LONDON: Anthony Joshua said he was 鈥�110 percent鈥� likely to activate a rematch clause with Oleksandr Usyk after losing his world heavyweight titles to the Ukrainian in stunning fashion in London on Saturday
Usyk gave a boxing masterclass in recording a unanimous points victory to deprive Joshua of his World Boxing Association, International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organization belts in front of the dethroned champion鈥檚 home crowd of more than 66,000 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
His victory extended Usyk鈥檚 unbeaten professional record to 19 wins and scuppered the prospects of an all-British world heavyweight title unification bout between Joshua and Tyson Fury.
It also meant Usyk became just the third cruiserweight world champion after Evander Holyfield of the United States and Britain鈥檚 David Haye to also take a heavyweight title, with the 34-year-old achieving the feat in just his third professional contest in the heavyweight ranks.
The contract for this bout, however, contained a rematch clause.
And Joshua, who previously lost his belts when beaten by Andy Ruiz in New York in June 2019 before regaining the titles in a rematch in 萝莉视频 six months later, is determined to face Usyk again.
鈥淎 hundred percent, 110 percent,鈥� he told a post-fight press conference. 鈥淚鈥檓 ready to get back to training.
鈥淭here鈥檚 an old saying 鈥業f you want to go down as a great fighter, don鈥檛 fight southpaws鈥�, especially good ones. He (Usyk) is a good fighter.鈥�
Joshua suffered a badly swollen right eye which required medical attention in a fight where only the bell appeared to save him from a last-round knockout.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 see in the ninth round,鈥� explained Joshua. 鈥淢y eye was shut, but it was a good experience, because in adversity, you鈥檝e just got to learn to control yourself... it鈥檚 the first time it鈥檚 happened in a fight.鈥�
Joshua, sounding remarkably upbeat despite a convincing loss, insisted: 鈥淚鈥檓 a different kind of animal. I鈥檓 not a sulker, this is a blessed opportunity to be able to fight for the heavyweight championship of the world.
鈥淪traight away I鈥檝e already been watching the fight and figuring out what I could have done better.鈥�
Joshua鈥檚 defeat put paid to a fight anytime soon with Fury, who defends his World Boxing Council heavyweight title against Deontay Wilder in Las Vegas next month 鈥� the third time the pair have met after a split-decision draw and a win for Fury.
Joshua, however, insisted: 鈥淚鈥檒l fight Tyson Fury, Wilder, without the belts. It鈥檚 great, it鈥檚 legacy but with or without the belts I鈥檒l fight whoever.鈥�
Usyk, three years older than Joshua, also made light of giving away three inches (7.62 centimeters) in height as well as nearly 20lbs (nine kilogrammes) in weight during his latest triumph in London following a heavyweight gold medal at the 2012 Olympics 鈥� a Games where Joshua took the super-heavyweight title.
鈥淟ondon is a really lucky city for me but not a single professional victory can be above an Olympic gold,鈥� said Usyk via a translator.
鈥淎t this point it is the biggest fight in my career but it wasn鈥檛 the hardest one. I cannot say (who was) but, most likely, it鈥檚 ahead of us.鈥�
Most of Usyk鈥檚 wins have come outside Ukraine, with the new champion 鈥� who spent three months in a preparation camp away from his wife and family 鈥� adding: 鈥淚 would love to have the rematch at Olympiyskiy Stadium in Kiev.鈥�
But Joshua鈥檚 promoter, Eddie Hearn, suggested any rematch would be in Britain, in February or March.
Hearn said a defeat by the 鈥渙utstanding鈥� Usyk was easier to accept than the 鈥渂olt from the blue鈥� that was the first Ruiz fight.
鈥淚 think in a strange way he (Joshua) enjoyed the fight because I think he knows he learnt so much and, deep down he knows he was beaten by the better man tonight,鈥� he said.
鈥淚 think you need to credit him (Joshua) because he could have swerved that fight easy and maybe we should have, but that鈥檚 not really what he鈥檚 about.鈥�
Hearn, who questioned whether Usyk could hit the same heights again after a 鈥減erfect fight,鈥� added: 鈥淎nything can happen, but AJ will, I promise you, be much, much better than that in the re-match.鈥�