Anthony Joshua lost his belts to Oleksandr Usyk in September last year in an undisputed result after 12 rounds with the Ukrainian outboxing him throughout the contest.
It’s the second time Joshua has lost his heavyweight division belts after he lost to Andy Ruiz Jr before regaining them, however, the result from the first fight with Usyk means he has now lost two out of his last three fights.
He will be desperate to dominate the division once again and must do so in order to retain his belts that he desires, although the Ukrainian is more than just a tough test in his way.
Both have been training hard for their eagerly anticipated rematch which takes place this week in Saudi Arabia, with so much on the line, including the Ring Magazine belt after Tyson Fury vacated it following his re-confirmation of his retirement.
Boxers are incredibly proud athletes who hate losing like any top performer, however losses fall harder after the war of words that usually takes place prior to a fight.
This means we have seen some incredible excuses for a loss, such as David Haye and his toe springing to mind instantly.
Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua 2: AJ's classy behind the scenes comment
Well Anthony Joshua has now added to that list of astonishing excuses, claiming his loss to Usyk was due to his stance, saying: “Fighting a leftie is a nightmare and he is a good one as well. He is good — but if he was an orthodox fighter I’d have smoked him, 100 per cent. But, with this leftie nonsense it’s just different, they set you up differently.
“If you are a good leftie you have a good chance of making it in boxing, I reckon.”
It’s an interesting excuse from the Englishman, especially considering he’s an experienced boxer, he will have taken on plenty of left handers/southpaws throughout his career, whether that be on the big stage like against Usyk or in his early amateur days.
Oleksandr Usyk got the unanimous decision nod over Anthony Joshua
He has been looking to make his size advantage count in the rematch after failing to impose himself first time round, with Joshua acknowledging that it is his plan: “Yes, it’s evident isn’t it, it’s not a secret.
“They are things that I need to use but it’s easier said than done so we work on it. That’s why training camps are so challenging and why you usually see a fighter straight on the beach after a fight, it’s draining.”