Joshua vs. Usyk 2: Can Robert Garcia’s roughhouse tactics help Anthony?

By Boxing News - 06/01/2022 - Comments

By Barry Holbrook: Anthony Joshua has hired veteran coach Robert Garcia to take over his training to prepare him for arguably the biggest fight of his career in a rematch against unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.

Joshua might be wasting his replacing Rob McCracken with Robert Garcia because it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to teach those types of things. McCracken is well aware of what Joshua needs to do for the rematch with Usyk to impose his size & physicality on the smaller man.

It’s believed that Robert will work with Joshua (24-2, 22 KOs) on using his size & natural power advantage to rough up Usyk (19-0, 13 Kos) and set him up for a big shot.

Joshua, 32, will likely use the same tactics we saw from Tyson Fury in his fights against Deontay Wilder. You can expect to see a lot of clinching, leaning, rabbit punches, shoving, and perhaps even low blows.

After all, Joshua is trying to save his career, so anything goes for this fight. Unfortunately, AJ’s poor gas tank and his chin problem could limit the effectiveness of the roughhouse strategies that Robert Garcia will have him using.

If Joshua can’t take a solid shot from Usyk without his legs turning to jelly, it won’t help him to have Robert in his corner.

Likewise, Joshua won’t be able to fully employ Garcia’s tactics if he gasses out after three or four rounds like we saw last time he fought Usyk.

The Joshua vs. Usyk rematch date is still being decided, but the location is close to being finalized for Saudi Arabia.

It will be a hot one for boxing fans, but thankfully, the contest will take place indoors in an airconditioned stadium.

“It’s the biggest moment in Joshua’s career. If he can win this fight, he goes into phase three of his career,” said Gareth A Davies to iFL TV about Anthony Joshua and his attempt to rejuvenate his career against Oleksandr Usyk.

“Robert Garcia, the new trainer, isn’t going to win the fight for him, but given the fact that he trained Marcos Maidana and Brandon Rios, and they’re roughhouse fighters, it’s good for Anthony Joshua.

“I don’t know if he’ll go to America. I believe they’re flying him [Garcia] into here [UK] for his camp. We know he’s rough & ready and will take on anyone at the moment.

“I’m glad I haven’t insulted poor Anthony because I don’t want him knocking on my door and walking in in his socks and giving me a finger-wagging. It’s good to see that in him.

“All will be forgiven if he beats Oleksandr Usyk. This is a big, big fight for him. He can do it, but the problem is a boxer always out-thinks a puncher, and that’s what we’ve got here.

“He’s got to go in and win by being a puncher. We know the strategy of trying to outbox Usyk failed last time,” said Davies.

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