Anthony Joshua "has not split" with trainer Rob McCracken despite US gym tour

Anthony Joshua "hasn't split" from trainer Rob McCracken according to his promoter Eddie Hearn.

The two-time world heavyweight champion's corner came in for a lot of criticism after he lost his unified belts to Oleksandr Usyk last month.

And rumours have swirled of a possible rift between Joshua and his team after the Brit was seen with a number of respected coaches during a trip around America.

But Hearn has insisted that he is still with McCracken, and is simply looking to learn from some top coaches as he prepares for a rematch with Usyk which will happen early next year.

Joshua has spent in time in California with top trainers Robert Garcia, Eddie Reynoso and Virgil Hunter, and headed to Texas to work with Ronnie Shields.

“He hasn’t split from Rob McCracken, he hasn’t decided that he’s going to join another trainer,” Hearn told iFL TV.

“I think he’s just trying to learn, he’s trying to look at his setup, trying to look at ways to improve and he’s working.

“He’s out there, putting the work in now every day getting ready for the rematch because he knows he must win this fight.

"It’s just a case of taking in information, but that wasn’t the reason for the trip."

Hearn insists that the trip is a holiday of sorts for Joshua, with some training and learning sprinkled in.

He claims that Joshua was taking some time away to chill out before heading back into a serious camp for his rematch with Usyk.

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"It wasn’t, ‘I’m going to America to find a new trainer'," Hearn continued..

"It was just, ‘I want some time away,' and he chilled out a little bit – he went to a couple of gyms.

"He went to see Canelo [Alvarez] to watch him spar, talk to him, met Eddy Reynoso.

"There was a number of gyms he went to, he saw Charlo and Ronnie Shields.

“It wasn’t to go and meet different trainers. It had more to do with the setup of where he trains as well.

"Does he need a new environment to train? Does he need a new energy?

"He’s making sure he’s in the position to win this fight, and he’ll leave no stone unturned.”

The rematch clause, that Joshua was contractually allowed for the Usyk fight, was officially triggered earlier this month, and the bout could take place as early as March or April next year.

Joshua will need to make a number of changes after being comprehensively outboxed in his last bout with Usyk at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium last month.

Usyk was an unbeaten, undisputed cruiserweight champion with an Olympic gold medal, but his lacklustre outings since moving to heavyweight made him an underdog against Joshua.

But he showed his immense boxing skill on the night in front of 63,000+ fans in London, and took the belts, becoming one of only three men to win gold at cruiserweight and heavyweight.

David Haye and Evander Holyfield had achieved the monstrous feat during their careers, but neither had been undisputed at cruiserweight before making the move up.

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