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Former unified world champion Wladimir Klitschko believes his former foe, Anthony Joshua, can bounce back strong from the jaws of defeat.
In the final bout of his career, in 2017, Klitschko was stopped in the eleventh round of a ‘Fight of The Year’ scrap with Joshua.
Last Saturday night at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Joshua suffered a twelve round decision loss to Klitschko’s countryman, Oleksandr Usyk, who became the new IBF, WBA, IBO and WBO world champion.
During his Hall of Fame run, Klitschko suffered several defeats and at one point some critics felt his career was over.
However, he was able to rebuild himself and dominantly reigned for over a decade without a single loss.
Joshua will attempt to reclaim his unified crown in the first quarter of 2022, when he faces Usyk in a rematch.
“We have seen AJ challenged,” said Klitschko, according to Sky Sports.
“I remember my time. I lost two fights within [13 months in 2003 and 2004]. To bounce back? To eventually become one of the longest reigning champions? AJ can still have his time, absolutely. It is all about how to overcome the challenge.”
Joshua recently issued a statement to his followers, advising them that he knows what to do in the second fight.
“I’ve watched the fight, analyzed my preparations and identified my mistakes,” Joshua stated. “I’ve learnt my lesson. Don’t worry about me. My spirit is strong!”
Klistschko’s older brother, former WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko, was ringside at Tottenham to support Usyk’s conquest.
Wladimir Klitschko was also proud of what his countryman accomplished.
“Usyk made history. Since 2012, I watched Usyk winning his gold and I watched AJ winning his gold,” Klitschko said.
“Usyk has been undefeated for such a long time, winning all the titles as a cruiserweight and now with the heavyweights. This man is something special.”