The heavyweight champion is big. He is strong. He is undefeated. He is also a decade younger than the former champ?
Anthony Joshua?s defeat of Wladimir Klitschko came as little surprise. The heavyweight champion is big. He is strong. He is undefeated. He is also a decade younger than the former champ. Klitschko performed admirably, almost stopping Joshua in round six. But he snatched defeat from the jaws of victory by letting Joshua off the hook when he had him hurt.
Praise for Joshua has been effusive. Klitschko was graceful in defeat, but his brother Vitali blames himself for the loss.
?Immediately after the fight, we were barely speaking,? said Vitali. ?We do not need to talk, it was just enough to look into each other?s eyes. Only in the locker room, I thanked him for one of the best fights of his career. I know how important this fight was for him, and unfortunately we saw what happened. In the heavyweight division, each punch can be decisive.?
No one blames Wladimir, not for the loss, not for wanting to fight Joshua again.
?I blame myself for the defeat of my brother,? Vitali continued. ?I share some of the blame. When Wladimir almost knocked Joshua out, I gave him the wrong advice. I was positive that Joshua, with his huge muscle mass, would not be able to last. I advised Wladimir not to rush anything. I had hoped that after the seventh, the eighth round?Joshua would really slow down. Now I think that maybe it was a mistake, maybe it was necessary to finish him off sooner.?
Maybe has nothing to do with it. Killer instinct cannot be taught.
?To be honest, Wladimir has nothing more to prove. I do not know any other boxers who have gathered as many titles and defended them all, dominating for more than ten years. He has nothing to prove, but whatever decision he makes?I will support him.?
