Anthony Joshua: Unless Tyson Fury is 100% retired, you have to beat him as well as Oleksandr Usyk | Boxing News
Anthony Joshua takes on Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Box Office, to reclaim his spot at the top of the heavyweight rankings.
Winning this rematch will help Joshua restore the WBO, WBA and IBF titles he lost to Usyk in September. But even then he wouldn’t consider himself the world’s biggest heavyweight, not without fighting Tyson Fury.
“Unless he retires 100%, you also have to beat Fury,” Joshua said Sky Sports News.
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Heavyweight boxer Dave Allen believes Anthony Joshua cannot beat Oleksandr Usyk on points in their rematch and needs a quick start to equalize
“This isn’t about Fury, with all due respect. That’s just my opinion on that. Because it shows that you’re just a winner, you’re a winner at the end of the day. There’s always one. Another challenge there.
“Until you retire, you will always have the challenge of proving yourself to be the best in the world. The minute you say you’re the best is the minute you should sort it out. That’s enough with the Tyson Fury situation.”
He was completely focused on the thrilling rematch with Usyk. For him, it’s been a long time coming.
“Time is long. Usually you’ll go back there,” he said.
“Not working isn’t good for anyone but the upside is that all the changes I’ve personally made, training camps, training locations, having to form a new team, make them work together , this is very important in a training environment and that takes time.It takes time right after the battle, obviously I’m focused on recovery but I’m starting the business and what you will see on Saturday is what we ended up working on, I would say, 10 months.”
Joshua is so focused on winning he doesn’t even consider himself the underdog against Usyk the second time around.
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Former cruiserweight world champion Johnny Nelson believes Anthony Joshua could retire from boxing if he loses to Oleksandr Usyk again
Joshua explains: “Not personally. I’m up there. Winner mindset, always. But I don’t know what the bookies say other than me personally, not all,” Joshua explained. .
“Mentally, just win, refuse to be defeated and that’s how you approach the fight mentally. Just go in there with a winner’s mindset.”
Losing is unbearable, he said.
“I just don’t want to go back to London without a belt. I know I say belts mean nothing but deep down they mean something. I just want to win. I just don’t want to go back. without winning,” Joshua said.
“The mind is strong so I believe everything will pass and I am claiming victory. So hopefully it will last on August 20th.”
Listen to the latest Toe2Toe podcast from the heart of Usyk vs Joshua week
Anthony Joshua’s massive heavyweight rematch with Oleksandr Usyk takes place on Saturday, August 20, live on Sky Sports Box Office. Book Usyk vs Joshua 2 Tickets Now!
