Joshua vs Usyk press conference LIVE: Latest updates as heavyweights face off ahead of rematch

See what Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk had to say in London ahead of their rematch this August

'Like trying to swat a fly' - Joshua on challenge of dominating Usyk in rematch

Anthony Joshua has said he is ‘desperate’ to avenge his loss to Oleksandr Usyk when the pair clash again this August, while the unbeaten Ukrainian has claimed that he is fighting to ‘save’ his ‘soul’.

Usyk outpointed Joshua with ease last September, taking the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO heavyweight titles from the Briton in north London. Now the pair are preparing to go head to head again, this time in Saudi Arabia, on 20 August. Speaking at a press conference in London on Wednesday, Joshua said: “Listen, it’s a rough and tough sport, especially fighting these lefties; they’re a nightmare. “But it is what it is, isn’t it? You’ve gotta dig deep, tuck up, and not make the same mistake twice [...] I’m definitely desperate to get my hands on [the titles]. Less talk, more action. Let me get in there and do my job. I’m not a comedian, I’m not someone who writes speeches... I’m definitely hungry, definitely desperate, but at the end of the day, how I perform will speak volumes to the masses.”

Former undisputed cruiserweight champion Usyk, meanwhile, said: “I’m not fighting for money or recognition – I don’t need this. I don’t need to become the greatest, I’m just doing my job now and will continue doing it as long as my heart is beating. The only thing I’m on my way to is to save my soul. Everything else is just life [...] I do understand that he’s gonna be different, so will I.”

Re-live updates below.

Joshua vs Usyk 2: Second pre-fight press conference

• Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk take part in second press conference
• Heavyweights speak in London, one week after facing off in Saudi Arabia
• Pair rematch in Jeddah on 20 August as ‘AJ’ tries to regain titles
• Unbeaten Usyk outpointed Joshua in London last September

[29 June 2022 14:07 · Alex Pattle]

Joshua vs Usyk press conference

We’re just under half an hour away from the start of the press conference!

Tony Bellew has outlined what Anthony Joshua must do in order to beat Oleksandr Usyk – something that both Britons have failed to do.

Bellew was stopped by Usyk in the eighth round in 2018, with the Ukrainian becoming the only undisputed cruiserweight champion of the four-belt era with that result. Joshua, meanwhile, was outpointed by Usyk in September to lose the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO heavyweight titles, which he will look to regain in a rematch this August.

“So many questions surround this fight, and once the first bell goes in just over two months’ time, we’ll start to get some answers,” Bellew wrote in a column for DAZN, the streaming platform with whom Joshua signed a deal this month.

“Can the Ukranian, a fighter I know very well after sharing the ring with him back in 2018, be as good as he was last year? His brilliant footwork, timing and movement was something else, and by the time Joshua had realised what was in front of him, it was too late for him to make a difference as Usyk was already well ahead on the scorecards.”

More here:

[29 June 2022 13:55 · Alex Pattle]

Joshua vs Usyk press conference

Here’s an excerpt from our early preview of the Joshua vs Usyk rematch:

If Joshua is indeed defeated by the unbeaten Ukrainian again, calls for his retirement will be loud and plentiful – if unjustified. For Joshua, as much as he was seemingly engineered from birth and later moulded by Hearn to be heavyweight champion, does not need to be defined by that status; nor does his career need to be defined by a potential fight with Fury.

There is nothing wrong with Joshua being a contender. In fact, that status could open up the most interesting phase of AJ’s career, with the possibility of fights against the likes of Deontay Wilder, old foe Dillian Whyte, fellow Olympic medalist Joe Joyce, and up-and-comer Daniel Dubois.

And, if all goes well, such a period could build Joshua back up to a title shot. More intriguingly, though, it could reintroduce fans to the AJ who was so enthralling in the first place: the swaggering juggernaut who provided British followers with so many entertaining evenings that guaranteed knockouts and little else.

If that is indeed how Joshua is to be remembered – knockouts and little else – would that really be so bad?

Full article here:

[29 June 2022 13:40 · Alex Pattle]

Joshua vs Usyk press conference

Here’s what both fighters had to say at last week’s press conference in Saudi Arabia...

Usyk: “As you all know, we are not in the best conditions at the moment back home.

“I never made some very loud and bright speeches, all I did was just work hard in my training camp, my gym, that’s what I’m gonna do until the date of the fight.

“Then I will enter the ring and I will make you [Ukrainian fans] happy with my boxing.”

Usyk will look to retain the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO heavyweight titles and remain unbeaten (AFP via Getty Images)

[29 June 2022 13:22 · Alex Pattle]

Joshua vs Usyk press conference

Here’s what both fighters had to say at last week’s press conference in Saudi Arabia...

Joshua: “Definitely the hunger is still there. Blips happen, things happen in life, but resilience, mental toughness and consistency will always prevail. We’re still on the road to undisputed, for sure. God willing, I’ll perform and I’ll become three-time heavyweight champion of the world.

“With Andy Ruiz, I think a lot of people could see before the [first] fight that things weren’t 100 per cent [with me]. But we take our loss like a man; if you lose, you have to stay humble. I knew I could come back again and do what I had to do.

“The fight with Usyk, he bust my ass for some rounds. And I have to take that defeat like a man as well, I have to be accountable. In the fight in September, I was wrong and he was right. Simply, I have to reverse that role in August. I don’t like to overcomplicate the situation, because there’s simplicity in genius. I’m just gonna keep things simple.

“If you know my story, you know I’m the comeback king. You can put me down, but it’s difficult to keep me down.”

Joshua before the first pre-fight press conference for his rematch with Usyk (AFP via Getty Images)

[29 June 2022 12:59 · Alex Pattle]

Joshua vs Usyk press conference

Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk will face off at another press conference today, a week after they met for the first time since their title fight last September.

Usyk took the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO heavyweight belts from Joshua in London nine months ago, and the Briton will try to regain the gold from the unbeaten Ukrainian in a rematch on 20 August. Last week, the pair spoke at a pre-fight press conference in Saudi Arabia, where their second in-ring meeting will take place. “Definitely the hunger is still there,” Joshua said. “Blips happen, things happen in life, but resilience, mental toughness and consistency will always prevail. We’re still on the road to undisputed, for sure. God willing, I’ll perform and I’ll become three-time heavyweight champion of the world.”

Usyk, meanwhile, said he will dedicate his performance in the rematch to his fellow Ukrainians, who are under invasion from Russia. The former undisputed cruiserweight champion – the only fighter to have held that status in the four-belt era – in fact returned home in February to aid his nation’s defence against the ongoing invasion, leading his rematch with Joshua to be delayed.

Now the opponents take to London, where they first fought, for another face-off as they preview their highly-anticipated second clash.