Throwback: When Oleksandr Usyk was irked after being asked why he did not knock Anthony Joshua out

Oleksandr Usyk gave a befitting reply to a journalist asking him why he did not knock Anthony Joshua out.

In September 2021, Usyk defeated Joshua via unanimous decision to win the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles. The former cruiserweight champion outboxed Joshua, hurting him several times throughout the 12-round contest.

The Ukrainian fighter nearly pulled off a standing TKO in the closing moments of Round 12 but Joshua was saved by the bell. During a press conference after returning to Ukraine, Usyk was asked by a journalist why he did not knock Joshua out in the fight. The heavyweight champion replied:

"Why are you so bloodthirsty? There is victory, everything is fine. Why is it necessary for a person to fall? He has a mother and father. This is a big chunk of health if a person falls. I'm not for that."

Boxing journalist Michael Benson recently posted Usyk's quote on his X (formerly Twitter) account.

Joshua invoked the rematch clause and fought Usyk in their August 2022 rematch. The Ukrainian emerged victorious in the rematch, putting a conclusive end to the rivalry.

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Anthony Joshua back in title contention, trilogy fight against Oleksandr Usyk on the horizon

Anthony Joshua was heavily criticized after his losses to Oleksandr Usyk and a large section of boxing fans felt that his days as a top heavyweight boxer were over.

However, Joshua bounced back with a series of strong performances, reinserting his name in the title picture. Following a unanimous decision win over Jermaine Franklin, the 34-year-old secured back-to-back finishes over Robert Helenius and Otto Wallin.

In his most recent outing, 'AJ' scored a devastating second-round knockout win over former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.

WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury will fight Oleksandr Usyk in a title unification bout on May 18. The duo was originally scheduled to fight on Feb. 17. However, the fight was postponed after Fury suffered a cut above his eye in training camp leading into the fight.

The winner of the bout will be the first heavyweight champion to hold four belts since Lennox Lewis. WBC president Maurice Sulaiman recently confirmed that he has sent a petition to the governing bodies to allow six judges to score the contest instead of three.

The idea is to reduce the chances of a controversial outcome because of judging mistakes in one of the most consequential fights in the division's history.

After his devastating KO over Ngannou, it seems likely that Joshua would be one of the frontrunners to challenge the winner of this fight.