Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua 2: AJ makes Muhammad Ali claim about first fight

Anthony Joshua has revealed that he thought he was winning last September’s heavyweight fight against Oleksandr Usyk ahead of the rematch next month.

This will come as a surprise to many, as Joshua was outfought by the Ukrainian southpaw and was well beaten on the night.

Joshua is a supremely confident character, but it is strange to think he did not realise that he was losing almost every round at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

His dismay at the defeat may seem to boxing fans as a self-preservation tactic, but the quotes from yesterday’s press conference promoting the fight sound as though Joshua genuinely believed he was in control in the loss over the undefeated Usyk.

Joshua recalled the events of the fight last year to the media, stating: “I swear I thought I was looking like Muhammad Ali in there. I can show you sparring footage where I’m on the ropes leaning.

“Throughout the fight I thought I was winning but at that stage [by the 12th round] I kind of knew it was close. I thought at that stage I was well in the fight because it didn’t seem like there was any real communication as to where I’m at; like ‘you’re losing this fight… you’re down by two rounds’. I didn’t get that.

Read more: Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk 2: Date, Card, UK Start Time, Ring Walks, Tickets, Live Stream, Odds and More

“I’m not blaming anyone by saying that, but I didn’t get any impression that I was losing the fight. I thought we were well in it. That’s why when they announced the name I was kind of like ‘huh?’ It was all just ‘that’s it, keep on going’. So I was jabbing and jabbing. It was hard to accept afterwards. Now when I watch it back I think he won by three rounds, that’s probably from the ninth onwards.”

This comes despite all