Anthony Joshua posts cryptic tweet after watching Oleksandr Usyk defeat Tyson Fury

Anthony Joshua has his eyes firmly set on a big-money fight later this year, but he could only sit and watch as Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk put on a spectacle in Riyadh on Saturday night. Usyk maintained his unbeaten record and ended Fury’s with a scorecard win of 115-112, 113-114, 114-111.

Joshua was present for the unmissable fight in Saudi Arabia, sat next to football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, and he will have a motive beyond simply enjoying a spot of heavyweight boxing. Joshua has been tipped to fight Fury in a big-money fight, but he knows that a possible Fury-Usyk rematch could stand in the way, especially given how the fight played out.

While Usyk did dominate overall, Fury stayed on his feet and enjoyed strong rounds of his own, largely in the middle rounds. That suggests he could learn from this bout and produce a winning performance in a potential rematch, and there is incentive for both fighters, given the huge purse that was on offer this time around, while a rematch will likely be of similar or greater value. Usyk reportedly took home around $30million with the win, while Fury reportedly took home around $100million despite his loss.

After the fight, boxing promoter Eddie Hearn spoke about Joshua’s reaction after he sat ringside. “[Joshua] thought Usyk won,” Hearn said. “He said, ‘Usyk won it easy.’ I had it quite close. Again, scoring is subjective. I thought Fury boxed fantastically well in the first six rounds. I thought he was well on his way to boxing to a stoppage or a decision, but Usyk is incredible.”

Joshua later posted an image of himself watch the fight on social media, looking locked in and perhaps focused on his next opponent. Meanwhile, Hearn added on the fight itself: “I thought Usyk won the fight. I thought it was close. I struggled to give Usyk any of the first six [rounds]. I thought Fury was in control and looked fantastic in seven, eight. Nine was obviously massive, how he survived I don't know.”

As for the possible rematch that stands in the way of a Joshua fight, Fury was asked about the possibility after the fight. He said: “You can see my face, it's pretty busted up and he's busted too. We punched f**** out of each other for 12 rounds.

“I'm going to go home, drink some food, drink some beers, have some family time, walk the dog, go to the tip and me and Frank Warren will discuss the future. If there's going to be another fight, I think they're talking about October, then we'll rock and roll. I'm not boxing because I've got no money, I'm boxing because I love it. I'm 36 in a few months, I've been boxing since I was a child. Where does it all end?

“You have 100 fights and you have brain damage and are in a wheelchair? For as long as I'm loving the game, I'll continue to do it, and when I don't, I'll pack it up.”