Self-proclaimed "comeback king” Anthony Joshua has promised to rebound from his “blip” defeat to Oleksandr Usyk and become a three-time world heavyweight champion when the pair meet again in Saudi Arabia this summer.
The much-anticipated rematch, billed "Rage on the Red Sea", was confirmed on Sunday for Jeddah on August 20, where Joshua will seek to avenge the loss of his WBA, IBF and WBO belts to Usyk via unanimous decision in England last September.
Usyk, the former undisputed cruiserweight champion, took a dominant display at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium 117-112, 116-112, 115-13.
Speaking at the launch press conference in Jeddah on Tuesday, where he sat along from Usyk, Joshua said: “Definitely the hunger is still there. Blips happen, things happen in life. But resilience, mental toughness and consistency will always prevail.
“We’re still on the road to undisputed for sure. God willing, I’ll perform and I’ll become three-time heavyweight champion of the world.”
Joshua, 32, was largely outclassed in the initial contest, with the nature of the defeat prompting the Briton to part company with long-time head trainer Robert McCracken. McCracken has been replaced with the highly respected Robert Garcia.
Joshua, though, is no stranger to adversity having endured a troublesome time in his late teens - he even spent a brief spell in prison - before becoming Olympic champion in 2012.
He has experience also of reigniting his boxing career in Saudi: in December 2019, Joshua defeated Andy Ruiz Jr in their rematch to regain his heavyweight titles. The first defeat, in New York six months previously, is one of only two losses in his 24-fight professional career.
“With Andy Ruiz, a lot of people could see before the [original] fight that things weren’t 100 per cent [with me],” Joshua said. “But we take our loss like a man; if you lose, you have to stay humble. I knew I could come back again and do what I have to do.
“The fight with Usyk, he bust my [expletive] for some rounds. And I have to take that defeat like a man as well, I have to be accountable.
“In the fight in September, I was wrong and he was right. Simply, I have to reverse that role in August. I don’t like to overcomplicate the situation, because there’s simplicity in genius. I’m just going to keep things simple.”
Still, Usyk is considered heavy favourite heading into the second clash, which is expected to be staged at the indoor Jeddah Super Dome.
“I respect him and his craft, and what he’s achieved,” Joshua. “If I’m around someone that’s better than me on the night, I have to push myself to be better than them. That’s all it’s done really, and thankfully I’ve got a second chance.
“When I was a youngster, I got in trouble a little bit, and I was blessed with a second chance. If you know my story, you know I’m the comeback king. You can put me down, but it’s difficult to keep me down. For me, becoming a champion is the long-term goal."
Meanwhile, Usyk returns to the ring having in March left his home in war-torn Ukraine, where he had joined the country’s defence against Russia.
On Tuesday, the Ukrainian thanked event organisers for putting together the second fight with Joshua, before switching to his native language to say: “It’s a big honour for me to be here. As we all know, we are not in the best conditions at the moment back at home.
“But we are doing what we have to do; together with my team, we are working very hard to achieve our goals.
“I never made some very loud and bright speeches. All I did was just work hard in my training camp, my gym - that’s what I’m going do until the date of the fight. Then I will enter the ring and I will make you happy with my boxing."
