Should AJ change his trainer?

[Kirkland Laing]

Not necessarily. The answer needs to come from within. I've rattled on for years about AJ and identity issues. He needs to now decide how he's going to finish his career. He's got what three fights that matter left, maybe one or two more in and around those fights? The issue is for me that it might be too late. Just echoing what Slim said. I think any dog that was in Joshua seems to have been trained/beaten out of him and I don't know if he has the stomach for it anymore.

The only way he beats Usyk, Fury or Wilder is to fight. If he boxes, the most likely scenario is that he loses all three. Usyk and Fury will box with him. On the outside Wilder probably gets a missile home at some point and it's game over.

There is no option B here. He has to do what comes naturally and fight. I'm just not sure if he can or even wants to.

I agree he doesn't seem to have the eye of the tiger anymore and would like to find out whether that could be changed any by having different people around him. I was watching the fight wondering what Manny Steward would have done with him. I can give Joshua and his team a break for having made the decision to come in light and box. They overestimated his boxing skills and underestimated Usyk, probably on the basis of the Chisora fight. They definitely didn't think there'd be such a difference in how fast their feet were. And once it became clear that there was such a big difference in speed there was no plan B. Joshua took something off his punches and went to the body a little but that was it. And the corner was advising him to keep on keeping on when he was obviously losing. Definitely not a world class performance by his team in this one.

His trainer may have been successful at amateur level but this is a different game entirely. The greatest heavyweights we've ever seen would have struggled if they'd had an amateur hour corner. And Joshua doesn't seem to have the right mental makeup for when things aren't going well. I can't see him changing his team at this point either. Maybe after the next loss.

[Memphis]

Can you imagine if Teddy Atlas was in that corner. At some point after round five or six the fucker would have spontaneously combusted. They literally would have needed firefighters.

[Mark TKO]

He will change his trainer for sure that's what always happens right.

Not saying anything new but at some point he lost his killer instinct and I'm not sure he can get that back. It's his mental attribute that needs addressing. Usyk and Fury have him beaten on that front hands down.

I doubt very much he can come back now to be a player at the top. To quote Rocky III - "I wish him luck"

[SlimTrae]

Can you imagine if Teddy Atlas was in that corner. At some point after round five or six the fucker would have spontaneously combusted. They literally would have needed firefighters.

Only after he pulls out his cellphone and dials Uber/lyft in AJ's face to leave the arena!!!

[sanatogen]

To answer the original post. It depends on how much AJ wants it anymore.

If he still does then he could do what Lennox Lewis did at 30, and change trainer.

Lewis then went on a few fights to build his confidence back as well the the practice the refinements taught by Steward.

Will Joshuas team allow this to occur, some less high profile fights that don't fill a stadium in order to build back up again, get away from being gun shy and embrace a new Joshua.

[Kirkland Laing]

To answer the original post. It depends on how much AJ wants it anymore.

If he still does then he could do what Lennox Lewis did at 30, and change trainer.

Lewis then went on a few fights to build his confidence back as well the the practice the refinements taught by Steward.

Will Joshuas team allow this to occur, some less high profile fights that don't fill a stadium in order to build back up again, get away from being gun shy and embrace a new Joshua.

I don't know if any fighter can get away from being gun shy. Once their chin has been cracked there's always going to be a doubt in their minds and it only needs one punch to bring it back. Joshua got caught in the first couple of rounds, not going to bother looking for the exact moment, but you could see a flash of resignation almost on his face. He knew Usyk had the power to wobble him and it's like he was realising that he was risking getting sparked again if he went after Usyk.

I think that's the biggest impediment to him changing his style and reverting to something similar to what was working for him pre Ruiz. He's going to stick with his trainer and his current style and just try and improve on it rather than take more chances and risk being sparked again.

[SlimTrae]

Saw a video of Roy Jones stating at best he could hang around with some killers, cause Anthony is a nice guy.

[SlimTrae]

He stated what I feel. AJ has ALL the tools. But he approaches the fight game as an athlete. Boxing is the place where angry people can pummell someone without going to jail.

In the midst, athletes and money-hounds have filled the sport up-leaving fewer warriors each decade.





Again I thought AJ had such a weak jab. Not because he can't throw it right, there was no conviction behind it.
And to see him hang his tongue out the last few seconds of the fight while leaning on the ropes was a testimony to the lack of a warrior mentality. He is getting drubbed and he moves backwards in a str8 line at that...he wasn't supposef to defend, he was supposed to counter, fight back!


Can't teach that.