ANTHONY JOSHUA ADMITS USYK IS THE SUPERIOR FIGHTER IN NEW "HONEST" INTERVIEW
Anthony Joshua admits Oleksandr Usyk is the superior boxer while joining his rival’s camp to learn "elite skills" for 2026.
Anthony Joshua isn’t pretending anymore. After losing twice to Oleksandr Usyk, he’s honest about where he stands. Usyk’s got the upper hand, and Joshua isn’t sugarcoating it.
“I’d be stupid to say I’m better than him. He beat me twice, didn’t he? Maybe I can win in the future, but right now, he’s better than me. I’ve got to give him credit,” Joshua told MF Pro and Radio Raheem.
That kind of honesty is rare, especially in heavyweight boxing, where guys usually spend years dreaming up excuses or blaming bad judges. Not Joshua. He’s ditching the whole “invincible AJ” act, which messed with his head after the loss to Andy Ruiz. Instead, he’s almost taking a page from Rocky III, ready to start over, willing to learn from the guy who’s on top.
Joshua isn’t playing the king anymore. He’s back to being the hungry challenger, which is probably when he’s at his best. He’s even training with Iegor Golub, a coach from Usyk’s team, and working out in Usyk’s environment, trading pride for real progress. The “skills” he once brushed aside as less important than brute strength? He’s chasing them now.
“I’m learning from someone better than me. That’s how you improve. Anyone can do it, but you’ve got to put in the work and really want it,” Joshua said.
Usyk, to his credit, has supported Joshua, especially after Joshua’s serious car accident in late 2025. Most heavyweights never admit that someone else simply works harder, but Joshua is using that as motivation.
“We’re not competing against each other, just pushing each other in the gym and supporting each other. Maybe I can win someday, but right now, Usyk’s better,” Joshua admitted.
The thing is, Usyk’s got his own plans; he spelt them out back in March. Joshua isn’t part of his “Three-Fight Roadmap”: Rico Verhoeven on May 23, then the winner of Fabio Wardley vs. Daniel Dubois in late 2026 or early 2027, and finally Tyson Fury.
So, if you’re hoping for a trilogy, forget it. Usyk’s moving on, and Joshua’s got to figure out where he fits in next.
TYSON FURY BLASTS ANTHONY JOSHUA AFTER DANIEL DUBOIS STOPS FABIO WARDLEY IN MANCHESTER
Tyson Fury has labelled Anthony Joshua "chinny" after Daniel Dubois secured the WBO heavyweight title against a resilient Fabio Wardley.
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Tyson Fury wasted no time after Daniel Dubois stopped Fabio Wardley this past weekend, using the moment to take a shot at Anthony Joshua.
Dubois picked up his second heavyweight title Saturday night in Manchester, grabbing the WBO belt from Wardley in a wild, bloodied battle that’s already being called a fight of the year candidate.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Dubois, though. He hit the canvas twice in the first three rounds but bounced back hard, battering Wardley late and leaving his face a mess as the final bell sounded.
Wardley never actually went down during the fight, despite looking wobbly near the end. Credit to him for sheer toughness, but Dubois still beat him decisively. This was Dubois’ first victory since his massive upset over Anthony Joshua earlier in 2024, when he floored AJ four times in one night.
On Sunday, Fury chimed in about Dubois’ latest win. With his own fight against Joshua rumoured for later this year on Netflix, Fury saw an opening to stir the pot.
“Just been thinking about Dubois’ crazy fight last night,” Fury said. Dubois fought [Jarrell] Miller, stopped him, but never put him down. He fought. [Filip] Hrgovic stopped him but never put him down. Fought Wardley last night and stopped him, but didn’t put him down. He hit Usyk with bombs but didn’t drop him. But against Anthony Joshua? Drops him five times.”
Fury added, “I’m not saying Joshua’s got no chin, but facts are facts. Take it however you want. Nobody else went down, not Miller, not Hrgovic, not Usyk, not Wardley. But Joshua hits the deck five times? Chinny, get up, slink!”
Fury is coming off a comeback win over Arslanbek Makhmudov and has already signed on to fight Joshua this year. Joshua will warm up first against Albanian heavyweight Kristian Pregna in Saudi Arabia on July 25 before facing Fury.
Promoter Frank Warren says Fury vs. AJ will probably land in October, though Fury might want another tune-up, which could push things back a bit.
As for Dubois, he’s got options. There’s talk of a rematch with Wardley, a chance to settle the score with Usyk in a trilogy, or a domestic showdown with Moses Itauma. Dubois’ dad, Stan, told talkSPORT he’d rather see his son fight another British heavyweight next, not Usyk.
HOW DANIEL DUBOIS SURVIVED TWO KNOCKDOWNS TO STOP A BLOODY FABIO WARDLEY
"I had to dig deep." Read Daniel Dubois' full reaction to his stunning comeback victory against Fabio Wardley in Manchester.
The punch that changed everything wasn't thrown by either of the fighters.
Fabio Wardley came out blazing in his title defence, dropping Daniel Dubois just 10 seconds in. He did it again in the third round, making it look like his big night. But then, something strange happened. As Dubois got up after the fourth round, his trainer, Don Charles, slapped him hard on both cheeks.
That’s when Dubois woke up. “I had to make him realise what he needed to do,” Charles said afterwards. It’s not exactly the kind of thing you see at team-building seminars, but it worked. Dubois turned on, and suddenly Wardley’s reign started to unravel.
Wardley had picked Dubois for the first fight since collecting the WBO belt that Oleksandr Usyk dropped. Honestly, it looked like a smart pick: he dropped Dubois twice and set the tone. But after that slap, Dubois started seeing Wardley’s moves coming; those wild lunges became easier to dodge.
He landed his stiff jab and followed up with savage right hands. Wardley’s jaw somehow took the hits, but his nose was pouring blood, and his right eye was almost swollen shut. He kept pushing forward, showing crazy heart, while Dubois just kept piling on. The fight turned into a brutal spectacle, the kind you can’t look away from.
Wardley got checked twice by doctors but kept fighting. Honestly, it could've stopped before the second-to-last round, when referee Howard Foster finally stepped in. Dubois got his second world title; Wardley, battered and worn, just managed a thumbs up to his mum.
Dubois summed it up later: “I had to dig really deep. When you’re a warrior, you go to dark places. I was nervous at first, all over the place, and had to fight my own battles. That slap woke me up. My dad and everyone were in my corner; I couldn’t let them down.
“Fabio came to fight; he was tough. We were exhausted; it was a real war. I had to use all my skills to win. Great fight, great battle, and I’m No. 1 again.” Sure, Usyk might argue about that, but Dubois proved something; he got up off the canvas and won.
People have called Dubois a quitter since the Joe Joyce fight six years ago. Wardley himself thought Dubois would fold again in Manchester, and for three rounds it looked like he was right until reality snapped Dubois awake.
