Garcia: "After the first week with Joshua, I wanted to go home"

“After the first week of training camp, I wanted to go home, I was very upset,” said Robert Garcia, already a former coach Anthony Joshua (24-3, 22 KOs). Their partnership ended after just one fight. Despite the fact that in the rematch AJ looked a little better than in the first meeting with Oleksandr Usyk, but this was still not enough to win. The Ukrainian won on points for the second time and defended the IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight belts, which he had previously taken from Joshua.

“After a good ninth round, Usyk returned with a very strong tenth round. AJ was then morally broken, this changed the outcome of the battle. Usyk just turned out to be morally stronger, ”said Garcia after losing the rematch with Usyk.

“I was surprised by the words of Garcia that I was defeated mentally and physically. Therefore, I decided to make my own decision about a new coach, ”Joshua later admitted and hired Derrick James, who is now training him in Texas for the fight with Jermain Franklin (21-1, 14 KOs) on April 1 in London.

The former coach admitted that from the very beginning of cooperation with AJ they had certain difficulties.

“It turned out well, but it certainly could have been better. The camp started and suddenly a lot of people showed up. I was angry, I was upset, and a week later I told his team that I couldn't handle it. There were people who not only did not help, but even interfered. But I was persuaded to stay,” Garcia recalled.

After that, Joshua switched to James as a coach, and also moved his training from the UK to America to Dallas.

“Now he is in a good place, in a good gym, with a good coach, and I believe that he will return in good shape. One good win can quickly give him back his biggest fights," Garcia added.