By: Sean Cross
Former heavyweight multi-titler Anthony Joshua is looking for a trainer. Indeed, there is nothing special about his mission. Fighters, often very successful fighters, change trainers all the time – often to good effect. For example, Sugar Hill Steward turned Joshua’s countryman Tyson Fury into a smash. The same can be said for Abel Sanchez, who turned Gennady Golovkin from an unknown European fighter into a middleweight terror. Indeed, there are endless examples of new trainers coming along and elevating the skill and skill of combatants. But the success rate is far from 100%.
Floyd Mayweather Siri has achieved impressive levels of success training his son Floyd Mayweather. However, he was unable to prevent former foe Ricky Hatton from falling to Manny Pacquiao in highlight reel fashion. The simple truth is that a coach can only do so much. Ultimately it depends on the fighter. After two well-deserved losses to Oleksandr Usyk, it’s fair to imagine that another trainer — his third since losing to Usyk in 2021 — would have Joshua back on the heavyweight heap by showing him off.
While there’s no doubt that Joshua is a superior fighter, it’s hard to see the Londoner being able to top Usyk’s walking skills at this point. But Usyk isn’t the only problem for Joshua. It’s also hard to see the man picking up Tyson Fury or surviving Deontay Wilder’s vicious power these days. Joshua’s skills are vast, but are they enough to stand the man up for victory once the dust settles around the current crop of heavyweights? All of which begs the question: Isn’t Joshua the only top talent on the modern heavyweight scene?
In fact, no one knows. While a new coach doesn’t guarantee success, it obviously doesn’t guarantee failure. Perhaps the man would have been better off staying with Robert Garcia, the venerable ring general who worked with Usyk for the second battle. After all, great partnerships don’t happen overnight. Or Joshua might find someone he likes more. Ultimately, he wants to find a coach who can help him beat the best competition in the business — as long as he has a credible chance to perform at that high level.
