Anthony Joshua is fuming after the battering at the hands of Oleksandr Usyk.
The British heavyweight was outclassed by the Ukrainian at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium over 12 rounds, and in the process, handed the second defeat of his career.
Usyk, now the unified heavyweight world champion is set to take Joshua on again and the latter seems like he is no mood to lose anymore. In fact, by his own admission, he is “done” losing.
“I’m done with f***ing losing. I’m done with trying to learn the sweet science,” Joshua was quoted as saying by talkSPORT’s Michael Benson, per iFL TV.
“He might get thrown on the floor in the next fight because this is war. It’s just straight war, I’m annoyed. I’m boiling up even speaking about it - it’s that passion to win.
“For me, I have one thing in my mind - that’s war, that’s murder, that’s to go out there and hurt the guy and take his soul to the point where he wants to give up,” he said of his rematch with Usyk.
Those are scathing words for someone who is generally more measured with what he says and when he says it.
Were someone to not mention who lines these are, the common assumption would be that it’s Conor McGregor. That is how out of character Joshua sounds.
His frustration is understandable, though. Usyk really knocked the stuffing out of him and never across the 12 rounds did it feel like Joshua stood a chance. Given the reputation he has, it was the dampest of damp squibs.
Joshua now has two reasons to turn up against Usyk in the rematch. First is obviously avenging the damage caused to him, second is that maybe, just maybe, he gets to face Tyson Fury if he wins. Now that would be a clash for the ages.
While Fury will wait for Joshua, he probably won’t be doing so from his sofa. He might a job to do himself if Dillian Whyte, depending upon what becomes of Whyte’s fight with beats Otto Wallin.
In which case, Fury would have to defend his WBC title in what would be another all-British bout. Bring it on!