New Heavyweight Champion Usyk Reveals Why He Refused To Knock Anthony Joshua Out Despite Dominant Performance

New Heavyweight Champion Usyk Reveals Why He Refused To Knock Anthony Joshua Out Despite Dominant Performance

Akan Anwankwo
updated at April 12, 2023 at 7:42 PM
  • Oleksandr Usyk defeated Anthony Johsua to claim IBF, WBA and WBC heavyweight title belts at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium
  • The Ukrainian fighter produced a brilliant performance against AJ and was given the victory by all three judges
  • Usyk claims he decided not to knock the British heavyweight out due to the instructions he got from his corner

Oleksandr Usyk has stated that he refused to knock Anthony Joshua out in their unification heavyweight clash due to the advice given to him by his trainers, Sky Sports.

The Ukrainian fight dominated the entire contest as he hurt Joshua in his left eye in the third round and almost knocked him out in the final round.

New heavyweight champion Usyk reveals why he refused to knock Anthony Joshua out despite dominant performance
Oleksandr Usyk claims he did not want to knock Anthony Joshua out because of the advise from the trainers. Photo Julian Finney
Source: Getty Images

What Usyk said

Usyk who became the third man to win heavyweight title coming from cruiserweight and light heavyweight divisions after Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis said after the fight:

"I had no objective to knock him out because my trainer, in my corner, pushed me not to do that.
"But then my trainer said: 'Just stop, and do your job'."

Usyk on how he dominated Joshua

The new IBF, WBO and WBA heavyweight champion also said AJ did not pose much threat to him during the fight only on a few occasions.

He continued:

"The fight went exactly the way I expected it to go.
"There were a couple of moments where Anthony pushed me hard. But nothing special."

Joshua who struggled with a suspect eye injury would likely revoke his rematch clause against Usyk in the coming year.

It was AJ's second loss in his professional career following his surprise defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr, back in 2019.

Joshua taken to the hospital after loss to Usyk

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had earlier reported that celebrated British boxer Anthony Joshua had to be taken to hospital after his battering by Oleksandr Usyk.

Usyk emerged the unanimous winner of the epic bout staged at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, finishing with a flourish in the final rounds to put the result beyond doubt.

SunSport now reports Joshua had to be escorted from the ring and taken to hospital promptly for tests.

AJ makes prediction of Fury vs Wilder fight

Legit.ng also reported that Anthony Joshua believes Deontay Wilder would emerge victorious in his trilogy fight with Tyson Fury in October because of his approach towards the fight, Give Me Sport.

All is now set for the two heavyweights to do one battle for the third time after drawing the first and the Gypsy king recording a seventh-round stoppage in the second.

AJ and Fury were supposed to be competing in the squared circle during the summer but the Gypsy King was ordered by the court to complete his trilogy with the Bronze Bomber.

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Akan Anwankwo
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