Usyk a worthy winner, Carl Froch and Steve Bunce gives verdict on AJ’s fall

Anthony Joshua’s reign as world heavyweight champion came to an abrupt halt on Saturday after Oleksandr Usyk claimed a stunning unanimous decision win over the Brit at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Usyk scored 117-112, 116-112 and 115-113 to claim the WBA, IBF and WBO titles from Anthony Joshua, becoming only the third fighter after Evander Holyfield and David Haye to win world titles at cruiserweight and heavyweight.

Below are some of the views shared by fellow boxers in post fight interview with BBC:

Carl Froch, the former super-middleweight world champion, felt Usyk was worth his victory.

He told BBC Radio Five Live: “All the boxing purists who know the game, we always knew Oleksandr Usyk could out-perform AJ, out-box him and beat him on points.

“I don’t think any of us knew he could do it in such a manner. Towards the end, he took control, then started to beat him up when he didn’t need to.

“That was a boxing match and a proper fight, which in the end Oleksandr Usyk was in control of. He deserves every credit.

“Anthony Joshua did his part, he tried to box with him and work the body at time, but it wasn’t enough, he simply wasn’t good enough.”

Boxing expert Steve Bunce felt the warnings signs were there early on for Joshua.

“It was the very first round, seven seconds in, it was a big left hand,” Bunce said.

“From that point on, there seemed to be doubt – how can there be doubt in the first round?”

Former British heavyweight champion Dillian Whyte felt Joshua paid a heavy price for not setting the tempo of the contest.

“I said if Joshua tried to box he was always going to lose,” Whyte told 5 Live.

“If he had come out and bullied him and pushed the pace and let his hands go he could have knocked him out in the first even round.

“But he came out and was being too negative he seemed like a gun shy fighter. You are the bigger man, have a go.

“I don’t know, he lacked ambition in the ring there tonight.

“The first round, Usyk landed the first strong blow and Joshua was a negative fighter. He got tagged with a left and he was worried the whole time.”

Former lightweight champion Anthony Crolla heaped praise on Usyk.

“AJ has brought some of the most special nights in British Boxing history. Tonight he lost to a very special fighter. A once in a lifetime fighter,” Crolla wrote on Twitter.

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