Anthony Joshua throws Oleksandr Usyk’s world titles out of the ring before delivering passionate rant after defeat

Anthony Joshua appeared to throw Oleksandr Usyk’s world titles out of the ring before delivering a passionate rant following his defeat to the Ukrainian in Saudi Arabia.

Joshua suffered a split decision defeat in Jeddah on Saturday night as Usyk defended his IBF, WBO and WBA titles with another sublime boxing display.

While the two warmly embraced underneath the Ukrainian flag following the engrossing bout, Joshua’s mood appeared to turn shortly after, lifting up two of Usyk’s belts before throwing them to the floor.

A furious Joshua then left the ring, walking up towards the entry ramp before coming back to address the crowd.

‘If you knew my story you would understand the passion. I ain’t no amateur boxer from five-years-old that was an elite prospect from youth,’ Joshua said.

‘I was going to jail, I got bail and I started training my a**e off, I wanted to be able to fight.

‘I ain’t no amateur boxer from five years old that was an elite prospect from my youth [like Usyk]. I was going to jail, I got bail, and I started training my arse off – because if I got sentenced, I wanted to be able to fight.

‘I’m stealing this Usyk, sorry, but it’s because the f*****g passion we put into this s**t ‘ Joshua added.

‘This guy [Usyk], to beat me tonight – maybe I could have done better – but it shows the levels of hard work he must have put in so please give him a round of applause for our heavyweight champion of the world.

‘I’m not a 12-round fighter. Look at me, I’m the new breed of heavyweights. All those heavyweights, Mike Tyson, Sonny Liston, Jack Dempsey… ‘Oh you don’t throw combinations like Rocky Marciano’ – because I ain’t f*g 14 stone! I’m 18 stone, I’m heavy. It’s hard work.”

‘This guy here’s a phenomenal talent.’

Six months on from