Anthony Joshua insists the manner of his victory over Andy Ruiz to recapture the world heavyweight titles pleased him most.
The Brit became a two-time champion with a comprehensive points victory over the Mexican.
And despite previously only going the distance once in his career, Joshua was thrilled to showcase the sweet science of boxing, rather than the brutal nature of the knock-outs he is usually associated with.
“I want to say, the first fight was so nice, I had to do it twice,” Joshua explained afterwards. “This is about boxing, I’m used to knocking guys out, I realised I hurt the man and I got caught coming in. No excuses.
“But I wanted to put on a masterclass and show the sweet science of this sport, hitting and not getting hit.
“I never changed my mentality: stay hungry, stay humble. I’m hungry, humble in defeat, and I’ll remain humble in victory.
“It’s about preparation, when I release a book, I’ll talk. Careers are about experience, I took a loss and bounced back, anybody can do it, life is a roller-coaster.”
Ruiz, meanwhile, hinted he did not train as hard as he could for the rematch, after coming in 15 pounds heavier.
“I gained too much weight. Let’s do it for a third time. I’ll be in the best shape of my life,” Ruiz claimed.
“It affected me a lot, I thought I’d feel stronger. I don’t want to give excuses though.”
