Garston-born boxing hero Anthony Joshua made headlines after his title-fight rematch with Oleksandr Usyk, but not for the reasons he would have hoped.
Joshua, often referred to as AJ, was beaten by Usyk in September of last year, with the Ukrainian fighter coming away from the fight with the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO world heavyweight boxing belts.
The much-anticipated rematch took place on August 20 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The fight went the full 12 rounds, but there was only ever going to be one winner. Usyk won by split-decision, a verdict ridiculed by some given his dominance in the bout.
As Usyk celebrated his victory, eyes were drawn to AJ pacing in and around the ring. What followed was a strange few minutes for fans of the fighter from the Meriden estate.
AJ first picked up two of the Ukrainian’s heavyweight belts and threw them from the ring. Then, he took hold of the microphone and proceeded on a bizarre and awkward rant to the crowd.
He said: “If you knew my story, you would understand my passion. I ain’t no f***ing amateur boxer from five years old that was an elite prospect from a youth. I was going to jail. I got bail and started training my ass off, because if I got sentenced, I wouldn’t be able to fight.
“Look at me! I’m a new breed of heavyweights. ‘Oh, you don’t throw combinations like Rocky Marciano.’ ‘Cause I ain’t f***in’ 14 stone, that’s why! I’m 18 stone and I’m heavy! It’s hard work!”
AJ also showed a lack of tact when referencing Usyk’s home country, saying “I don’t know what’s happening, but it’s not nice at the end of the day”.
The following day, AJ made a statement across his social media accounts.
He wrote: “Yesterday 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.
“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.”
With no further rematch clause, the future is uncertain for AJ as he will surely look to bounce back quickly from this defeat.
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