Top UK trainer, Dominic Ingle, has said that Anthony Joshua will never improve as a fighter unless he gets rid of his team and forms a real partnership with one trainer.
Following his first defeat to Oleksandr Usyk, in which he lost his heavyweight titles, ‘AJ’ cut ties with longtime coach, Rob McCracken in favour of Mexican Robert Garcia.
Despite what some saw as a better effort in the rematch, the result was the same. Joshua, now out of the title picture for the time being, is said to again be travelling the States to find a new coach.
Ingle – whose work out of Sheffield’s Wincobank Gym has produced world champions – told Boxing King Media that he believes Joshua should be looking to remove ‘hangers on’ from his team rather than his trainer.
“If the likes of Robert Garcia can’t turn Anthony Joshua around, it’s not to do with Robert Garcia, it’s to do with Anthony Joshua.
My advice is this – Anthony Joshua, every single person he is involved with now, he has to cut them loose, put them to one side, and put his hands in the trust of a good trainer. Listen to that person only and get rid of his ego.
Until he does, he will never improve. It doesn’t matter what trainer he goes with, what he does … He’s got a load of people around him telling him he’s different things. Maybe contradicting the trainer, contradicting what he’s doing training wise.”
“Ultimately, Anthony Joshua has to cut himself loose from all the hangers on.”
As for the coach search, Ingle believes that no cornerman will make a difference to ‘AJ’s game at this stage in his career. He instead thinks that the change must come from within the fighter himself.
“So, I don’t care who he goes to … wherever Anthony Joshua goes I’ll be very surprised at this late part of his career, the age he is, that anybody’s going to turn him round.
Because the only person who can turn Anthony Joshua round is Anthony Joshua. He’s got to go back to the start where his mentality was to learn instead of thinking that he’s this superstar boxer.”
An opponent for the former unified champion is expected to be announced over the next few weeks, however his promoter, Eddie Hearn, has made clear that the new trainer will have a say, so that news is expected either first or in conjunction.