In what some might say is a conversation more suited to the privacy of the gym, Robert Garcia questioned his boxer’s mentality.
Speaking to Mexican boxing news agency IzquierdazoAnthony Joshua’s new coach begins by saying that he is as aware as the rest of us that he is witnessing something special from the Ukrainian champion in round 10.
“Joshua has been mentally beaten since the tenth or eleventh round. Round 10 was a big round for Usyk. That changed the whole war, and mentally we were defeated. At that point, we believed in a good shot or something like that, because Anthony is a tough puncher, and one hit can change a fight. That’s what we were hoping for, for once, because he [AJ] was dominated at that time of the war. “
“The game went well for us, but the tenth round changed everything. The final three innings of the war were game-changing matches. In the ninth round, we were close to winning, maybe even by knockout. Through the ninth round, we won the battle on the judges’ scorecards, but it was decided in the final rounds. Usyk is a great boxer, with a big heart, who knows how to finish strong, just like the champions do.”
Garcia, who has coached multiple world champions, went on to say he wasn’t sure if the physical or mental fatigue on AJ helped Usyk dominate the championship rounds.
“I even thought in the last few days that it was Anthony Joshua who beat himself up mentally. In the ninth round, Joshua threw a lot of punches, and almost knocked Usyk out. Perhaps, he emptied [in trying to finish Usyk off]but maybe it was just Usyk that got stronger and more motivated by the tenth inning, we don’t know. “
“During this fight, I think Usyk was stronger mentally. I think he got stronger, to the point that after getting close to the knockout stage, instead of giving up, he came back stronger. His will and desire to prove to his country that he couldn’t let himself lose the war, drove him back. He wanted to give a message to his country, to all that was going on there. He is a great inspiration to them. His mind is what makes him turn the tide in the fight and lead him to victory. And I think Anthony’s mind is a bit weaker than Usyk’s, because instead of going out stronger, his mind and fatigue play games with him.”
The Mexican coach then shared the corner strategy he uses when the mentality of a boxer is shooting. In the end, as boxing fans around the world know, it didn’t work out.
“Because of my own experience, I can tell when a boxer is mentally defeated. In such a situation, the instructions have no effect, because the warrior does not listen anymore, his mind collapses. What we did with Anthony was try to motivate him, not teach him how to win the fight. You have to instill images, like his family, for him to work, but that doesn’t work out either.”
It is not known for certain, but it is probably safe to assume that Garcia informed all of this to AJ himself. He was brought in specifically for this fight, with Joshua touring the US looking for trainers before making that decision. Eddie Hearn, the promoter for Brit, has revealed that he wants a packed fight schedule for the boxer. It will be interesting to see who is in his corner when the first one arrives.
