Oleksandr Usyk Reveals Why He Didn’t KO Anthony Joshua

Published 09/29/2021, 6:00 AM EDT

Newly crowned heavyweight champion, Oleksandr Usyk, could have possibly stopped Anthony Joshua in their recent fight that went the distance. Many people have already accused the organizers of stopping the fight 5 seconds earlier, or else we could have seen Usyk KO Anthony Joshua in a packed Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

However, the Ukrainian star isn’t complaining. He seems pleased with the win and is already eyeing a rematch with ‘AJ’.

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Although Oleksandr Usyk unveiled lopsided dominance in round 12 and shook Joshua, both men could make it to the final bell in a controversial fashion. After the fight, Usyk revealed his take on the scene.

Per Michael Benson, the heavyweight champion said, “Why are you so bloodthirsty? There is victory, everything is fine. Why is it necessary for a person to fall? He has relatives, friends, a mother and father. This is a big chunk of health if a person falls. I’m not for that.”

Oleksandr Usyk asked why he didn't KO Anthony Joshua: "Why are you so bloodthirsty? There is victory, everything is fine. Why is it necessary for a person to fall? He has relatives, friends, a mother and father. This is a big chunk of health if a person falls. I'm not for that."
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) September 28, 2021

Despite such an intense battle, Usyk and Joshua have been cordial to each other, reflecting nothing but sheer professionalism. That said, the result of their rematch will be very crucial in crafting the future of the heavyweight division.

While Oleksandr Usyk could have jumped in to face other champions or contenders, he has agreed to the rematch clause against ‘AJ’. Hence, we will see the gladiators collide soon.

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Can Oleksandr Usyk pull off an encore?

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Before the fight, very few people had actually backed Oleksandr Usyk to outclass Anthony Joshua in the ring. However, the reality turned out to be absolutely different. The Ukrainian southpaw fighter looked sharp throughout and didn’t let ‘AJ’ establish his dominance.

An immediate rematch could be like the original fight, but Anthony Joshua is an A-listed heavyweight who has bounced back from a similar defeat in the past. Akin to how he countered Ruiz Jr, he will analyze this fight and come up with a plan to stop Usyk.

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However, the unbeaten Usyk knows that he just needs 36 more minutes of the same to pull off an encore. So it’s up to Joshua to change things around to increase his chances of defeating Usyk for the WBA, WBO, IBF, and IBO belts.

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Written by:

A senior boxing writer at EssentiallySports, Raj Sarkar is a mass media graduate who is currently pursuing his master’s degree in broadcast journalism. In addition to his current role, he has worked with the MMA team at EssentiallySports and has interviewed prominent fighters such as Ritu Phogat and 'The Red King' Rory MacDonald. He combined his bachelor's degree with his adoration for combat sports and has a combined 2000 plus bylines in MMA and boxing over the last two years.

Oleksandr Usyk Reveals Why He Didn’t KO Anthony Joshua

Can Oleksandr Usyk pull off an encore?

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