Joshua: "When I beat Usyk, they will start respecting me again"

“I needed a change,” admits Anthony Joshua (24-2, 22 KOs), who will try to take revenge on Oleksandr Usyk (19-0, 13 KOs) on August 20 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, eleven months after losing.

At the end of September last year, the Ukrainian defeated the Englishman and took away the IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight belts from him. Their revenge will now take place on no man's land because the Saudis invested $80 million for it.

AJ, after years of working with Robert McCracken, decided to part ways with him and hire Robert Garcia. The new coach must extract the former aggression and uncompromisingness from Joshua.

“When I beat Usyk in a rematch, I will receive another credit of trust, which I certainly deserve. I will be admired and once again considered a boxing legend. After all, I became the world champion in the sixteenth professional fight, which was a little underestimated. After all, this will be my twelfth championship fight in a row. I care not so much about popularity as about respect, ”said the former two-time heavyweight champion and Olympic champion a decade ago.

“I already know what I will be dealing with, so I feel more comfortable before the rematch. On the other hand, Usyk can now box differently than the first time. In some respects, I was not good enough and opened up to him. Now I know what I need to work on. I know very well that it will not be easy, but I have a chance to become world champion for the third time. I work on my weak points to make sure I do everything right and become a champion again. I can definitely afford a successful revenge, and I'm sure of it. Being at the top all the time is difficult, but in the event of a successful rematch, I will prove that I am really good, ”added Joshua.