UPSET
Anthony Joshua fights back tears as he breaks down after his second loss to Oleksandr Usyk
Anthony Joshua broke down and struggled to hold back tears in the immediate aftermath of his second successive defeat against Oleksandr Usyk.
The British heavyweight fought much better in the rematch than he did against Usyk last September in London but ultimately slumped to a split decision loss against the WBA, IBF, and WBO champion on Saturday night in Saudi Arabia.
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At the post-fight press conference, ‘AJ’ was clearly still emotional and had to take a break after a member of the media asked him if he was proud of how he had performed.
“It’s really, really hard for me to say I’m proud of myself. I don’t feel anything, but I’m upset really deep down in my heart,” Joshua said before his voice began to break as he held back tears.
Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn stepped in and fielded questions while his fighter took some time to compose himself before once again giving time to the media.
Joshua then explained the post-fight outburst that saw him angrily react to his latest loss as he stormed from the ring not long after the final bell following a gruelling 12 rounds, only to return and give a passionate speech soon afterward.
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“I just feel like when you try do something from you hear not everyone is going to understand. It was just from the heart,” he continued.
“I was mad at myself. I thought, ‘I’ve just gotta get out of here because I’m mad’ and when you’re angry you might do stupid things.
"Then I realised, ‘Oh s***, this is a sport’ and I came back and just spoke from my heart.
Joshua, 32, must now rebuild having suffered his third career defeat, while Usyk, 35, remains unbeaten and will be seeking a unification fight with Tyson Fury.
'The Gypsy King' took to social media post-fight to ridicule both men for what he viewed as a poor fight before announcing his intention to face the winner in a mouthwatering undisputed clash.