Boxer Anthony Joshua Apologises for Rant after Heavyweight Title Defeat to Oleksandr Usyk

British boxer Anthony Joshua apologised for his awful post-fight behaviour after his world heavyweight title defeat to Ukrainian ace Oleksandr Usyk on Sunday in Saudi Arabia. A high-voltage drama unfolded after Usyk was adjudged as the winner of the bout by split point decision. A furious Joshua stormed out of the ring and threw two of Usyk’s belts onto the floor before heading to the change room. He then rushed back to hijack the microphone and delivered an expletive-laden speech slamming his critics.

Emotions got the better of the British boxer on the night. He has now taken to Twitter to issue a lengthy apology statement explaining his actions and his state of mind during his rampage. He also applauded his opponent for putting up an exemplary fight on the night.

“I wish @usykaa continued success in your quest for greatness. You are a class act champ. 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," Joshua wrote on Twitter.

The former heavyweight champion also said that he let himself down and his actions were out of pure passion and love that he had for the sport. “I love this sport so so much, and I’ll be way better from this point on. Respect," he concluded.

Anthony Joshua endured his third defeat in 27 fights, putting his career at a standstill. Though he was taken aback by his thumping defeat, the two-time heavyweight champion praised Usyk for fighting extremely well under harsh circumstances.

In an expletive-laden speech inside the ring, he spoke about the fight, his career, and the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.

Joshua burst into tears during the press conference, revealing a side unfamiliar to his fans. He has now lost back-to-back fights to Usyk but stated that he would return to the ring in November and reclaim the world heavyweight titles.

Meanwhile, it has been an inspirational and colossal rise for Oleksandr Usyk as he managed to defend his WBA, WBO and IBF belts after serving in the Ukrainian army for six months as part of the country’s defence against Russia’s invasion.

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