Respect is on Anthony Joshua’s mind ahead of his crunch rematch against Oleksandr Usyk.
On August 20 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia the British heavyweight will look to reclaim his three titles and in doing so become a three-time champion. Despite all of his accomplishments during a packed career its clear the 32-year-old is hoping he receives some recognition should he get his revenge against the Ukrainian.
Speaking to ESPN Joshua said:
“I feel when I go and beat Usyk, I’ll get the credit I deserve again.”
“And I’ll get the admiration for being a true boxing legend. I fought for the heavyweight championship in my 16th fight; I felt like it’s kind of overlooked.”
That 16th fight against Charles Martin kicked off a three-year championship run which was ended in stunning fashion by Andy Ruiz Jr at Madison Square Garden in 2019. Joshua avenged his first defeat six months later in Diriyah.
A successful defence against Kubrat Pulev then led to the challenge of Usyk and Joshua admitted that he was exposed during his second loss last September at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
“It makes me feel more comfortable knowing that I’ve been in a ring with a fighter before, but ultimately he might come completely different.”
“I definitely feel my training approach changes because I knew where I wasn’t good enough, you know, areas where I was exposed.”
Now, under the tutelage of new trainer Robert Garcia, Joshua hopes the holes in his game can be repaired to a level good enough to beat Usyk.
“I’ve got a third chance to become heavyweight champion of the world.”
“I’m not just gonna go in there thinking it’s gonna be easy. I will address the weaknesses and then I’ll make sure I get it right and become champion again. I think it’s a task that’s definitely possible.
Read Boxing Social’s article for all the key highlights from the first Usyk vs Joshua 2 press conference.