Anthony Joshua has been told that a year out of boxing will do him good. Former world champion boxer turned pundit Johnny Nelson believes AJ’s proposed early 2023 return date is too early and claims the Brit needs more time to mend his ‘broken’ mindset.
Joshua has lost three of his last five fights including consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk in his most recent outings. The Watford powerhouse recently split with trainer Robert Garcia after the rematch and is now on the lookout for a new lead in America.
So far, he has visited renowned coaches Derrick James and Virgil Hunter with a final decision expected to be made in the coming weeks.
Joshua is expected to return to the ring in March or April at the O2 Arena against a currently undisclosed opponent. Dillian Whyte is understood to be the frontrunner after his win over Jermaine Franklin last month with Otto Wallin also in contention.
“I think he should sit back, reset, spend time at many, many gyms, training, submerse himself in it, feel comfortable with it and say, ‘Now, I’ve reset, now I can do this.’ Look at what he’s achieved. He started boxing when he was 18 years old.
“He’s achieved ridiculously good things, but he’s still broken. He’s still not over the two losses from Usyk. He still has got to get his strength back, his belief back.
“AJ, he needs to reset. He needs to think, ‘I need to be back here again. He needs his motivation to fight, and he needs them for the right reasons because it’s not for the dollars. He has more money than you and I will ever spend.
“So, he’s got to do this because he wants to do this because he has a purpose to do this. He doesn’t just what to make up the numbers. So, these are the things that are coming into play right now.”
He added: “It’s to the point where even the fans are saying, ‘Oh God.’ AJ has lost two fights off a bounce, and now he’s got to sit back and think, ‘I’ve got to make the right decision.’ He needs to make it through the head, not the heart, because if he fights from the heart, he’s fighting for the wrong reason.”