Izuchukwu Okosi
British-Nigerian Anthony Joshua’s bid to recapture the unified heavyweight titles ended in utter disappointment as Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk produced a terrific performance to win by split decision in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia late Saturday night.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelUsyk won the rematch titled ‘Rage on the Red Sea’ on a split decision, taking it 116-112 and 115-113 respectively on the cards of Ukraine’s Viktor Fesechko and Britain’s Steve Gray. While Glenn Feldman of the USA scored 115-113 for Joshua.
Joshua has now suffered back-to-back defeats to Usyk, with the Ukrainian retaining the WBA (Super), WBO and IBF titles he won in London September 2021.
At the end of the fight which lasted into the wee hours of Sunday morning, a furious Joshua picked up two championship belts and threw them out of the ring and strode towards the dressing room, before turning round and getting back into the ring.
The Watford-born boxer whose parents originally hail from Ogun state Nigeria grabbed the microphone to explain his post-fight frustrations and congratulate the Ukrainian.
“If you knew my story you would understand the passion. I ain’t no amateur boxer from five-years-old that was an elite prospect from youth. I was going to jail, I got bail and I started training my arse off, I wanted to be able to fight,” he ranted.
“This guy to beat me tonight, maybe I could have done better, but it shows the level of hard work I put in so please give him a round of applause as our heavyweight champion of the world.”
The London 2012 Olympics gold medallist ‘AJ’ has thus lost for the third time in his professional career, while Oleksandr Usyk remains undefeated.
Usyk has never been defeated as a professional boxer same Tyson Fury. Both are likely to fight next and the winner will for the third time in history take all the major belts in boxing.
After the victory, Usyk made an emotional statement saying: “I devote this victory to my family, my country, my team, to all the military defending this country – thank you so much.
“I’m sure that Tyson Fury is not retired yet. I’m convinced he wants to fight me. I want to fight him. If I’m not fighting Fury, I’m not fighting at all.
“Only God knows whether I will fight him or not but all these gentlemen here around me, my team, they are going to help me.”
However, Tyson Fury, who holds the WBC heavyweight belt, has given his reaction on Instagram to Oleksandr Usyk’s win.
“After watching that, I can say that’s one of the worst heavyweight fights I’ve ever seen,” he wrote on his Instagram story.
“I would annihilate both of them on the same night. Get your chequebook out because the Gypsy King is here to stay forever.”
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
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