It was hard not to conflate Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk’s first press conference since confirming their 20 August rematch with an advert for the Jeddah tourist board.
Amidst the praise of Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, and the repeated statistics that grassroots boxing has grown by 300 per cent in the country since Joshua’s last fight there, we had glimpses of the unified heavyweight title rematch which takes place in the Gulf state.
As Eddie Hearn put it, this is a fight which now feels familiar. There is no longer such a “perception of the wizardry of Usyk” or the unknowns of his “southpaw stance, his movement”, but there is more to lose for Joshua in his bid to prove defeat by unanimous decision was the result of poorly judged preparation, rather than a fundamental gulf in boxing class.
A little of that may have been lost during the announcement, with little doubt that this was as much about bringing the sport to Saudi Arabia as the aesthetics of the fight itself.
Hearn’s Saudi mission
Joshua last fought in the country in November 2019, when he defeated Andy Ruiz Jr. At that time there were a grand total of 300 active boxers in Saudi Arabia, a figure which has quadrupled since.
“It’s amazing to see the growth of boxing here in the kingdom, especially bearing in mind Covid and the effect the pandemic had on all sports,” Hearn said.
“I think this is very important to inspire the next generation of boxing. They need heroes, to see great fighters like Usyk and Joshua.”
Fury next?
Asked if the prospect of facing WBC champion Tyson Fury was added motivation, Joshua replied: “It has to be. If I sat here and told you it’s not, I’d be lying to you, myself and the world. For the fans it’s a must-win fight, the man’s retired but who knows? Retirement doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to come back.”
Joshua’s ‘hunger still there’
Joshua was steered to go along the same lines, recalling “getting into trouble” as a youngster before finding salvation through boxing. Now he is preparing for a 12th successive world title fight and insisted “the hunger’s still there.
“Blips will happen in life, resilience, mental toughness will prevail,” he said. “We’re still on the road to undisputed so [defeat to Usyk was] just a little blip in the road. The fight with Usyk, he bust my arse for some rounds but I have to take that defeat like a man… The fight in September I was wrong and he was right.”
Impact of Ruiz Jr defeat
If Joshua’s challenge is unsuccessful, it will represent a third defeat in five fights, but he believes the loss to Ruiz which kicked off that run has proven he will bounce back again – with the likes of Deontay Wilder, Dillian Whyte and Joe Joyce lying ahead.
“With Ruiz people could see before the fight things weren’t 100 per cent,” he added. “If you know my story you know I’m the comeback king.”
New trainer Robert Garcia
In Hearn’s words, the introduction of new trainer Robert Garcia to the camp has arguably been “one of the worst-kept secrets in boxing”. Garcia will focus on Joshua’s power rather than trying to out-manoeuvre Usyk.
“I see a different Anthony now, the way he thinks, the way he talks, everything he’s doing in the gym,” Garcia said. “I think he fought the wrong fight, but that’s the past. He’s the bigger man, the stronger man, he’s got the reach advantage.”
Usyk’s message
Usyk, meanwhile, said little, ending the face-off with a Ukrainian salute – and speaking only briefly in English before switching to his native language.
“As we all know, we are not in the best conditions back at home,” the former undisputed cruiserweight champion said. “I never made loud and bright speeches, all I did is work hard in my training camp and my gym.”
