Anthony Joshua is focused on becoming a three-time world champion by gaining revenge over Oleksandr Usyk. Last September, Joshua was outclassed by the talented Ukranian as he lost his world titles in front of a packed Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The direction of the heavyweight division has been widely speculated since that night, but Joshua is desperate to settle the score.
With a number of intriguing scenarios currently at play in boxing’s marquee division, the future of its main players is still unclear. A path to a true undisputed champion is what everyone wants but negotiations between Tyson Fury and Dillian Whyte, his mandatory challenger, are dragging on, and there’s also rumours linking Fury to a fight with Usyk. ‘AJ’ insists his mind is focused on facing his most recent tormentor.
“I’ve come up short twice, but the majority of times I have overcome many obstacles,” said Joshua when speaking to Stuff.
“Next fight I’m going to beat him (Usyk) and I’m going to take those belts from him. And I’m going to reign again to become three-time heavyweight champion of the world - whether people like it or not.
“I’m not happy about what happened previously because that’s a competitor’s mindset. You have to be angry at losing, it’s not acceptable. So now it’s about driving forward. One thing people know about me is that I bounce back, and I don’t take losses. I fight the best consistently. That’s always been a part of my DNA.”