Anthony Joshua delivered one of the best, maybe even the best performance of his career in the Oleksandr Usyk rematch.
Yet defeat has condemned Joshua to a slide down from the top tier of the heavyweight division.
For the first time in years Joshua will find himself among the chasing pack. Since his star-making performance at the 2012 Olympic Games, and in his barrelling ascent through the professional ranks, he was destined to reach the top.
From Charles Martin in 2016 he’s taken part in 12 consecutive world title fights and throughout that period, even though he never ultimately fought Tyson Fury or Deontay Wilder, he had a legitimate claim to being the best heavyweight in the world.
But once Oleksandr Usyk beat him last September and confirmed that domination with a yet more impressive display at the weekend, the excellent Ukrainian has taken his place at the top of the division.
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