Former unified heavyweight champion, Britain’s Anthony Joshua (24-2, 22 KOs) parted with long-term trainer Robert McCracken after his first defeat to Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk, and since then Joshua’s training situation has been the centre of wide speculation and debate. This period marked a significant turning point in Joshua’s career, prompting him to seek new guidance to regain his heavyweight titles.
The Robert Garcia Experiment and Usyk Rematch
It is understood that the British star turned to Californian Robert Garcia in early 2022, enlisting him to prepare for the highly anticipated rematch against Oleksandr Usyk. Garcia, a former Ring Magazine Trainer of the Year, was brought in with the explicit aim of transforming Joshua into a more aggressive fighter, leveraging his natural size and strength against the technically brilliant Usyk. The rematch, dubbed “Rage on the Red Sea,” took place on August 20, 2022, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Despite a more assertive performance from Joshua, who entered the ring with a professional record of 24 wins and 2 losses, he ultimately suffered another disappointing decision at the hands of the consensus P4P #1, Oleksandr Usyk (20-0, 13 KOs at the time), this time via a split decision. Following the second defeat to Usyk, Joshua and Garcia’s partnership concluded, with Garcia later expressing no regrets over his post-fight criticisms of Joshua’s performance.
Exploring New Avenues and Coaching Philosophies
After the second Usyk loss, Joshua was once again reconsidering who would train him and was understood to be exploring different options. In the last few days leading up to the original publication of this article in December 2022, AJ had been pictured working out at legendary Californian trainer Virgil Hunter‘s gym in Los Angeles. Joshua had previously visited Hunter’s gym in October 2021 as part of his initial search for a new coach after the first Usyk bout. Hunter famously coached former P4P #1, Andre Ward, to unified championships both at super middleweight and light heavyweight, and also worked with British phenom Amir Khan for over five years starting in 2012. Hunter also trains unbeaten light heavyweight contender Joshua Buatsi, whom Anthony Joshua manages and is close friends with, which helps explain the simplicity of Joshua training at Hunter’s gym even if there was no long-term plan. Beyond Hunter, boxing legend Roy Jones Jr had also revealed to boxing media in late 2022 that he was approached by Joshua to train him on a trial basis, offering a “long-term plan” and emphasizing the importance of chemistry between fighter and coach. It appeared that AJ was keen to work with as many different coaches as he could moving forward, attempting to learn from some of the best in the world, a sentiment he articulated himself: “You know, I locked myself down for 11 years with one coach, and now I just feel like I just want to learn as much as possible. I feel I’m in a position where I’m able to work with anyone. So, yeah, who knows what will happen next year.”
The Derrick James and Ben Davison Chapters: A Search for Consistency
The “next year” brought further changes for Joshua. In February 2023, it was officially announced that American trainer Derrick James would be Joshua’s new head coach. James, renowned for his work with elite fighters such as Errol Spence Jr. and Jermell Charlo, was seen by many, including Roy Jones Jr., as the “right man for the job” to help Joshua apply pressure effectively. Joshua, with a professional record of 24-3 (22 KOs), made his return to the ring on April 1, 2023, at The O2 Arena in London, facing Jermaine Franklin (21-1, 14 KOs). Franklin had previously put on a competitive, albeit losing, performance against Dillian Whyte. Joshua secured a comfortable unanimous decision victory (118-111, 117-111, 117-111). While some critics found Joshua’s performance tentative, James defended the tactics, stating they were part of the game plan. Joshua continued his rebuilding phase under James, defeating Robert Helenius by seventh-round knockout on August 12, 2023. Despite the wins, some observers still felt Joshua was holding back and not fully unleashing his power.
A surprising move saw Joshua part ways with Derrick James and team up with Ben Davison, a former trainer of Tyson Fury, for his December 23, 2023, fight against Otto Wallin. Under Davison’s tutelage, Joshua (26-3, 23 KOs) delivered arguably his most impressive performance in years, stopping Otto Wallin (26-1, 14 KOs) after five dominant rounds when Wallin’s corner retired him. This resurgence continued on March 8
