Barry McGuigan has gone against the grain in declaring Otto Wallin an ‘easy fight’ for Anthony Joshua, but was also quick to point out a mistake that Joshua has made in recent years.
‘AJ’ will be fighting under his fourth trainer in his last five outings, appointing Ben Davison as his cornerman three years after Davison guided Tyson Fury to a gruelling points win over Wallin.
Davison joins the ever-growing list of Joshua trainers, after long-time coach Rob McCracken was sacked following defeat to Oleksandr Usyk, and Robert Garcia was met with the same fate after the unsuccessful rematch.
Now, Derrick James is still seen as Joshua’s trainer, but it is unclear whether Davison could land the role on a permanent basis if Wallin is dispatched of with ease.
However, in an interview with Seconds Out, former WBA Featherweight champion McGuigan was quick to point out that the 33-year-old should have appointed his son Shane as his trainer ‘a long time ago’.
“It’s not a tough fight, Otto Wallin is not a tough fight, it’s an easy fight. We’re not interested in anybody that isn’t interested in us, he should have had him [Shane as his trainer] a long time ago, he should have come to us.
“That’s his decision and therefore we are not worried [about the fight] in the slightest, Shane will continue to produce champions all over again.”
Shane McGuigan reportedly offered himself to Joshua after his second defeat to Usyk, but the approach was declined.
This year, the stock of the 2016 BWAA Trainer of the Year has rose further, with Chris Billam-Smith masterfully defeating Lawrence Okolie for the WBO cruiserweight title back in May and defending it in December.