“I have no bad feelings” - Oleksandr Usyk extends respect to “great boxer” Anthony Joshua after accepting apology
Oleksandr Usyk has nothing but respect for Anthony Joshua.
In August 2022, 'The Cat' faced 'AJ' in Saudi Arabia. The bout took place nearly a year after the Ukrainian dominated the heavyweight champion on his home soil. The rematch was a much more competitive bout, with Joshua having massive success early.
However, again, Usyk took over in the championship rounds of the contest. After 12 rounds of action, he remained the title by split decision, much to the chagrin of Joshua. The normally stoic British fighter badly lost his cool in the immediate aftermath of the bout.
In case one has forgotten, Anthony Joshua took the microphone first to speak before Oleksandr Usyk. He went on a lengthy rant, got into it with the champion's team, and even threw the titles. The normally stoic Usyk seemingly had no idea how to react.
However, Joshua later apologized to the champion. Nearly two years removed from the bout, there are no bad feelings between the two. On X, Usyk was recently quoted by boxing journalist Michael Benson on X as stating:
"Yes, definitely [I've forgiven him]. Listen, I have no bad feelings about Joshua because I respect the man. He's a great man, he's a great boxer. Olympic champion, two-time world champion. I think it's emotion. No problem Anthony."
Could Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua fight again in the future?
Fans could see a trilogy bout between Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua as soon as this year.
'The Cat' currently holds all but one title in the heavyweight division. Next month in Saudi Arabia, Usyk will look to defeat Tyson Fury to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis. 'The Lion' accomplished that feat a whopping 24 years ago.
While there's a rematch clause between the two, there's no guarantee that they will face off again. That's due to Turki Alalshikh becoming insistent on booking the winner of Usyk vs. Fury against Anthony Joshua in late 2024.
'AJ' returned to the win column last month, scoring a knockout win over Francis Ngannou. With that victory, Joshua established himself as the next title challenger without a doubt. If Oleksandr Usyk can get through 'The Gypsy King', it's likely that he will meet the British boxer once again.
However, even if they do fight again, it seems that it's all respect between the heavyweight greats.