Frank Warren has criticised Anthony Joshua’s attitude in the former heavyweight champion’s defeat by Oleksandr Usyk, adding that he believes “AJ” will be beaten by the Ukrainian again in a rematch.
Joshua was comprehensively outpointed by Usyk in London in September, losing the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO titles to the undefeated southpaw in the process.
Joshua has since triggered a rematch clause to face Usyk again, but Tyson Fury’s promoter Warren is doubtful that the Briton can reverse the result – even if “AJ” does hire a new trainer as is expected.
“I do fancy Usyk in the rematch, I did feel that Joshua’s corner got it wrong in the last fight,” Warren told Boxing Social. ‘I don’t think they got it right at all.
“I’ll be interested to see if ‘AJ’ does change his trainer, but irrespective of that he’s got a lot of things to work on, not just his trainer.
“His attitude in that fight, I don’t think was good. I don’t think he was doing what a big guy should have been doing.
“I feel Usyk’s got his number, I feel Usyk’s got an exceptional trainer in old man [Anatoly] Lomachenko – he’s a bloody good trainer – and I think they’ll be really up for this in more ways than one.”
Warren is set to promote Fury’s upcoming fight against Dillian Whyte, with Queensbury Promotions having won the purse bid for that all-British WBC title clash.
Fury is expected to defend the belt against mandatory challenger and interim champion Whyte in late April, either in Cardiff or London.
