Via Brian Webber: Anthony Joshua says he will “Dash” [throw away] three titles he won from IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk on Aug. 20.
Joshua says he wants everyone “respect” he “As a human being,” and the best way to get there is not to keep the three titles he hopes to win from unified champion Usyk (19-0, 13 KOs) in their rematch next month in Jeddah, Saudi Arabic.
AJ needs to be authenticated by boxing fans for who he is rather than his belt shows that he is insecure and needy. In other words, there was an empty void in Joshua’s mind that needed to be filled with adoration for him, beyond his world titles.
It would be better for Joshua to sit down with a good sports psychologist to help him address his need for legitimacy.
Boxing is a sport, and the way fans judge whether boxers have quality is whether or not they’ve won world titles. If Joshua ignored that process because of his inner desire to be loved by his fans, he would never get that need fulfilled.
After everything Joshua, 32, has done over the years in terms of wanting to be the undisputed champion, it seems odd that he would have emptied his belt when he was on the doorstep. achieve that long-term goal.
Some have suggested that Joshua (24-2, 22 KOs) wanted to drop the three belts so he wouldn’t have to fight WBC champion Tyson Fury for the title.
“This big Anthony Joshua wins and becomes a triplet. I’ll take off these belts because you have to learn to respect me as a human being. Quote that. I don’t want to be respected for the belt; I want to be respected for the man you see“Anthony Joshua said to JDSports.
If Joshua had dropped the belt immediately after defeating Usyk and facing Fury, fans wouldn’t have given him as much trouble. Fury will still fight Joshua regardless of the fact that he no longer has a belt because he is making money from his career.
You have to wonder about Joshua’s desire to keep fighting. The way he talks, it seems like he is focused on money at this point and is no longer interested in winning.
Joshua had no choice but to fight Usyk again because of the way he embarrassed him last September. If it weren’t for that, Joshua would have likely ripped Usyk off.
