Anthony Joshua insists he has no one else to blame for his shock loss to Andy Ruiz Jr on Saturday, June 1st 2019.
Joshua suffered a shock defeat for the first time in his professional career on Saturday in the hands of Ruiz Jr on his US debut at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Eddie Hearn confirmed that a rematch clause has been triggered – giving Joshua an opportunity to regain his heavyweight titles in November or December, and AJ said he would be happy for the second fight to take place in The Big Apple once again, despite talks of London and Mexico.
Joshua also cleared up “accusations and worries” over his mental state and said he has to take defeat “like a man”.
“The whole training camp team pulled together and did a great job. I started my camp in Sheffield and worked there four weeks before coming to New York for the press tour,” Joshua told fans on his YouTube channel.
“There were a lot of issues going on with the fight with Jarrell Miller, Luis Ortiz pulling out, Ruiz stepping in. It all added to the drama of heavyweight boxing.
“After the press conferences I went to Miami, where the setup was spot on. I didn’t go out, I was eating in-house, there was no contaminated food.
“I know there are accusations and worries about what was wrong with me. I want to tell you this; I’m a soldier and I have to take my ups with my downs.
“I warmed up really well. I had no panic attack – I’m not that person, you know me. I have to take my loss as a man, no blaming anyone, no blaming anything.
“I am the one who went in there to perform and my performance never went to plan. On Saturday I took a loss and I have to take it like a man.”
The former heavyweight champion congratulated Ruiz Jr for his performance in New York on Saturday but vowed to reclaim his titles in the rematch at the end of the year – wherever it may be.
“Congratulations to Andy Ruiz, he has six months to be champion because he is going to have to defend those titles against myself,” Joshua added.
“Within our contract negotiations we added some clauses, as you do, so naturally we added a rematch clause with a date and location.
“I would not mind if it was in New York again or in England. New York opened their arms to me and my whole team and it was phenomenal.
“I have to readjust, analyse, do my best to correct it and get the job done in the rematch.”
The 29-year-old also confirmed his intention to stick with his current trainer Rob McCracken and the rest of his management team.
“It hasn’t really changed me, my work ethic or what I stand for,” he said further of his defeat to Ruiz Jr.
“It hasn’t changed the people who I am loyal to, my trainer Rob McCracken, my amateur coach. I still want to work with these guys and they will teach my everything I need to know.
“They’ve done a great job for me inside the boxing ring but mainly as a human. They’ve bettered me as a person. My whole management team and my supporters, I’m not going to change on you.
“I’m still me, I am still Anthony Joshua.”
Samson Oyedeyi
