ANTHONY JOSHUA's problems inside the ring stem from a lack of "heart", a former world champion has claimed.
The former two-time unified heavyweight champion has looked a shell of oldself since his spectacular upset defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr in the summer of 2019.
Joshua, 33, has been somewhat hesitant to stay in the pocket since being chinned at MSG, a reluctance which was on show in his recent fights with Oleksandr Usyk and Jermaine Franklin.
Many have attributed the Watford warrior's hesitancy to a fear of being knocked out, although former super-featherweight king Shakur Stevenson thinks otherwise.
During an appearance on The Breakfast Club, he said: "With him, I think he’s got a heart problem.
“Usyk is a little guy, and he’s supposed to impose his will, but he didn’t impose his will.
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"I think he has got potential though.”
Joshua bounced back from consecutive points defeats to pound-for-pound king Usyk with a scrappy win over Franklin in April.
Team AJ are hoping to have the Olympian throw down with long-time rival Dillian Whyte in August ahead of a December dust-up with Deontay Wilder.
But Wilder's coach Malik Scott has suggested the multi-million-pound Saudi showdown WON'T come to fruition.
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The Bronze Bomber's trainer told ESNEWS: “That’s the buzz fight right now.
"And it’s looking like that might be the route we end up going.
"Deontay is in the position where so many big fights are lined up that anything or any opponent can possibly change.
"Andy Ruiz is definitely one of the main options right now and we’ll see where it lands at.
"In my opinion, I’d like to see it at the Crypto Centre and I like Vegas.”
He added: "We’ll see what happens, we’ve still got Anthony Joshua on the menu – all of them on the menu.
"Ruiz, Joshua, Usyk, and they all will get the same treatment. Big fights and exciting times.”
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