Ex-Joshua coach refuses to back down from controversial comments

Robert Garcia has responded to Anthony Joshua’s criticisms over comments he made after the Brit’s second defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in August. Garcia put the loss down to Joshua being ‘mentally defeated’ in the later rounds, which AJ took exception to.

“Joshua was mentally defeated since round 10 or 11,” Garcia told IZQUIERDAZO at the time, “Round 10 was a big one for Usyk. That changed the whole fight, and mentally we were defeated.”

He added: “I have even thought in these last few days that it was Anthony Joshua who mentally defeated himself… In this fight, I think that Usyk was mentally stronger.”

Joshua later came out and admitted that he was ‘baffled’ by the comments and hinted that it was one of the main reasons he split with Garcia. But the renowned trainer refuses to back down on what he said.

Joshua has since linked up with new head coach Derrick James and is currently over in Texas working with him for his upcoming bout against Jermaine Franklin on April 1. When asked why he had made the switch from Garcia to James, Joshua told talkSPORT: “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.’”