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Joshua was more at ease with Usyk than the aggressor, and more often looked one-paced.
After a stunning performance in London, Oleksandr Usyk has been crowned the new world champion for unified heavyweight.
The Ukrainian performed a masterclass before 65,000 spectators at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Joshua was outclassed in 12 rounds and Joshua was hurt on many occasions.
Joshua was silent as Usyk was defeated by 117-112, 112-112, and 115-113 on the scorecards.
Joshua chose to fight Usyk, his WBO mandatory challenger after he saw a fight with Tyson Fury fall last summer.
Although Joshua appeared to be the victor, the home crowd was disappointed by the extraordinary performance of the challenger.
Usyk pure class against Joshua one-gear
Joshua seemed relaxed as he approached his ring. But, his concentration was on display from the first bell.
The 34-year old Usyk quickly showed his abilities, with his feints and pace, moving Joshua around in the ring at will, while the defending champion settled down into a passive role.
Joshua missed a few shots in the first round. Usyk caught them with a glove, or spun away. This would be the pattern throughout the fight, as Usyk made Joshua miss several times and then executed his perfect gameplan.
Joshua was rattled by Usyk's left cross in round three. This prompted loud applause from the crowd.
Joshua rode the danger but failed to respond. He made it safely to the bell. The crowd in London tried unsuccessfully to get Usyk to wake up.
Joshua's low shot brought Usyk a complaint. Joshua fired off another, possibly sensing weakness in his opponent. Round five was Joshua’s best, but Usyk held firm and the Briton failed to score any meaningful shots.
Joshua finally landed his right-hand in the sixth round. This prompted Usyk to respond by widening his stance and appearing ready for trade. Joshua, wary of a fight, backed away.
Joshua's fears were realized in the seventh round when Usyk stunned him with a left hook to the chin, sending him backwards. Joshua managed to stay on his feet and survived the round, but was now in an extremely dire situation.
Joshua was unable to close the gap as Usyk was clearly ahead in the scorecards. Joshua was unable to close the gap due to Joshua's inability to fight. Usyk kept the fight within reach, and Joshua's urgings to move forward appeared to be ignored.
Joshua briefly had Usyk on the ropes in round nine, but he returned to his corner bleeding from a blow to the nose he received in the closing seconds.
In the 11th round, both men had blood on their faces. Joshua suffered from a cut and swelling in his eye, while Usyk had a gash in his left eye. Although Usyk was not able to speak, he was the busier fighter and outclassed Joshua in the penultimate round.
The crowd tried desperately to instill confidence in the defending champion. He needed a knockout during the final round. Joshua was almost knocked out by the challenger, who pushed him to the ground.
Joshua was saved by the bell and Usyk's team waited nervously for the scorecards.
However, there were no more surprises as all three judges gave the fight to Joshua and ended Joshua's second reign as world champion.
Joshua left at a crossroads
Joshua's future is still unknown. The two-time world champion will likely exercise a rematch clause.
Now, he has suffered two losses and the Briton was defeated by a smaller man. Although Usyk didn't find the knockout punch in his fight, he did expose Joshua's weaknesses and a limited attacking arsenal.
Joshua did not have an answer for Usyk, and his opponent glided through the ring while the champion seemed to be dragging himself through the mud. It was not a tactic to bully Usyk or wear him down.
Joshua's display was almost comical and almost uncharacteristic, leaving behind a legacy of heavyweight glory.
Joshua versus Fury appears to be dead, despite Briton's future career prospects.
Next month, Fury will face Deontay Wilder in Las Vegas. This fight is the culmination of every fight fan’s greatest fear since last summer's unification bout.
Joshua must win his rematch against Usyk, which will be a challenge after Saturday's meeting.
