Joshua and Paul shared the boxing ring at the Kaseya Center in Miami last Saturday. While it wasn’t the first-round carnage that many expected, Joshua still scored a brutal sixth-round knockout victory. Paul suffered a broken jaw as a result.
Despite shaking off some rust and doing what was necessary, Joshua told reporters during the post-fight presser that he’s not satisfied (via MMAfighting).
“No, I had to do better,” Joshua said. “It’s a victory, but not a success. I think my coach expects more from me and I expect more from myself. But what can we do? We can’t turn back the clock. We have to move forward. I have to put that in the past now.”
“After today you might see some social media trying to consume all the algorithm’s attention, but for me that’s a thing of the past. I can’t live on that win. I still have a lot to improve. I’m not happy.”
Joshua knew going into the fight that some were relying on him to protect the integrity of boxing. The former ruler of the heavyweight division admitted he felt the weight of those expectations.
“There was a lot in this fight,” Joshua said. “A lot of pressure. A lot of expectations. I had to perform. A lot of people doubt me. A lot of people don’t respect me. There’s a lot of pressure. I had boxing on my back today and that was basically it.”
“I took Jake as seriously as I needed to, but most importantly, I take myself as seriously as I need to. I respect myself. I respect boxing. I know what it takes to get in the ring. You have to be prepared. One mistake can cost you in that ring. Thanks to Jake.”
Joshua has a potential clash with Tyson Fury looming. Although a match between the two has long been teased, it has yet to materialize. Many fans and pundits believe that both sides ruined their chances of booking the fight during their prime, but it would be a fight that still has a lot of juice.
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