Anthony Joshua hits back at criticism from ex-coach: "I'm not a little boy"

10 February 2023 , 16:00

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Anthony Joshua hits back at criticism from ex-coach: "I'm not a little boy"

Anthony Joshua has been left baffled by ex-coach Robert Garcia's criticism of his mentality after losing to Oleksandr Usyk.

Joshua lost to Usyk in his heavyweight rematch last year after linking up with Garcia in an attempt to overturn his previous loss - but came up short. 'AJ' will return to action after six months away from the ring when he takes on Jermaine Franklin on April 1 at London's O2 arena with an eye on returning to challenging for world titles.

Ahead of his comeback outing, Joshua has made a decision to link up with yet another new trainer in Derrick James after parting ways with Garcia. This may have come in tandem with the American's comments which claimed Joshua showed signs of mental fragility after losing for the second time to the Ukrainian.

“Joshua was mentally defeated since round 10 or 11,” Garcia told IZQUIERDAZO. “Round 10 was a big one for Usyk. That changed the whole fight, and mentally we were defeated. I have even thought in these last few days that it was Anthony Joshua who mentally defeated himself."

Despite claims that the interview was mistranslated, Joshua has been clearly taken aback by the criticism and decided to relocate to Texas and appoint 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 boy. I can take it, but at the same time – I can’t talk about you, and you not back yourself.

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"So, I said, ‘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.

Anthony Joshua has hit back at ex-trainer Robert Garcia (Shaun Brooks/Action Plus/REX/Shutterstock)

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"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.'”

Joshua could set up bigger and better fights before the end of the year if he is to revive his form in the heavyweight division with a win over Franklin. Dillian Whyte is set to be next in line for the pair to clash in an all-British rematch this summer, with Joshua also keen on a potential mega-fight with Deontay Wilder who has expressed his interest in staging an event.

Ben Davies