Anthony Joshua to continue training with Rob McCracken despite criticism

The British boxer has been working with McCracken since he was an amateur, but the trainer received criticism following Joshua's first professional defeat to underdog Ruiz in New York last Saturday.

Former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis was quick to condemn McCracken following the fight, encouraging Joshua to change his coach.

The 53-year-old tweeted: "I say u can’t go to university with your third grade teacher. They won’t have the answers you need at that level. You need a professor by then."

Joshua released a video on his YouTube channel in response to his defeat.

“I took my first (professional) loss. How to explain that feeling? It has happened to me before but I feel like those times I lost years back have made me a stronger person,” Joshua stated in the video.

“It hasn’t really changed me, my work ethic, my mindset, what I stand for, the people I’m still loyal to – my trainer Rob McCracken, my amateur coach at Finchley ABC. I’m still going to work with these guys, they’ll teach me everything I need to know.

“They’ve done a great job for me not only inside the boxing ring but mainly as a human. They’ve really developed me as a person which is really important. These guys have been with me for years.”

“There was no contaminated food. I know there’s a lot of accusations or worries about what was wrong with me,” Joshua added.

“But I want to tell you this – I’m a soldier and I have to take my ups and my downs. And on Saturday I took a loss and I have to take it like a man. I have to take my loss like a man, no blaming anyone or anything.

“I’m the one who went in there to perform and my performance didn’t go to plan. I’m the one who has to adjust, analyse and do my best to correct it and get the job done in the re-match.

“Boxing is a part of my life and I’m a champion at heart. Congratulations to Andy Ruiz, he has six months or so to be champion because the belts go in the air and he has to defend them against myself.”

Promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed that Joshua will face Ruiz in a rematch to reclaim his world heavyweight titles in November or December this year.