Page 31 - bon-dia-aruba-20210927

A31
sports Dialuna 27 September 2021

New champ Usyk heads for simple life, Joshua eyes rematch

(AP) — Anthony Joshua He’ll return home to a hero’s
was walking back to his reception - Usyk is already
dressing room, dazed, a big deal in Ukraine - and
bedraggled — he could put the WBA, WBO and IBF
barely see out of his right heavyweight titles alongside
eye — with sympathetic his heavyweight gold medal
shouts coming from the from the 2012 Olympics,
crowd of 66,000 who’d the piece of hardware he still
just seen British boxing’s treasures more than any oth-
national treasure lose his er.
world heavyweight titles
again. For that reason, the recovery
process will be different and
Joshua was trying hard not to he’ll have to reassess his ap-
feel sorry for himself. In fact, proach. That might also mean
he was already plotting how looking at his ring walk.
he could defeat Oleksandr
Usyk in a rematch. Whereas Usyk was all busi-
ness on his way to the mid-
“When I was walking back dle, Joshua might have been
through the tunnel, I just said too relaxed, high-fiving fans
to myself, ‘I’m ready to get and even cutting away to hug
back to the gym, I’m ready an old face from his boyhood
to just put that work in,’” boxing club.
Joshua said. “Most people
after they’ve finished a fight, three fights at heavyweight Joshua’s coach, Rob Mc- It’s all part of the Joshua
it’s like, ‘Yeah, let me go out — already owns three of the Cracken, think he knows It was some performance, in Show - he continues to sell
and have a bit of fun.’ But my four major belts in boxing’s how his man can close the only his third heavyweight out big venues, the latest be-
mindset is a bit different.” blue riband category. gap on Usyk and avoid get- fight, in such a fevered atmo- ing Tottenham Hotspur Sta-
To Joshua’s promoter, Eddie ting in the kind of situation sphere and against a two-time dium — but that has been
So, after shaking hands with Hearn, Usyk is the second that saw him hanging on the world champion. By the end, blown off course, along with
Usyk and video-calling the best pound-for-pound fight- ropes by the end of Satur- he was bullying the younger the all-English narrative of a
new champ’s kids back in er in boxing. day’s fight, on the end of a Joshua — a man with a dis- fight with WBC champion
Ukraine, Joshua got his team “Anthony could have swerved pummeling in his own back tinct advantage in height, Tyson Fury to be undisputed
to put on a tape of the fight that fight easy. Maybe we yard. He surely would have weight and reach - and won champion.
and watched it with two should have,” Hearn said. gone down had the final bell comprehensively on all three
people close to him — Tony “But that’s not really what not sounded. of the judges’ scorecards. It’s not over, though. Joshua
Bellew and Derek Chisora — he’s about. is only 31 and is too good —
who have also lost to Usyk “You’ve got to apply pressure “It is the biggest fight in my and lucrative — a fighter for
over the past three years. “You’ve got people who will behind your jab and your career but it wasn’t the hard- Hearn to give up on.
“This isn’t just one fight and take easy options and you’ve right hand, keep him off-bal- est one. That is ahead of us,”
then I’m done,” Joshua said. got people who will choose ance and put your shots to- Usyk said. “Maybe AJ gave (Usyk) too
“I’ve got an opportunity to go to fight everybody. And the gether when you get there,” Before that — and Joshua much respect, particularly in
back to the drawing board.” latter is AJ.” McCracken said. now has the benefit of a fight the early part of the fight,”
Easier said than done. against the slippery and sharp Hearn said.
The video will have been a So, Joshua will “100%, 110%” Usyk in the memory bank “I don’t know if he (Usyk)
tough watch. Befuddled by trigger the rematch clause Usyk will start as favorite in — Usyk wants to go home can be much better. I hope
fighting a southpaw for only that was part of the deal. the rematch — Hearn said and “live” a simple life for a he can’t … I think he boxed
the second time, Joshua was Hearn said it will take place that, and Joshua didn’t dis- while. the perfect fight. Can he do
given a lesson in movement in February or March, hope- agree — and is blessed with it again? Maybe he can raise
and punching speed by an fully in Britain and almost such talent and pedigree that “I want to take my kids to his game, but maybe he can’t
undefeated 34-year-old op- certainly not in Kiev - the he’ll be confident of outbox- school, I want to plant trees, box to that level again. AJ
ponent who demolished all- preferred location for Usyk ing his fellow Olympic gold I want to water apple trees, I will, I promise you, be much,
comers in the cruiserweight despite his fearsome reputa- medalist from 2012 once want to see my wife more of- much better than that in the
division and — after just tion as a road fighter. again. ten,” he said. rematch.”

SMU’s Dykes apologizes to TCU over postgame flag scuffle

AP) — SMU coach Sonny day’s game ended. A short Patterson ... than I do. I apol-
Dykes reiterated his re- time later, Mustangs defen- ogize for that.”
spect for TCU and apolo- sive back Brandon Crossley Rice made headlines the
gized for any attempt by tried unsuccessfully to plant week of the game by saying
his players to plant a flag the flag before tossing it. he thought TCU was afraid
at midfield after a brief TCU players then pulled the to play SMU. The Dallas-
scuffle broke out follow- flag off the pole, and a player Fort Worth rivals didn’t
ing the Mustangs’ 42-34 angrily threw the pole at the play last year because of
victory at the home of the ground. COVID-19 issues with the
Horned Frogs. Horned Frogs. The schools
“I think our guys tried to tried unsuccessfully to re-
Video showed SMU receiver plant the flag at the middle schedule that game.
Rashee Rice running to mid- of the field,” Dykes said.
field with a flag displaying “If they did, they shouldn’t SMU’s victory in the 100th
the Dallas school’s “D” logo have. I’ll talk to them about meeting marked consecutive
before he was ushered away that. There’s nobody in the wins for the Mustangs in the
from the TCU logo by op- world that has more respect series for the first time since
posing players after Satur- for TCU or for (coach) Gary 1992-93.