Boxing trainer turned analyst, Teddy Atlas, has voiced his opinion on Anthony Joshua’s recent form and what started an apparent decline for the heavyweight star.
The former two-time champion has come in for criticism of late, with many fans and pundits believing the Brit has lost some of his aggression that got him to the top of the division.
A common theory is that it was Joshua’s first career defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr back in 2019, where he was put on the canvas four times, that triggered his change of style.
However, speaking on Macklin’s Take podcast, Atlas believes it has nothing to do with the damage Ruiz inflicted upon him that night, but more so the fact that Joshua had already made it in a monetary sense.
“When you talk about the Klitschko fight, bravo. He got off the floor with a guy who can hit with a right hand, bravo, that’s the behaviour of a champion. But the guy was 40 years old, let’s not forget that. Would he have got off the floor with a 30 year old Klitschko? I don’t know. But he did and he behaved like a champion.
But what I take out of that fight is he never behaved quite the same again, finding a way, doing what a champion does, getting up.
With the Ruiz fight, everyone looked at the physical parts, but what I’m saying is he didn’t behave like the way he did against Klitschko. I have to believe it’s this, and I know in my mind, he didn’t want to behave, he’s too rich to behave that way – I’m going to make it real simple.
When it was against Klitschko it meant everything, he didn’t have a bank account anywhere near as big as he does now and it was in front of his people. He didn’t have to get off the floor against Ruiz, his bank account was beyond all numbers, so he was safe, he was already safe – in boxing you should never be safe.”
Joshua will face Dillian Whyte next on August 12, with many believing if there is a man to bring out the old style ‘AJ’ it’s ‘The Body Snatcher’.