Anthony Joshua has parted ways with coach Robert Garcia, and promoter Eddie Hearn has confirmed that the Brit is forming a new team in the United States, glamsquad reports.
This is not AJ’s first time sacking his team. Following his first defeat to Oleksandr Usyk, he parted ways with his long-term trainer Rob McCracken.
Joshua vs. Usyk took place on September 25, 2021, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Ukrainian boxer was victorious by unanimous decision.
Following the humiliating defeat, AJ immediately invoked his contract’s rematch clause and embarked on a Stateside tour to find himself a new coaching team.
He worked with Virgil Hunter, Ronnie Shields, and Eddy Reynoso before deciding to work with Garcia, a highly regarded Mexican-American coach with a long list of world champions on his resume.
Garcia was mistranslated as criticizing Joshua in a Spanish interview, sparking rumors of a split.
Hearn confirmed the news to Behind The Gloves, saying, ‘No, he is good.’ He is currently in America working on his new team.
‘He’s putting that together, and then we’ll find an opponent, and the date is pretty much set.’ It’s mostly resolved, and we’re looking forward to seeing him again.’
AJ is said to have had some disagreements with Garcia, and the two did not always see eye to eye in the build-up to the Usyk II fight.
‘I’ve heard they haven’t seen eye to eye the whole time,’ said reporter Gareth A. Davies of AJ’s relationship with Garcia to Behind The Gloves.
‘This is a new relationship.’ You’re working things out in the second relationship. That’s fantastic news for me. They’ve been working on his self-esteem. Change the momentum from the first fight because trying to box Usyk was the wrong game plan.
‘Be aggressive, dirty, push him around, close the space, let your hands go, but with educated pressure.’ Usyk anticipates Joshua’s actions. He’s going to be more physical with him and let his hands go a little more.
‘He’s not going to stand back and try to jab him, closing the space.’ Usyk is up against a formidable Adonis, a bigger, heavier, and stronger man with very heavy hands.
‘So he’s preparing for that, and I believe he also wants to finish the fight and fight fire with fire.’ He’s confident in his ability to pull it off. He has to be tough in there.
‘Perhaps he doesn’t want to go the full 12 rounds this time.’ ‘I don’t think he’s 20 kilos heavier, but he looks thicker around the torso and stronger,’ Davies said of Usyk. ‘
Next year, Joshua is expected to return to the ring.