Anthony Joshua’s link up with new trainer Derrick James has been positively received in most corners, with many feeling the American could be the perfect antidote to the perceived shortcomings in Joshua’s game.
However, Jermaine Franklin, who will lock horns with ‘AJ’ on April 1st, believes the former unified world champion would be better served to take a look at himself.
Franklin hinted to BoxingScene that Joshua has been blaming his trainers for recent defeats, before offering a word of advice to the man he will do battle with in around six weeks’ time.
“I don’t know how to feel about the Derrick James thing.
Every time, just because you lost it might not be your trainer’s fault, it could be you.
I don’t blame the trainer. This is the third trainer he’s had in three fights. At what point do you start blaming yourself and not the trainer? It can’t be every trainer. Not every trainer can be making you lose.
Your relationship might get a little shaky but it’s up to you how you fix it and bring it together. If you’re not liking some stuff your coach is doing you should be able to talk to him and tell him: ‘I need you to do this and this’. If you can’t reconcile then that’s ok, this is business. It’s OK to go and get another coach but I would at least try to fix what’s going on first.”
The fight at the 02 is seen as must win for Joshua, with defeat surely spelling the end of any aspirations he has of become heavyweight champion of the world for a third time.
Even though bigger fights seem to be on the horizon for the later in the year, Joshua can ill afford afford to take his eyes off the American, who gave a solid account of himself in defeat to Dillian Whyte last November.