LENNOX LEWIS wishes he could guide Anthony Joshua out of his remote years – but he would welcome him into his three-time champions club.
The pair have clashed for much of the 34-year-old’s professional career, with AJ being insulted by some educated criticism from the 59-year-old and at one point even calling Lewis a “clown”.
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After a crushing loss to Andy Ruiz in 2019, AJ began adding unproven coaches to his proven team in an impossible attempt to recreate his style in the final stages of his career.
When Team GB mastermind Rob McCracken was axed after his first loss to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021, AJ needed a key man to replace ‘The General’ and his own Alex Ferguson.
Lewis – another London-born Olympic winner and three-time world champion – might have been the perfect candidate, but past controversies prevented the decision from being made.
Instead the yes-man and pad-man allowed the 18th knockout machine to waste his prime years trying to become a silky stylist overnight, until Ben Davison brought AJ back to his best last year.
Britain’s last undisputed heavyweight king told SunSport: “I would definitely have prevented it at the start.
“But there are a lot of complicated parts to it. People do things in their own way and the way they know how.
“The problem with a lot of boxers is that they are doing it for the first time, their managers and the people around them are doing it for the first time too. So they don’t try to get information from people who have done it. I think it’s a waste of time.
“A lot of boxers waste a lot of time and are loyal to the people who helped them get through.
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Joshua vs Dubois fight predictions
This weekend will see one of the greatest British battles ever staged at Wembley.
But who will emerge victorious under the leadership of this famous boxer? Some of boxing’s biggest names have had their say…
Oleksandr Usyk“My favourite is Anthony Joshua, but I’m really bad at making predictions. But I would predict Anthony Joshua.”
Dillion Whyte“I think it’s one of those fights where it’s really a 50/50 fight in my opinion.”
Joe Joyce: “I was initially going with Joshua but I don’t know, Dubois is coming forward.”
Frazer Clarke“As powerful as Dubois is and as good a fighter as he’s becoming, I’d still have to go for Joshua.”
Francis Ngannou: “Even though Joshua lost twice against Usyk and Dubois fought Usyk and almost knocked him out and almost won, I would still give this award to Joshua.”
Click here for more fight predictions for Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois
“But those people can only take them so far, then you have to go to people who have been there, know the business, know how to run the business and know all the tricks that can come up. Then you’re on a different level.”
Lewis is very selective about his media appearances, his time is precious and he chooses his words wisely.
He appears to suggest Joshua’s skin had become a little thinner when Lewis was asked to discuss his failure to fight Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury – and be crowned the four-belt king – before Usyk arrived.
And this whole sorry impasse could have been resolved with a quick phone call.
He explained his old saying with precision: “Sometimes I worry about when I say something that it comes out correctly.
“In the past I have said things that were taken the wrong way.
“But I’m a positive person and I don’t like to put people down, so for them to take it the wrong way without speaking to me first is a problem.”
If Lennox was the antagonist against A.J., now is the perfect time for him to vent his anger.
Daniel Dubois will defend his IBF belt against Joshua in an all-British heavyweight title fight at Wembley Stadium. And a win against underdog Dubois tomorrow would cement Joshua as one of the sport’s greatest heavyweights.
AJ previously held the WBA, IBF and WBO titles from March 2018 to July 2019 before taking the belts back from Ruiz later that year.
Only Muhammad Ali, Evander Holyfield and Lewis have ruled the blue-riband division three times, and their status in the sport is unquestioned anywhere in the world.
Joshua – who still doesn’t have Wilder and Fury on his CV despite two consecutive losses to Usyk – could be considered fortunate to make the trio a quartet.
But because of his victory at the London 2012 Olympics, his faultless conduct, the knockouts, the comebacks and the way he has grown the sport in this country, Lewis would happily step back and make room for his old verbal mate.
“Absolutely,” Lewis said when asked if AJ has what it takes to be one of the greatest boxers in boxing history. “I think it’s common knowledge.
“If a job is going to hire a graduate, will they hire them without checking the grades?
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“And people in boxing should also check the background achievements and how they got there.”
* Watch the Riyadh season card: Joshua vs Dubois, live on TNT Sports Box Office tomorrow from 4pm. For more information visit tntsports.co.uk/boxoffice
