Anthony Joshua is in a ‘MESS’ right now and suffering ‘turbulence’ in his career, says former boxer
AUDLEY HARRISON said Anthony Joshua is in a “MESS” right now and suffering the “turbulence” of another coaching switch.
Joshua parted ways with longtime cornerman Rob McCracken following defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in September 2021.
Anthony Joshua after beating Jermaine FranklinRICHARD PELHAM
And for the Saudi Arabia rematch last August, he hired American Robert Garcia but again it ended in a points loss.
And when AJ returned against Jermaine Franklin in April, he did so after relocating to Dallas with esteemed trainer Derrick James.
And despite comfortably beating Franklin over 12 rounds, Harrison questioned how long the partnership will last.
He told Sky Sports: “There’s a lesson to be learnt in his mess right now, as you can call it.
“The Rob McCracken situation – he lost to Ruiz, he fixed that, came back, got the win.
“Then he lost again, so now he’s trying to find the right trainer. He tried Garcia, he’s with Derrick James right now.
“We can see that turbulence of him trying to figure it out. He hasn’t figured it out right now. It’s not complete.
“I think Derrick James is probably not going to be the final result.”
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Joshua, 33, bounced back with his first victory in three years but only after admitting money is still his motivation.
But Harrison warned that mindset could be a recipe for disaster.
He said: “You know, he’s made so much money, and I heard him do an interview saying he’s in it for the money.
“At this stage, when you’ve made that much money, the only thing keeping you going is the glory isn’t it?
“We don’t wake up for the money, we wake up for the glory. That’s what got him to the Olympics and to fight for world titles.
We can see that turbulence of him trying to figure it out. He hasn’t figured it out right now. It’s not complete.
Audley Harrison on Anthony Joshua changing trainers
“The money is just a side thing. So if he’s lost that hunger to chase the glory, it will be hard, because he needs to be thinking of defining his legacy by turning back that loss.
“That needs to be his goal and what his drive should be. He can’t think about needing to prove people wrong.
“You can’t do it for the critics, you have to do it for yourself. He has to. He has to want to get back to the top and win a world title for him.
“I think he can if he really wants to do it for him. If he thinks of his legacy and wanting to be a Hall-of-Famer.
“He has to go back to that. He can’t do it for money, he’s got enough money already.
“His motivation has to be: ‘I want greatness for myself,’ and ‘I want to undo the damage and get revenge on that guy.’ That’s all it has to be about.
“When Lennox [Lewis] lost to Hasim Rahman, all he cared about was revenge. As fighters, that’s all you need to back you, revenge.”
PAFormer heavyweight boxer Audley Harrison[/caption]
