British champion boxer Anthony Joshua has made some bizarre comments following his stunning seventh knockout by Mexican Andy Ruiz Jr.
First he shocked many by admitting that he was disillusioned about the sport that gifted him win a coveted gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, and that he could feel his passion ebbing.
Now, after having had the chinks in his armour, which boasted an ironclad defence that saw him unbeaten in 22 fights, 21 of which came by way of knockout, he has acknowledged that Ruiz is the “best” heavyweight on the planet.
This is coming less than three months ahead of his much-anticipated rematch in Saudi Arabia on December 7.
Joshua has suggested that his defeat to Ruiz at Madison Square Garden was “a minor setback” and that he will be a different fighter when he gets into the ring at Riyadh, while the whole world will be holding their collective breaths to discover if lightning does strike twice.
“I am looking at myself in the mirror and saying I know I’m better than that,” he told The Guardian. “Andy is still the same person. He will come game and I’ve got to change some of my bibs and bobs.”
“I was 50% of the way towards getting a win, just got caught,” he added. “It was a punch from the gods. It wasn’t a lucky punch from him, it just caught me on the head and I couldn’t recover. It was pitch perfect.
“Getting to the top is one thing, but staying at the top for an amount of years, that’s a whole other story. I’ve got to up my game to get my title back.”
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