
AJ was stunned at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as his Ukrainian challenger secured an emphatic, comprehensive unanimous points win.
And once the dust has settled, the Watford man must work out how and when he steps back into ring with Usyk again.
Joshua will need to heal up – with potential damage to his eye socket.
But his promoter Eddie Hearn suggests his man is determined to try and wrestle back the WBA, WBO and IBF belts.
Eddie Hearn told Sky Sports Box Office: “I have spoken to AJ and it was a tough fight. He is devastated and already talking about training again.
“The fighter in AJ is already talking about, ‘I’ll win the rematch.’ Usyk was the deserved winner.
“Congratulations to Oleksandr Usyk. What a fighter. He put in a great performance.
“Anthony will go again. He has been beaten by a pound for pound great fighter.
“We have been here before at Madison Square Garden. That was different and he has been beaten by the better man on the night.
“He will have to make some big changes in the rematch to avenge that defeat.
“He will want to go straight back into that rematch.”
Hearn added: “The danger was always to overthink it by trying to be technical, if you don’t use your attributes and you don’t make your mark early enough in the fight.
“Usyk is very fit and has great feet. He threw a lot of punches and it was all the things you worry about against a fighter like Usyk.
“He was probably bit more aggressive than anticipated and he was really good. He goes down in history and there are no complaints from AJ.”
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But even if he does agree to go again, Joshua will need to arrange it with Usyk who wants to spend time with his family after the historic victory.
I’m not thinking about the rematchOleksandr Usyk
The Ukraine hero said: “This means a lot to me.
“I’ve been working so hard since January. It took me some half a year.
“I miss my children. I want to go home. I’m not thinking about the rematch.
“You didn’t see the best Usyk. I can be much better.
“The fight went exactly the way I expected it to go.
“There was times when Anthony pushed me hard but nothing special.
“I had no objective to knock him out. My corner pushed me not to do that.
“My trainer said no and to stick to my job.”
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THE stars came out in force to support Anthony Joshua as he took on Oleksandr Usyk at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.But Idris Elba, Mo Farahmm Mason Mount and Co watched on in shock as the Ukrainian shocked hometown hero AJ to win heavyweight gold.
Hollywood A-lister Idris Elba supported his pal Anthony JoshuaCredit: Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Mason Mount poses with presenter Josh DenzelCredit: ©Eddie Keogh Matchroom Boxing
Declan Rice takes a phone call in the standsCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
But Oleksandr Usyk shocked AJ to win heavyweight goldCredit: Getty
The eagerly anticipated heavyweight fight between the two proved to be a big draw for the showbiz world.
Celebrities from the world of acting to Premier League footballers, all were in tow to cheer AJ on.
But AJ could not get the job done as he lost a unanimous defeat to the brilliant Usyk.
Hollywood A-lister Idris Elba looked stylish in a sweatshirt and beanie hat as he awaited his pal’s bout.
Arsenal fan Mo Farah put his footballing allegiances aside by stepping into his team’s rival’s home to watch the match.
The Premier League was represented by two Three Lions heroes from the Euros.

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Chelsea star Mason Mount looked the part in a floral jacket, as he posed with presenter Josh Denzel.
While West Ham star Declan Rice was pictured in his seat talking on his mobile phone.
Boxing stars Josh Buatsi and Frazer Clarke were also in attendance to see proceedings.
However, all the famous faces would’ve been disappointed with the fight result in what was a disappointing night for Joshua.
Britain’s WBA, IBF and WBO world heavyweight champion was out-boxed by the cunning Ukrainian southpaw Usyk – losing a unanimous and indisputable decision.
Joshua ended the fight pinned to the ropes by a flurry of punches – and that late flourish came after Usyk had already built up an unassailable lead on the judges’ scorecards.
Mo Farah put aside his Arsenal allegiance to visit the Tottenham Hotspur StadiumCredit: ©Eddie Keogh Matchroom Boxing
Olympic bronze medallist Frazer Clarke poses for the cameraCredit: Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Boxing star Josh Buatsi was also in attendanceCredit: Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
After his stunning knock-out defeat by Andy Ruiz Jr in New York in 2019, this defeat – Joshua’s first on home soil – felt nowhere near as freakish.
Usyk was the superior craftsman and thoroughly deserved his victory.
There is likely to be a rematch next year, but for now Usyk will enjoy his moment and return to the Ukraine to see his family.
Joshua will lick his wounds and ponder what could’ve been, for now.
Joshua is now at a crossroads but could exercise his right for a rematchCredit: Reuters
Fans flock to see Anthony Joshua defend his titles against Usyk More

ANTHONY JOSHUA missed out on two months of his son’s life to focus on beating Oleksandr Usyk.The heavyweight king, father of five-year-old JJ, puts his three world title belts and fighting future on  the line at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Anthony Joshua missed out on two months of son JJ’s life to prepare for his fight with Oleksandr UsykCredit: Instagram @anthonyjoshua
Joshua makes another defence of his world heavyweight belts on Saturday night
AJ  revealed the painful sacrifices he has made to stay lean and mean — before weighing in yesterday at 17st 2lb. He said:  “I made the sacrifice, I stayed in camp this time.
“I used to go home on the weekends to try and catch up with family and stuff. But this time around I stayed in camp.
“I didn’t really see my family and my boy over that period. I just made that commitment to live an actual boxer’s life rather than going home every weekend.
“But sparring partners do it, they are away from their families. So why shouldn’t I?
“I’ll catch up with the family again on Sunday.”
Win, lose or draw against Usyk, AJ will face no questions from JJ about boxing.

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The father-and-son pair much prefer to switch off from work and turn on their engines for well-earned family time.
AJ laughed: “I don’t even know if I’m Daddy, I’m just a mate.
“He’s actually quite independent so he’s chilled, he doesn’t cling to my leg, do you know what I mean? He’s very independent.
“I don’t think he is even interested in boxing or sport yet. He’s just more into computers and motorbikes, he likes motorbikes.”
While JJ may not get revved up by the big fight, there will be 66,000 fans going bonkers in North London tonight.
And Joshua, the WBA, IBF and WBO king, will take a 20lb weight advantage into the showdown with former undisputed cruiserweight king Usyk.
Weight doesn’t make a difference so long as you’re loose and nimbleAnthony Joshua
AJ tipped the scales at 17st 2lb yesterday, the same as when he obliterated Kubrat Pulev over nine  rounds last December. Usyk weighed in at 15st 11lbs.
The Watford hero was 17st 12lbs when he secured his iconic win over Wladimir Klitschko in April 2017 after looking exhausted in the middle rounds.
And six months later he looked lethargic going ten rounds with unfancied Carlos Takam at a massive 18st 2lbs.
Joshua claimed weight is not an issue though.
He added: “I don’t really watch my weight. I don’t know why there is this big thing about weights.
“I think because we’re heavyweights people normally look at us when we’re at our heaviest.

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“I was 18-something at one stage, but I still managed to throw a load of combos, went ten rounds, so I should be able to do 12 rounds easily.
“Weight doesn’t make a difference so long as you’re loose and nimble.
“But if I was heavier and doing it, now I’m lighter I should be able to do it with a lot more ease.”

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Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk weigh in ahead of their big fight More