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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Harry Davies

Anthony Joshua warned to be wary of changing coaches as search continues

Former cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew believes Anthony Joshua should weigh up his options before deciding to part ways with his trainer.

Joshua is currently touring the US in search of a new trainer following his decision loss to Oleksandr Usyk last month.

The Brit admitted he got his gameplan wrong for the fight, as he lost his heavyweight titles for the second time in four fights.

Fans were quick to criticise Joshua's trainers after the fight, who seemingly didn't have a back up plan when Joshua was being outboxed in the later rounds.

But Bellew thinks there are few better trainers around that Rob McCracken, who has been with Joshua since he won gold at the 2012 Olympics.

He told DAZN's Boxing Show: "I think there are certain things that need igniting in Anthony Joshua. Maybe the aggression, maybe back to what he was doing before the Dillian Whyte fight.

"That fighter is still in there, he's gotta find a way to ignite that in himself again.

"It's a hard one, it really is, because there are very few coaches/teachers as good as Rob McCracken. But there will be coaches who have a different approach and that could benefit AJ."

Joshua has spent in time in California with trainers such as Robert Garcia, Eddie Reynoso and Virgil Hunter.

The Brit has touched down in Texas to train with Ronnie Shields, who has formerly trained Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield.

Joshua is yet to reveal whether he will part ways with McCracken for his rematch with Usyk, which will take place next spring.

Can Joshua win back his heavyweight titles? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below

His coach Joby Clayton was slammed for shouting "brilliant AJ' when Usyk was landing punches on the Brit in their fight.

Shields - who revealed Joshua intends to keep coach Angel Fernandez in his corner - has promised to teach Joshua to be a "dog" if they partner for the rematch.

"He said 'look, I'm gonna be a dog in this next fight. I just need you to show me how to be the best dog that you can teach me to be," Shields told Thaboxingvoice.

"That answered the question for me. My thing to him was, why did you box the whole time? He said he felt like he could outbox him. Obviously that was the gameplan, to outbox him.

"To me that was the wrong fight, now he knows it was the wrong fight. I like to teach a man to be a dog, but he has to have the dog instincts in him already. He says he has it in him."

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