"That's just passion" - George Kambosos Jr. defends Anthony Joshua's post-fight rant following to loss to Oleksandr Usyk
George Kambosos Jr. came to Anthony Joshua's defense following the Brit's ferocious rant after being defeated by Oleksandr Usyk for a second time on August 20.
In a highly competitive and action-packed contest, Usyk emerged victorious via split decision. Joshua managed to hurt the Ukrainian severely in the ninth round but did not have the engine to get the stoppage. Usyk then rallied back in the championship rounds to narrowly outpoint 'AJ'.
Despite producing a phenomenal performance, Joshua was frustrated with the outcome and proceeded to insult Usyk and members of his team.
Watch Anthony Joshua's post-fight antics:
George Kambosos Jr. has empathized with the Olympic gold medallist and claimed Joshua's reaction is testament to his passion for boxing.
He said the following in an interview with Fight Hub TV:
"Everyone's talking about the meltdown but that's just pride. That's just passion. There's a lot on the line for us fighters and sometimes you put your whole life into it and things don't go right. For the general person when things don't go right, no one really gets to see. But for us fighters or athletes, when things don't go right... Millions of people get to see...There's a lot of pressure."
Watch the full interview:
Anthony Joshua cares about the public's opinion of him
Anthony Joshua has made it no secret that he wants to be a role model. Despite his distasteful outburst, 'AJ' is keen to learn from his mistakes. The former Unified Heavyweight Champion said the following at the post-fight press conference:
"Don't respect me just because of the fight and the belts. That isn't what makes a man, it's your character, and how you treat people. I hope people can respect me for the man I'm trying to become."
Watch the full press conference:
Since bursting onto the scene in 2013 when he made his debut against Emanuele Leo, Anthony Joshua has been in the limelight. The Brit's journey to becoming a world heavyweight champion is well-documented.
In only his nineteenth professional fight, 'AJ' took on Wladimir Klitchsko at Wembley Stadium in front of 90,000 fans and emerged victorious. The Olympic gold medallist has taken part in eight stadium fights in a row since then in what can only be described as a high-pressure, relentless boxing career.