“Mentally we were defeated”- Robert Garcia reveals when Anthony Joshua felt beaten against Oleksandr Usyk in the rematch
Anthony Joshua improved his performance against Oleksandr Usyk in the rematch from how he performed in the first bout. However, it wasn't enough for ‘AJ’ to become a 3x heavyweight champion. The Briton fell prey to Usyk's brilliant tactics yet again and suffered his third professional defeat in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Joshua’s trainer Robert Garcia looked back at the fight in an exclusive conversation with Izquierdazo, and pinpointed how Joshua was mentally beaten even before the fight ended. He said,
“Joshua was mentally defeated since round ten or eleven. Round ten was a big one for Usyk. That changed the whole fight, and mentally we were defeated. At that point, we were relying on a good shot or something like that, because Anthony is a hard puncher, and one shot can change a fight.”
Garcia continued,
“That is what we were hoping for, one shot, because he (AJ) was dominated at that point of the fight." (h/t:- BoxingScene)
Watch the highlights of Usyk vs. Joshua 2 below:
Robert Garcia believes that the last three rounds of the fight changed it all for them. It is sensible of him to say so because Anthony Joshua became extremely dominant in the 9th round. The former champion shook Usyk with some powerful body shots and came close to winning the fight. Many fans saw it as an end to Usyk's heavyweight title run,
However, 'AJ' couldn't retain the momentum. Oleksandr Usyk returned stronger in the 10th round and attacked ‘AJ’ from various angles. Joshua looked helpless inside the ring as he was outboxed for the rest of the night.
Joshua seemed frustrated after the split decision loss and threw away the heavyweight belts. Meanwhile, he also showed his respect towards Usyk before walking out of the arena
What’s next for Anthony Joshua after the third career loss?
Joshua is now at a distance from the heavyweight world title and shall need to resurrect his career from scratch. Following two losses in a row, his dominant aura is now gone. With that said, Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn has already picked up three potential super fights for ‘AJ’.
Eddie Hearn on Anthony Joshua's future fights: "I see the Dillian Whyte fight as a must-make fight. I see Deontay Wilder as a must-make fight. And I also see him fighting Tyson Fury because it's still a monumental fight." [@DAZNBoxing Show]
Hearn wants to see Joshua clash against Dillian Whyte in a rematch before facing Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury. He has also cited how Anthony Joshua is looking to return in October. Hence, the road is still far from being over as ‘AJ’ remains a heavyweight cash cow in boxing.