Frank Warren has called "bulls***" on Eddie Hearn's claim that Anthony Joshua slammed his world titles on the ground because he lost faith in the boxing system.
Joshua, 32, went on a meltdown following his defeat to Oleksandr Usyk last weekend in their heavyweight world title rematch. The Brit was furious after the decision was announced and had to be held back after almost getting into an altercation with a member of Usyk's team. Joshua threw two of his world title belts out of the ring before walking off, only to return moments later and deliver a bizarre speech.
Matchroom Boss Eddie Hearn has since theorised why Joshua threw his belts on the ground, telling iFL TV : "He’s held on to those belts for a long time, and those governing bodies have charged him a lot of money and put a lot of mandatories on him.I think he’s lost a lot of faith in the system and I think he started to not be interested in fighting for belts anymore. I think he just wants to fight for enjoyment and to challenge himself."
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Warren has dismissed his rival promoter Hearn's take on the situation. He thinks Joshua and his team were interested in the belts going into the rematch, adding that 'AJ' was likely embarrassed about his post-fight antics. "Of course they were interested in the belts, I mean what bulls*** is that? That's what it is, it's bulls***," Warren said.
"He was emotional. I think Joshua was maybe a bit embarrassed about what happened in the ring, at the end of the day he's lost his fight. He fought better and showed more heart in the second fight than he did in the first. You can only do your best, be proud that you did your best. He was in there with a guy who's got better skills and is the better fighter."
Joshua had the chance to become one of the few three-time heavyweight champions in history by avenging his loss to Usyk, but he now finds himself on a two-fight losing skid after coming up short. The Brit explained his outburst in an emotional interview after the fight, stating: "It was just from the heart, I knew I was mad at myself. Not at anyone, just myself. When you're angry you might do stupid things, so I was mad."
