Former heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman says Anthony Joshua needs to replace trainer Ben Davison with Lennox Lewis following AJ’s fifth knockout loss to Danel Dubois on Saturday night. Rahman blames Joshua’s defeat on him coming out “passive” against IBF heavyweight champion Dubois (22-2, 21 KO), and he feels that was a mistake.
(Credit: Mark Robinson / Matchroom Boxing)
Rahman feels Joshua can’t do well with former unified heavyweight champion Lewis, but he thinks he’s the best guy for him at this point to fight back.
If Joshua doesn’t want to replace Ben officially, he can add Lewis as a second coach and have him give tips. 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 cannot afford to keep losing again. He needs someone who has been there, like Lennox. If Joshua chooses to stick with Ben Davison out of loyalty, he might regret it later.
There were reports that Davison told Joshua to throw two jabs followed by an uppercut going into the fifth round. Joshua was knocked down when he tried to throw an uppercut in the fifth round, which was countered by a right from Dubois. If that report is correct, what a mistake. That was even worse than Joshua going out in the first round and fighting passively.
We still don’t know if Joshua will choose to fight Dubois in a rematch later because his promoter, Eddie Hearn, said he wanted to wait until after the Dec. 21 fight between unified champion Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury to play before decide which. later
“Dubois’ way of fighting, comes with reckless abandon. He comes with bad intentions, trying to get you out,” Hasim Rahman told Fighthypereacts to Anthony Joshua’s loss to Daniel Dubois. “I think Joshua fought a little passively. That’s why he got caught with a shot.”
Joshua has only fought 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 that he used this approach. Was that Ben Davison’s game plan? If so, that’s another reason to replace him.
“I think Anthony Joshua needs a different trainer. I know there are trainers who don’t necessarily agree, but I believe Lennox Lewis can take him to the world heavyweight championship,” said Rahman.
“I think Lennox would be the best trainer for Anthony Joshua. So, whatever disagreements they have, they can put them aside and make an all-British dream team and come back and win the title a third time. I think Lennox is the man for Anthony. I know Lennox would do that, and I think they would create a dream team together,” Rahman said.
Adding Lewis to Joshua’s team might not help the situation because AJ’s chin would still be as vulnerable as before. But at least if Joshua had Lewis in his corner, he would have fought more aggressively and wouldn’t have had game plans that didn’t focus on his strengths.
“The most important thing is experience. He has been in the situation that Anthony is currently in, and he knows how to come back,” said Rahman. “He’s come out on top every time he’s been in that situation. Just 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 win back that three-time heavyweight championship,” Rahman said.
If Joshua is going to be loyal to Ben outside of their friendship, he may not feel comfortable letting him go. I have to do something because being with Ben feels like a sinking ship.
