Former heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman says Anthony Joshua needs to replace trainer Ben Davison with Lennox Lewis following AJ’s fifth-round knockout loss to Danel Dubois last Saturday night. Rahman blames Joshua’s defeat on him coming out “passive” against IBF heavyweight champion Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs), and he feels that was a mistake.
(Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing)
Rahman feels that Joshua might not get along well with the former unified heavyweight champion Lewis, but he thinks he’s the best guy for him at this point to bring him back.
If Joshua doesn’t want to replace Ben officially, he can add Lewis as a second coach and have him give pointers. Focusing more on Lewis would be wise for Joshua, especially during fights.
Lewis would have known what tactics would work against Dubois, and at this point, Joshua can’t afford to continue to lose again. He needs someone who has been there, like Lennox. If Joshua chooses to stick it out with Ben Davison because of loyalty, he could be sorry later.
There were reports that Davison told Joshua to throw two jabs followed by an uppercut going into the fifth round. Joshua was knocked out when he attempted to throw an uppercut in round five, which was countered by a right by Dubois. If that report is correct, what a mistake. That was even worse than Joshua coming out in the first round and fighting passively.
We still don’t know if Joshua will choose to fight Dubois in a rematch next because his promoter, Eddie Hearn, has mentioned wanting him to wait until after the December 21st fight between unified champion Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury plays out before they decide whose next.
“The way Dubois fights, he comes in with reckless abandon. He comes in with bad intentions, trying to knock you out,” said Hasim Rahman to Fighthype, reacting to Anthony Joshua’s loss to Daniel Dubois. “I think Joshua fought a little passive. That’s why he got caught with a shot.”
Joshua was fighting just Deontay Wilder in his recent losses to Zhilei Zhang and Joseph Parker. Moving around the ring against Dubois was a crazy strategy by Joshua, and it’s a surprise he used that approach. Was that Ben Davison’s game plan? If so, it’s another reason to replace him.
“I think Anthony Joshua needs a different trainer. I know there’s a trainer out there that he doesn’t necessarily get along with, but I believe Lennox Lewis can take him to the heavyweight championship of the world,” said Rahman.
“I think Lennox would be the best trainer for Anthony Joshua. So whatever little discrepancy that they got, they can put that to the side and make an all British dream team and go back and reclaim the title a third time. I think Lennox is the man for Anthony. I know Lennox would do this, and I think they would create a dream team together,” said Rahman.
Adding Lewis to Joshua’s team might not help the situation because AJ’s chin would still be just as vulnerable as before. But at least if Joshua had Lewis in his corner, he would have fought more aggressively and wouldn’t have been given game plans that didn’t focus on his strengths.
“The most important thing is experience. He’s been in the situation that Anthony is currently in, and he knows how to come back,” said Rahman. “He came back on top every time he’s been in that situation. Just the boxing IQ and how he knows how to maneuver around the ring.
“I think Lennox would be the ideal man for Anthony to go back and reclaim that three-time heavyweight championship,” said Rahman.
If Joshua is going to stay loyal to Ben out of his friendship, he may not feel comfortable about letting him go. He must do something because sticking with Ben seems like a sinking ship.
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