Anthony Joshua Comes Clean on His Darkness Retreat After Oleksandr Usyk Loss

In the wake of a canceled fight and facing an uncertain future, Anthony Joshua was on a quest for clarity. His world title dreams had been derailed, first by a failed drug test by his opponent (Dillian Whyte), then by the postponement of a highly anticipated clash with Deontay Wilder. Looking inward, Joshua embarked on an unorthodox mission in October last year: a £2,000 retreat into complete darkness.

This wasn’t a luxurious spa getaway; it was a self-imposed solitary confinement, a chance to confront himself in the absence of sight and sound. Well, it was important for him, especially after he faced two consecutive losses against Oleksandr Usyk before his recent victories in 2023. Many scratched their heads. Was this a sign of weakness, a desperate attempt to regain his fighting spirit? Additionally, many even considered it a simple rumor. But he’s now confessed about the retreat himself after five months.

Anthony Joshua has his priorities set

The heavyweight division heats up this Friday as Anthony Joshua collides with Francis Ngannou! This fight is crucial for Joshua, as he’s clawing his way back to the top. Ngannou, fresh off his impressive showing against Tyson Fury, is no pushover. The Cameroonian-French powerhouse stunned the boxing world by dropping “The Gypsy King” in their last fight.

Now, he sets his sights on another British boxing hero. But Joshua is calmer about his fights now, and it could be all because of the time spent in darkness by himself. In an interview with Good Morning Britain, Joshua revealed, “Honestly, I’ve done it. I had five days off and I just thought let me just take myself away from the hustle and bustle of life, social media. Even when I’m on my own, I’m still occupied by listening to music and whatever it may be. And just sitting by myself you can have loads of thoughts, but when it all come down to it was, I need to spend more quality time with my family and have more quality conversations.“

So he knew that he had to put a halt to all the rush he was into at that time in his attempt to reclaim his place among the best. He started spending more time with people who were important to him. So it benefitted him in a lot of ways. But it begs the question, did it help him in his career and make him a better boxer altogether?

Is the old ‘AJ’ back?

After Anthony Joshua had faced two losses against the same opponent, Oleksandr Usyk. Joshua seemed to be lost, before Usyk, he was quite an aggressive fighter. However, after the setbacks, he started working on being more technical. As a result, Joshua focused more on winning rather than knocking out his opponents.

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But, his last fight was different. He Joshua looked like his old self at the event held in Saudi Arabia! He threw down with Otto Wallin and completely controlled the fight. Wallin’s corner just couldn’t take the heat anymore and threw in the towel after round five. This gave him his confidence back that he could still be an aggressive fighter and dominate his opponents. So, now the fans wonder if he could do the same against Francis Ngannou.

If Joshua wins this fight, he’ll definitely inch closer to his goal of becoming a heavyweight champion for the third time. What are your thoughts about this? Let us know in the comments section.

Also Read: Francis Ngannou Can Say Goodbye to MMA if He Prevails Against Anthony Joshua