Anthony Joshua has been told he is in "a crisis" and that he shouldn't blame those around him for his recent losses.
Two-time heavyweight champion Joshua, 33, is without a win in over two years after losing his last two fights to Oleksandr Usyk. 'AJ' lost his titles to the Ukrainian when they fought last September in London and history repeated itself in August as the Brit failed to win back his belts in Saudi Arabia.
Joshua parted ways with coach Rob McCracken, who guided him to Olympic gold and 20 consecutive professional wins, following his first loss to Usyk. He then partnered up with Robert Garcia for the rematch after touring around the US in search of a new trainer. Former world champion Barry McGuigan has now weighed in on Joshua's position by labelling it as a "crisis", adding that the boxer only has himself to blame.
Do you think Anthony Joshua should take some time away from the ring following his recent losses? Let us know in the comments section below
"The fact is he's been around a few different trainers and that automatically makes you think he is blaming the trainer for not performing. The bottom line is it is with you," McGuigan told Boxing King Media. "You are responsible for your performance. Robert Garcia has an unblemished record, he's incredible, he has produced many world champions and is a great coach.
"If you're not listening to him, you're not taking on board what he is saying then it is hard to implement his tactics. I think Joshua is going through a crisis, he needs to stop questioning himself. He's got to knuckle down and get on with it. Whoever he goes with he has to concentrate on fighting aggressively whether he fights Usyk again or fights Tyson Fury."
Despite Joshua admitting he is nearing the end of his boxing career, there are several big fights still to make for the Brit. A rematch against Dillian Whyte and a long-awaited clash with fellow knockout artist Deontay Wilder are on the table for the 33-year-old, but McGuigan thinks he needs to build up his confidence and settle down a with a trainer before stepping foot in the ring again.
"He has got to be better at coming forward and he's got to be more confident to stand in punching range and move his head and not always bounce back out again but that takes time to learn," McGuigan added. "Really, it's a waste of time talking about it. He needs to settle down with someone and get on with it."
