Dillian Whyte has suggested Anthony Joshua is making a mistake by joining up with Oleksandr Usyk’s training team.
Joshua lost to Dubois by brutal KO last September, but will be finally returning to action before the end of 2025.
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Joshua and Paul will go head-to-head, but it will be a new-look set up for the British starCredit: Getty
Albeit, he will take on YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in a stunning clash on December 19 in Miami, which will largely provide financial benefit.
Joshua is keen to win the bout before pursuing a shot at becoming three-time heavyweight champion in 2026.
In a bid to change his fortunes, Joshua has once again switched trainer after spending three fights with Ben Davison.
He announced he would be reuniting with former two-time conqueror Usyk in a certain capacity, preparing for the bout in Spain with the Ukrainian’s team.
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Usyk beat Joshua twice in 2021 and 2022, and a link-up between the pair came as a surprise.
Particularly to Joshua’s former 2015 opponent Whyte, who is not convinced the move will pay off.
He told Clubhouse Boxing: “I think the biggest mistake AJ made was leaving Rob McCracken [in 2021/22].
“It seems like he’s wandering, he’s a bit lost, it seems like he’s looking for something that he’s not going to find in a boxing trainer, he needs to find it within himself, deep down within himself.
“No boxing trainer can help him with it. He seems lost at the moment.
“He’s over here training with one guy and then next he’s over there training with Usyk.
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Whyte is not impressed with Joshua’s latest powerplayCredit: Getty
“I mean bro, I’m not going to go and train with Ben Davison now because I lost to Moses Itauma.Â
‘You don’t go training with Usyk’s trainer because you lost to Usyk. You have to find what works best for you.
“Usyk’s got a completely different style so why does he think that’s going to work for him?”
Why has Anthony Joshua chosen to work with Oleksandr Usyk’s team?
It goes without saying, that Usyk is the leading operator in the division right now, having originally been crowned undisputed champion in July.
‘The Cat’ was also Joshua’s toughest opponent across the two bouts, and proved a challenge he couldn’t overcome.
Working with the Ukrainian’s team could help him improve his craft and become a more well-rounded boxer as he chases one last hoorah in the blue-riband division.
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Joshua has gone with the mentality that if you can’t beat them, you should join themCredit: AFP
And when explaining his decision, he said: “I said that London is a bit distracting for me, so I was invited to train with Team Usyk.
“I’ve been in Spain, we’ve been doing some good training, and I think he’s one of the best in the world. Not I think, he is one of the best in the world.
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“It’s not all down to him, it’s also down to his team that’s around him, so I linked up with them.
“Getting an insight into how someone who’s achieved so much has been phenomenal, it’s been a great experience and very challenging.”