Oleksandr Usyk was seen returning to Ukraine with two black eyes after defeating Anthony Joshua on Saturday.
On Saturday night, the two faced off in front of 40,000 fans in the Jeddah Super Dome.
But Joshua’s dreams of avenging his first loss against Usyk were crushed as the Ukrainian won on a split decision.
The Brit then ruined Usyk’s celebration by removing two of his titles and tossing them outside the ring before launching into an expletive-laden rant.
Joshua’s rage turned to tears as he broke down during a post-fight interview regarding the fight.
Usyk’s 112-117 victory was the catalyst for Joshua’s dramatic breakdown in the ring.
Oleksandr Usyk shows off two black eyes at airport after Anthony Joshua fight and carries emotional stuffed donkey toy – 22 August 2022.
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Posted Via https://t.co/jpd8sFnD7W pic.twitter.com/FsIXY4dnJV— Nick Biglad (@EyePeaTV) August 22, 2022
Usyk’s Lucky Donkey
Usyk’s bravery can be attributed to the lucky donkey given to him by his daughter Yelizaveta when they were separated by the brutal conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
Since then, The Champ hasn’t let the toy animal, which he has called Liolia, leave his sight.
Liolia was there when he fought Joshua, and she was there again when he flew out of the Middle East.
The donkey’s head was seen peeking out of Usyk’s Louis Vuitton bag while he was collecting his boarding card at Turkish Airlines, according to video recorded by Michael Benson.
Oleksandr Usyk on why he’s carrying around a cuddly toy of Winnie the Pooh character Eeyore ahead of the Anthony Joshua rematch: “It’s my daughter’s. She gave it to me to be my talisman. My daughter said, ‘This needs to be right next to you.’ It is always close to me.” pic.twitter.com/WkwRbvTZQy
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) August 17, 2022
Despite having two black eyes after the weekend’s riveting spectacle, Usyk was all smiles.
When asked how he was feeling, he said, “I am feel, I am very feel,” referring to the speech he gave after defeating Joshua in their first fight.
Related: Anthony Joshua Breaks Down In Tears After Losing To Oleksandr Usyk
Who Could Usyk Fight Next After Defeating AJ?
Usyk and Liolia may now be preparing to face AJ’s British opponent, Tyson Fury.
In a fiery speech following his points victory over AJ, the 35-year-old asked that the Gyspy King come out of retirement to fight him.
Fighting may be the last thing on Fury’s mind right now, as his cousin was tragically stabbed to death over the weekend.
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