Joshua made it clear there were no excuses for his third career defeat, citing Usyk’s class and quality in a split-decision points win for the Ukrainian that leaves the Brit wondering where his career goes next. AJ was initially furious at the result as he stormed out of the ring in a huff – dropping two belts to the ground before telling his father to ‘get him off’ while his team tried to diffuse the situation. But after returning to the tunnel, he decided he wanted to show professionalism and return to give Usyk the credit he deserved after such an impressive, high-stakes victory. Now Joshua has since taken to Instagram to detail how his emotions hit him, writing: “I wish @usykaa continued success in your quest for greatness. You are a division champion. READ MORE: Tyson Fury mocks Anthony Joshua’s speech to rub salt in wounds after Usyk defeat Joshua made it clear there were no excuses for his third career defeat, citing Usyk’s class and quality in a split-decision points win for the Ukrainian that leaves the Brit wondering where his career goes next. AJ was initially furious at the result as he stormed out of the ring in a huff – dropping two belts to the ground before telling his father to ‘get him off’ while his team tried to diffuse the situation. But after returning to the tunnel, he decided he wanted to show professionalism and return to give Usyk the credit he deserved after such an impressive, high-stakes victory. Now Joshua has since taken to Instagram to detail how his emotions hit him, writing: “I wish @usykaa continued success in your quest for greatness. You are a division champion. “Yesterday I had to mentally go to a dark place to compete for the championship belts! I had two fights, one with Usyk and one with my emotions and they both got me. “I’ll be the first to admit it, I let myself down. I acted out of pure passion and emotion and when I’m not in control it’s not great. “I love this sport so much and I’m going to be better from this point forward. Respect.” Joshua shed many tears in his post-fight press conference, admitting he struggled to keep his emotions in check amid the pressure. “It was so hard,” Joshua said. “You see AJ holding it together. It comes at a cost, a big cost. “It will never break me, but it takes real strength. Tonight there was a chink in that armor because I had a loss. You saw me upset.” Promoter Eddie Hearn has launched an impassioned defense of his man, claiming he is no fan of Tyson Fury mocking his compatriot when he is down. Hearn said of Fury: “No, listen, this is a proper man here [Joshua], you know what I mean? A proper man who doesn’t talk, doesn’t lie, gives everyone his time. “I don’t know Tyson Fury well enough. He is here [AJ] he’s my friend, he’s a great person, he gave everything tonight. If you want to convince him of that, then you are what you are.’ He later added in a separate interview: “You saw his reaction [Joshua] there. In Tyson Fury, this is a guy who openly says that he’s had all these mental health issues and struggles, things like that. “You see a guy [AJ] up there crying, as big and strong as AJ, who has put on a brave face for years. And tonight you just saw chinks in the armor. “Well, if you want to see a man who’s had that ‘mental health’ experience and motivates someone when they’re down and when they’re broken, that shows you the kind of man that [Fury] is.”
