"Which heavyweight has he trained?" - Bob Arum doubts whether Robert Garcia's guidance will benefit Anthony Joshua against Oleksandr Usyk
Bob Arum is not convinced that the addition of Robert Garcia to Anthony Joshua's team will help the British star defeat Oleksandr Usyk in the pair's rematch later this month.
Usyk and Joshua are set to clash on August 20 in Jeddah. The Ukrainian dominated 'AJ' in the first bout to claim a 12round unanimous decision and capture the IBF, IBO, WBA and WBO heavyweight championships. The Brit was close to being stopped in the final round, only to be saved by the bell.
Watch the full fight replay of Anthony Joshua vs. Oleksandr Usyk 1:
Following his loss, Joshua was criticized for his lack of aggression against Usyk. This led to 'AJ' bringing in Garcia in an attempt to develop his ability to generate offense while moving forward in the rematch.
However, Arum has questioned Garcia's credentials by mentioning his lack of experience training top-tier heavyweights. Here is what the Top Rank promoter said in an interview with ESNEWS:
"I think Usyk is gonna win... Robert Garcia is a great trainer. But which heavyweight has he trained? So again, I just think Usyk is the better fighter, and [if I were to ber] that fight, I would have to bet Usyk."
Watch the full interview below:
Robert Garcia on linking up with Anthony Joshua ahead of Oleksandr Usyk rematch
When previously interviewed about working with Anthony Joshua for the Usyk rematch, Garcia seemed confident with their preparation. The Mexican trainer had the following to say about a potential gameplan:
"He was holding back a little too much in the previous fight. He was focusing on just boxing, but he could also be an aggressive fighter... We might even end up having to box a little bit, but you know he also has the power, the height, the reach, to be aggressive too."
Watch Garcia's full interview with Matchroom Boxing:
Regardless, 'AJ' is not the only one who appears to be taking a different approach in the second encounter. Recent online media has shown Usyk to be looking much more muscular than he did in the first bout.
@Usykaa]Oleksandr Usyk less than two weeks out from the Anthony Joshua rematch…
[🎥 @Usykaa] https://t.co/ZSIJqWaCf4
It is plausible that the Ukrainian will come in at his heaviest weight ever after tipping the scales at just over 221 pounds last September.