Joshua says he tried to outbox Usyk to prove he is not just a 'big stiff body-builder'

Anthony Joshua says he tried to outbox Oleksandr Usyk during their heavyweight title fight last year to prove he was not just a "big stiff body-builder".

The taunt is often aimed at him by heavyweight rival Tyson Fury.

Joshua lost his WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight belts when Usyk won by unanimous decision in September.

Joshua told Sky Sports that Usyk came up from cruiserweight, he is a great fighter, a 12-round fighter, and he wanted to box with him for 12 rounds.

He adds there was always this stigma that he can't box, that he was this 'big stiff body-builder'.

Defeat by Usyk dashed Joshua's immediate hopes of a unification bout with Fury, who won his trilogy bout with Deontay Wilder in October to retain his WBC belt.

Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn has triggered a rematch clause against the Ukrainian, while British rival Dillian Whyte has been named as Fury's mandatory challenger by the World Boxing Council.

Source: BBC