(REUTERS, AFP) - An emotional Anthony Joshua fought back tears as he reflected on his second straight loss to Oleksandr Usyk in Jeddah on Saturday (Aug 20), saying he was deeply "upset" with his performance against the Ukrainian heavyweight boxing champion.
The 35-year-old retained his WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO heavyweight titles with a split-decision victory over Britain's Joshua, who fared better in the rematch but proved unable to dethrone the champion in an absorbing 12-round contest.
"It's really, really hard for me to say I'm proud of myself.
I'm upset, really, deep down in my heart," Joshua told reporters.
"I tried a different style... in the last fight I wanted to compete as a boxer, but it wasn't good enough, and tonight wasn't good enough."
The result sets up a potential unification bout for Usyk with Britain's Tyson Fury.
Usyk, now unbeaten at 20-0, immediately called out Fury, who announced his latest retirement earlier this month but has signalled his willingness to resume his career.
Victory over the 2.06m WBC champion Fury, 34, would unite all the heavyweight belts and constitute a crowning glory for the sublime Ukrainian, a former outstanding amateur and Olympic heavyweight champion.
"I'm sure that Tyson Fury is not retired yet," Usyk told the crowd. "I'm convinced he wants to fight me. I want to fight him. If I'm not fighting Tyson Fury I'm not fighting at all."
The fight was watched on free-to-air TV by millions of Ukrainians living under the Russian invasion.
Usyk signed up to fight for his country before accepting the rematch. "I give this victory to my country, to my family, to my team and to all the military who are defending the country," he told the crowd at 12,000-seat King Abdullah Sports City Arena.
Joshua (24-3), meanwhile, threw down two of Usyk's belts after the final bell before storming out of the ring, only to return later and deliver an impassioned speech.
"When you try and do things from your heart, not everyone is going to understand," he explained. "It was just from the heart. I knew I was mad at myself. Not at anyone, just myself. I was like I got to get out here because I'm mad.
"When you're angry you might do stupid things. Then I realised this is sport. I came back and did the right thing."
Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn dismissed speculation that retirement may be around the corner for the 32-year-old, who has only fought Usyk since last year.
"I'm a fighter for life. That hunger never dies. Fighter for life," Joshua said.
