Anthony Joshua names reason he axed trainer Rob McCracken after Oleksandr Usyk loss

Anthony Joshua has revealed that he replaced his long-time coach Rob McCracken with Robert Garcia in order to create a happy environment. ‘AJ’ ended his 10-year relationship with McCracken in May and enlisted the services of Garcia after touring multiple US gyms in search of a new trainer.

The pair had worked together for the entirety of Joshua’s professional career and his last two years as an elite amateur. Under the former GB boxing performance director Joshua won an Olympic gold medal, and had two reigns as heavyweight world champion. But after sustaining the second loss of his professional career against Oleksandr Usyk, Joshua claimed it was time for a change.

Speaking to The Sun, he said: “This time around, rather than taking control, I learned that what I want is not as important as what the coach wants. The coach has to be able to work in an environment where he can teach me.

“I was willing to hand over the reins to guys and say ‘we need to work on x, y and z. But I want you guys to make the decisions’. I am a sponge, I will learn from anyone, so I let them control the environment and – as long as it is a happy environment – I will get a good workout.

He added: “He [McCracken] would obviously say things like ‘hands up’ or ‘slip there’. But Angel and Robert Garcia break things down more. Now I might get told ‘in this round, perfect that f****** jab. The goal in this round is to get that jab popping.

“The next goal is to tilt more when you throw the right hand’. It’s more tactical like that, so there is reasoning behind the method. It’s a lot to remember, it can be a bit brain fatiguing but nothing will fatigue me more than being in that ring and going through it for 12 rounds, for real, so I have to go through it.”