Anthony Joshua took aim at former trainer Robert Garcia during the launch press event for his upcoming clash with Jermaine Franklin. The Watford powerhouse received massive praise from current head coach Derrick James for his dedication and commitment – something Garcia claimed the Brit needed to work on.
James described his experience with Joshua as ‘eye opening’ and praised his new student’s ‘ability to soak up information’ and ‘drive himself so hard in training’. When AJ heard about James’ assessment he smiled and levelled a dig at his old lead Garcia.
“It’s quite interesting. I’m surprised because Garcia said the complete opposite about me,” he told assembled media. “So, that’s quite interesting. Yeah, like I’m hard to work with, I dictate my training, this and that. So, that’s quite interesting that. I work hard under every coach I work with.”
Joshua and Garcia worked together for the second Oleksandr Usyk fight. Despite showing marked improvements under the former world champion boxer, Joshua opted to part company and instead recruit the services of James.
It was unclear why the split had occurred for a time, but Joshua has since hinted that it had something to do with Garcia’s post-fight comments about him.
Speaking to talkSPORT, he said: “I just felt like, Garcia kind of said a lot, which baffled me as well. But I’m not a little – what’s a word I can use on this show? – I’m not a little boy.
“I can take it, but at the same time – I can’t talk about you, and you not back yourself. So, I said, ‘Rah, some things aren’t adding up to me, certain things that people are saying aren’t adding up.’So, the second time I just said, ‘I’m going to make the decision this time, I’m going do it myself.’ And that’s how I ended up being in this position now where I am based in Texas.
“Going from the process of trying to do it, it not working, then doing it a different way but giving the coach the reins to do it. And then the third time I said, ‘I’m gonna do it my way and step away from everything.’”
A particular interview with Izquierdazo raised a few eyebrows with Garcia claiming AJ had lost the fight in the championship rounds because he had ‘mentally defeated himself’. The particular comments Joshua was referring to on Monday came from the same interview and are as follows: “He’s a natural athlete, he’s an athlete who accomplished so much. He did not need to be so strict in his commitments, in the gym, in the training spaces, with the coach.”
“When these types of fights arrive with fighters of another level, stronger, tougher fights, in reality he should go through with a different, stricter camp, where he follows the directions,” Garcia added.
READ MORE: Amazon’s 3-day sale is now on – top deals on electronics, home and fashion