30 October 2023 , 20:00
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Anthony Joshua revealed what was going through his head when he lost his rematch to Oleksandr Usyk last year.
The heavyweight champion was under intense scrutiny by fans and critics alike and was slammed by fans for his performance against Jermaine Franklin in April as the Brit won an unconvincing decision to pick up his first win in over two years. He was on a two-fight losing skid heading into the bout as he lost his heavyweight title to Usyk in September 2021 and failed to win them back in their rematch last August.
After losing the fight, an upset AJ grabbed Usyk's belts and threw them out of the boxing ring before grabbing the microphone and launching into a lengthy harangue. He insisted that he was a "new breed" of heavyweight and appeared to insult legends like Mike Tyson and Sonny Liston before strangely deciding to revert to his friendly self and congratulate the champion.
AJ threw the belts and grabbed the microphone (Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing)Over a year after the match, Anthony sat down with Louis Theroux for the BBC series, Louis Theroux Interviews... to talk about all things boxing as well as his personal life. "Unfortunately, I came up short. My opponent was better than me on the night," he said of the fateful game.
Louis asked about what made him throw the belts on the ground before going on a rant. "It was like that even though these don't even mean anything anyway," AJ said. "Yeah, what... I ain't got them so because I ain't got them they don't mean anything. Now it's ego and pride coming out."
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He of what was going through his head: "'I brought this heavyweight division back.' That's what was going on within me. Right or wrong? I've thrown them because that's what I felt like and yeah, and grabbed the mic and addressed the crowd. Could I have done it better?
"Of course I could have but I just finished a 12-round fight and I felt frustrated, annoyed. I knew I was out of the title race and then the questions started 'What is he like?' 'Where's his head?' All these like 'Can he be the three-time champion of the world?' People will now create this narrative and put pressure on me and it's too much. Gone are the days when it was full of fun when you were just doing it for the passion, your prospect."
Several months ago, Usyk came to Joshua's defence after the latter was criticised for his loss and subsequent reaction. Usyk told Boxing King Media: "I think [Joshua] just needs a little more time to recover. He’s a great fighter and a great personality. Who are those people who judge him?
"Who are the judges? Have they ever entered the ring? Have they ever trained and felt that pain? They have no right to say so."