Eddie Hearn has revealed that Anthony Joshua has 'lost faith in the system' after his angry outburst following his second successive defeat to Oleksandr Usyk.

The British boxing hero made his long-awaited return to the ring in the early hours of Sunday morning last weekend, which took place at the Superdome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Joshua, also known to fans as AJ, locked horns with Usyk for the second time, his first since losing to the Ukrainian at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last September.

However the Brit's chance for revenge didn't go to plan as he suffered a unanimous decision defeat to Usyk, who showcased better footwork and striking from the get-go.

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Joshua struggled to control his emotions after his second consecutive loss, before throwing Usyk's belts out of the ring in a bitter rage.

His promoter Hearn has defended his extraordinary actions, however.

Hearn told iFL TV: "He’s held onto those belts for a long time, and those governing bodies have charged him a lot of money and put a lot of mandatories on him.

Oleksandr Usyk defeats Anthony Joshua
JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA - AUGUST 20: Oleksandr Usyk punches Anthony Joshua during their World Heavyweight Championship fight during the Rage on the Red Sea Heavyweight Title Fight at King Abdullah Sports City Arena on August 20, 2022 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)

Anthony Joshua was beaten by Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia

"And I think he’s lost a lot of faith in the system and I think he started to not be interested in fighting for belts anymore. I think he just wants to fight for enjoyment and to challenge himself.

"Of course he wanted to be undisputed, but a lot of that was frustration. He left the ring 'cos he knew, 'I’m gonna do something stupid, yeah.' And he forced himself, 'I can’t [just leave].'

"So he went back in the ring and he gave a speech, which, he was a little bit out of it. But it was just pure emotion. That was just from the heart."

Joshua meanwhile expressed remorse for his actions as he admitted that he handled it completely the wrong way.

"I'll be the first to admit, I let myself down. I acted out of pure passion and emotion and when not controlled it ain't great. I love this sport so, so much and I'll be better from this point on," he said at his post-fight press conference.

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"I had to mentally take myself into a dark place to compete for the championship belts. I had two fights, one with Usyk and one with my emotions and both got the better of me.

"It was just from the heart. I was mad at myself. Not at anyone, just at myself. Like anyone, when you're angry you might do stupid things, so I was mad.

"But then I realised, 'Oh s***, this is sport, let me do the right thing and come back'. I just spoke from my heart."