Anthony Joshua has admitted Oleksandr Usyk "bust his a**" for several rounds during his heavyweight defeat last year.
Joshua was comprehensively dethroned by Usyk last year with the Ukrainian boxing his way to a wide points victory. The British star has now had his revenge mission confirmed to take place against the Ukrainian in Saudi Arabia on August 20.
And he has vowed that his devastating defeat was just a blip in the road on his quest to become undisputed heavyweight champion. "Blips happen and things happen in life but resilience, mental toughness and mental consistency will always prevail," Joshua said at today's press conference in Saudi Arabia. "We are still on the road to undisputed for sure and it is just a blip in the road and god-willing I will become three-time heavyweight champion of the world.
"The fight with Usyk he bust my a** for some rounds and I have to take that defeat like a man. I hold myself accountable and I am someone who can admit when I am wrong and in the fight in September I was wrong and he was right. Quite simply I have to reverse them roles on August 20. You can put me down but it is difficult to keep me down."
Joshua was heavily criticised for his tactical approach to the first fight with trainer Rob McCracken also coming under heavy scrutiny in the aftermath. The British star has now admitted his attempt to outbox Usyk was wrong and has made alterations to his training team.
The 32-year-old has now drafted in experienced coach Robert Garcia to work with him ahead of his revenge attempt, with previous team member Angel Fernandez also taking the helm. It will be the second time in the two-time champion's career that he will be seeking to avenge a loss having outboxed Andy Ruiz in the Middle East three years ago.
Who do you think will win the rematch - Anthony Joshua or Oleksandr Usyk? Let us know in the comments section below
Joshua has just signed a lucrative long-term deal with streaming service DAZN for the clash and could put himself in pole position to land a shot at long-term rival Fury with a victory. The 31-year-old has moved to dismiss claims he has lost his hunger to compete in the ring and is confident he now has the motivation to be better than his rival.
“The hunger is still there,” Joshua continued. “We have to give credit where it’s due. I’m not a hater. I respect people, and I respect [Usyk’s] craft and what he’s achieved. If I’m around someone who is better than me on the night, then I have to motivate myself to be better than him.
"The important thing is I have a second chance. And if you know anything about my life, I got into trouble when I was a youngster and it was boxing that gave me a second chance."
