“I’ll be stupid to say that I’m better than him. He beat me twice, isn’t it? I could definitely win a fight in the future, but for now, he’s better than me. I got to give him his credit,” Joshua said to MF Pro and Radio Raheem. about Usyk.
By admitting Usyk is better, Joshua has effectively killed off the invincible Joshua persona that seemed to weigh him down after the Andy Ruiz loss.
Usually, the top guys spend years spinning “what-if” scenarios or blaming the judges, but Joshua is taking the “Rocky III” route by basically saying, “I’m not the best right now, so I’m going to go live with the guy who is.”
Joshua chose a cleaner route, acknowledging the outcome as it stands rather than reopening the debate around it.
He no longer has to pretend he’s the king. Aj can play the role of the challenger again, which is usually when he’s most dangerous. Training in Usyk’s environment and even working with trainer Iegor Golub from Usyk’s team, shows he’s traded his ego for actual improvement. Joshua is acknowledging that he needs to learn the “skills” that he once claimed didn’t matter as much as “strength.”
“I’m with someone who’s better than me, so I’m going to obviously progress on the back of that. Anyone could do it, but they want it more. They just put the work in basically,” Joshua said.
Usyk has been supportive, especially following the tragic car accident Joshua dealt with in late 2025. Most heavyweights are too proud to admit they can’t outwork someone else, but Joshua is using that difference as a target.
“We’re not competing, but we’re just putting our energy into the gym and supporting each other that way. I could definitely win a fight in the future, but for now, he’s better than me,” said Joshua about Usyk.
If Usyk sticks to the “Three-Fight Roadmap” he laid out this March, Joshua is officially the odd man out. ” The competitive window for a trilogy is slammed shut by Usyk’s specific legacy checklist.
Usyk’s Retirement Plan: Rico Verhoeven on May 23, the winner of Fabio Wardley vs. Daniel Dubois in late 2026/early 2027, and Tyson Fury in the finale.
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