Ukrainian pugilist Oleksandr Usyk has reacted to the apology tendered by British-Nigerian boxer Anthony Joshua ahead of his upcoming fight with Tyson Fury.
Recall that Usyk defeated Joshua in August 2022 in Saudi Arabia after initially defeating his 34-year-old opponent at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
Following the bout, Joshua flung some of Usyk’s belts on the canvas, in a move which in turn caused serious controversy among fans and critics of boxing.
The Watford native expressed regret for his conduct in a speech given in February of last year, stating, “Listen, I’m not perfect.”
“It’s not the right thing to have done. I didn’t speak to Usyk, but I spoke to Wladimir [Klitschko] and said, give yourself a pat on the shoulder and tell him, ‘well done, and I apologise’, That’s man-to-man.
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“But it was just raw. It may not make sense to a lot of people, but it made a lot of sense to me, and it was just how much it means, to a degree.
“I thought I would feel like that at the end of my career, and when it’s all said and done, I’d just be like, ‘Wow, what a rollercoaster, I made it through the trenches’.”
And Usyk, speaking to Seconds Out, has claimed he respects Joshua and didn’t need an apology in the first place.
“I don’t have bad feelings about Joshua because I respect this man,” he said.
“He’s a great man. He’s a great boxer, an Olympic champion, and a two-time world champion.
“I think it’s emotion. I respect this man. No, I’m good.” Usyk noted.
