Robert Garcia is set to remain as coach of Anthony Joshua as the British heavyweight plans his return to the ring. Many feared that a second defeat by Ukrainian heavyweight Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia last weekend might bring about the end of Joshua’s professional boxing career, but he hopes to bounce straight back later this year.
Joshua showed improvements under new coach Garcia from his first defeat against Usyk and plans to keep the American in his corner for his next fight. “It was something that I liked in him,” Garcia told IZQUIERDAZO when talking about Joshua wanting an immediate return to the ring.
“Regularly, after a tough fight like this one, a fighter wants to rest four, five, or six months, doing nothing. And then, resume training to fight eight or ten months later. Anthony (Joshua) wants to fight again in November, but (Eddie) Hearn wants December. I think December is better.
“If the fight is in December, there is not much time left, just four months. He can rest for a couple of weeks, but we will keep training, and be in better form for December.” In the aftermath of AJ’s first defeat to Usyk in London last September the British heavyweight replace long-term trainer Rob McCracken with Garcia after touring American gyms searching for a new coach.
However, after the British heavyweight’s second defeat to Usyk last weekend Garcia criticised his boxer and said Joshua had been disrespectful to his opponent after losing the fight by a split judges’ decision. AJ threw two of the Ukrainian’s world title belts out of the ring and stormed off, only to return to the ring moments later to deliver an emotional speech.
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