Anthony Joshua describes himself as the 'comeback king', ahead of Oleksandr Usyk rematch
- Sean Fisher
- 21 June 2022
After announcing the Usyk rematch for August 20, Anthony Joshua has expressed his hunger at reclaiming his heavyweight belts, describing himself as the "comeback king".
Eleven months on from his shock loss to Oleksandr Usyk, Anthony Joshua will again enter the ring with the fierce Ukrainian in a bid to win back his WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles.
The rematch is now scheduled for August 20 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in a fight billed the 'Rage on the Red Sea'.
The fighters met for the first time this week since Usyk's conclusive points victory at London back in September, and their face-off showed both fighter's determination, with neither wanting to avert their stare.
Joshua has made a number of career changes since his loss last year, with the British heavyweight changing both his coach and his primary broadcaster in recent months.
Now rejuvenated and full of confidence, Joshua was bullish about his chances in the rematch, describing himself as the "comeback king".
Championship boxing 20/08/22 šÆ pic.twitter.com/ckvnPsd2Dw
ā Anthony Joshua (@anthonyjoshua) June 19, 2022
"The great thing is that I have a second chance. When I was a youngster I got into a little bit of trouble now and again and I was blessed with a second chance and I found boxing and I took it with both hands," Joshua said.
"If you know me and a lot of my story, you'll know I'm the comeback king. You can put me down but it would be difficult to keep me down because I always keep my spirits high.
"I'm very prayerful and thankful. Even through my tough times I know that everything will make sense in the long run. So we keep moving forward.
"Definitely the hunger is still there, as I've always said from the get go. Stay hungry, keep the motivation high.
"Blips happen, things happen in life, but resilience, mental toughness and consistency will always prevail. So we're still on the road to undisputed for sure.
"It's just a little blip in the road, but I'm focused on the target, which is sitting over there. I'm focused on the goal and God willing I'll perform and I'll become three-time champion of the world."
As the sun sets in Saudi, we move one day closer...
ā Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) June 21, 2022
ā³ August 20#UsykJoshua2 #RageOnTheRedSea pic.twitter.com/G2khJfA1cc
Joshua's old trainer Rob McCracken was replaced with Robert Garcia as Joshua looked to freshen up his team, and the Mexican coach has delivered some promising updates on his fighter.
"I see a different Anthony now. The way he thinks, the way he talks. Everything he's practising, everything he's doing in the gym," Garcia said.
"I think he fought the wrong fight. He's the bigger man, the stronger man, he's got the reach advantage, so we're going to take advantage of all that."
