Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk won the rematch of the heavyweight title with a split decision over British-Nigerian boxer Anthony Joshua on Sunday.
For the first nine rounds, Joshua’s strategy appeared to be working quite well; he even nearly knocked Usyk out at one point. He ramped up the number of body blows and attempted to take a more methodical approach to the most difficult battle of his career. Despite this, Joshua was exhausted by Round 10, and Usyk delivered his finest move in the following three rounds. The Ukrainian champion delivered an outstanding performance.
AJ PILES ON THE PRESSURE 😲
HUGE ONSLAUGHT #UsykJoshua2 #RageOnTheRedSea pic.twitter.com/6E12iObyXh
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) August 20, 2022
Usyk’s Roller Coaster Ride To Keep His Titles
Oleksandr Usyk’s participation as a fighter in the war against Russia was undoubtedly one of the year’s most important stories. He heroically defended his beloved Ukraine and returned in amazing way to defend his belts against AJ. For that alone, Usyk deserves to be regarded as one of the greatest Heavyweight champions of all time. Without a doubt, a first-ballot future Hall of Famer.
But the biggest headline following the fight was about the loser, Anthony Joshua. The man couldn’t take another defeat and still refuses to recognise that his career is effectively ended from this point forward. As long as Usyk and Fury are still active, AJ is unlikely to win any more belts for the rest of his career. He should have taken Tyson Fury’s advise.
USYK ABSOLUTELY LAYS IT ON ANTHONY JOSHUA 🤯#UsykJoshua2 #RageOnTheRedSea pic.twitter.com/ol0s5oeY6G
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) August 20, 2022
See Also: Anthony Joshua Weighs Four Pounds More For Usyk Fight
Anthony Joshua Lost To Oleksandr Usyk
There were two distinct instances after the bout when Anthony Joshua displayed his frustration. He once took the belts and flung them on the ground, knowing he wouldn’t be able to earn them again. The other instance was when he simply took the microphone and began a monologue. A tragic finish for a fighter who could have been so much more. Joshua paid his respects to Usyk while also attempting to defend himself. Let us hope he recovers from this heartbreaking loss.
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