By: Sean Crose
“He’s a born athlete, he’s an accomplished athlete,” coach Robert Garcia recently said. Izquierdazo (in Spanish), “that he doesn’t have to be so strict in his commitments, in the gym, in the training space, with the coach.” If that was the case when Joshua trained with Garcia for his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk last summer, Joshua clearly misjudged what was needed to regain the belt Usyk had won a year earlier. . For the second Joshua-Usyk match ended up being the same as the first, with Usyk winning by the referee’s card.
According to Garcia, the training “was a little bit easier for him (Joshua) than for any other boxer…so that’s something he’s used to.” Sure, before losing to Usyk, Joshua had only lost once before, and that was Andy Ruiz, whom Joshua easily handled and defeated in a rematch against Saudi Arabia six months later. In other words, combat preparation had never been a real test for Joshua before he met Usyk. “Since everything was given to him so easily and quickly, he thought that was the way to do it,” Garcia added, “you don’t have to do it any other way.”
According to Garcia, Joshua will have to give his best both in the ring and in the gym if he is to compete with the best in the sport.
“When these kinds of fights happen to fighters at a different level, the fights are stronger, more difficult, in fact, he should go through another, more rigorous camp,” said the coach who America said, “where he followed instructions.” While Garcia admits that Joshua is a talented and hardworking athlete, he will need to change things up when he is about to face big talent.
“Even though he (Joshua) is a dedicated fighter who always does and listens to what is told, he probably thinks ‘I am a champion without too much, without too much. responsibility’,” Garcia said. After two consecutive losses to Usyk, that’s not the attitude Joshua or any other fighter should have. Perhaps that is why the towering Briton is currently on the hunt for a new coach, possibly Roy Jones. Then again, maybe he’ll go back to Garcia and come up with a new game plan. With the heavyweight division offering countless dangerous challenges, Joshua was forced to return to the ring at his best.
