Former unified world heavyweight champion (over 90.7 kg) British Anthony Joshua (24-2, 22 KOs) became a guest at Oxford University, where he answered questions from the presenter and students.
During
conversations Joshua defined his offender last year, current IBF/WBO/WBA title holder Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk (19-0, 13 KOs), with whom he has a rematch scheduled for the summer. AJ also told how he looked up to the former hegemon of the heavyweight division, Ukrainian Vladimir Klitschko.
– You have a rematch with Usyk ahead.
– Yes.
– How do you define him as an opponent?
— Usyk is classified as a P4P opponent. I still don’t know what it means [смеётся]. What I know about boxing is you have to win and people love knockouts. I have never been in pound-for-pound, I have never been in any rankings, but I just understand that people love knockouts, people love winners. So it’s pound-for-pound. If I understand correctly, this means that he is one of the best among all divisions. They mix everyone and see who is the best. He is one of the best. And for me personally, Usyk is someone who I fought, sticking to my values - which is to fight the best of the best of this generation.
There are boxers you knock out that make you look good, like eye candy. But Usyk is an opponent of the highest level, an Olympic champion, a former undisputed heavyweight champion, and now a heavyweight division champion. I think he is the one who will actually go down in boxing history. And I will go against him in 3 months. Therefore, with God’s help, with prayers and hard work, I will win and become a three-time world heavyweight champion. And I’m talking about it now [смеётся и срывает аплодисменты].
Joshua named his toughest opponent. This is not Usyk
“Obviously, a lot of people have a lot of respect and admiration for you, not only because of your success, but also because of the way you carry yourself. Is there any friend in sports or anywhere that you admire? How do they approach the sport or the responsibility that comes with their position?
– You hit the bull’s-eye. Wladimir Klitschko was one of those whom I looked up to when I started. Because not only did I want to be a champion, I wanted to know the responsibility that comes with being a champion. He spoke different languages, he wore suits and things like that. So when I started my career as a young man, I didn’t want to wear big chains, I didn’t want to give up my education, I didn’t want to speak in a certain style. He inspired me.
Then they said: “Here Joshua is not real. He is this, he is that.” I wanted to make myself better. I remained resistant to criticism because I knew that the guy I looked up to was the one who inspired me. He may not have inspired anyone else, but I looked up to him. My idol has become my opponent. But we still have a great relationship. To everyone who starts, I will say for sure – consider the position in which you are. I made mistakes. I made mistakes when I went to the championship. Sometimes he said the wrong things, was in the wrong places. But the championship is always from a good place in the end, and being a champion is part of the responsibility.
