ANTHONY JOSHUA been urged to head straight into a rematch with Daniel Dubois – by the coach who predicted his knockout defeat.
Dubois knocked AJ out in round five with a crushing right hand – something trainer Shane McGuigan saw coming.
But McGuigan has actually advised Joshua against returning in confidence-building bouts and instead take on Dubois ASAP.
He told Boxing News: “I think he should do it straight away.
“Because he’s 34/45 for him to box a Dillian Whyte or just another opponent to get confidence like, I mean this is the thing what did [Robert] Helenius, [Jermaine] Franklin, [Otto] Wallin and [Francis] Ngannou do?
“What did they do for him? They didn’t do s*** for him. Like, let’s be real it didn’t change that performance on Saturday night.
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“It changed his mentality through camp before that performance. But, was that a good thing? Maybe not.
“Maybe that took away from like him understanding the dangers of world-class boxing.
“I think he should rematch him and I think he can beat him if he gets it right.”
Joshua, 34, was down FOUR times in the fight as Dubois, 27, scored a stunning upset in front of a British-record 98,000 at Wembley.
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AJ’s coach Ben Davison came under criticism for urging his man to “roll the dice” and look to land the right uppercut.
McGuigan was working for BBC radio on the night and predicted how those tactics could – and eventually did – end in disaster.
He said on the night: “I think that’s dangerous advice there to be honest.
“Getting him to bring him up off the double jab, Daniel throws that right hand straight off that double jab.
“And by bringing it up he means an uppercut, he’s going to walk himself straight onto his short right hand.
“If you ask me I would say keep your hands up tight and get through these next two rounds and then use your athleticism late down the stretch.”
Joshua refused retirement in the aftermath of his defeat and immediately held talks for his boxing return.
And a rematch with Dubois looks to be on the cards after Saudi Arabia’s boxing supremo Turki Alalshikh gave the green light.
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
