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Boxing

Can Robert Garcia make Anthony Joshua more aggressive for Oleksandr Usyk rematch?

Can Robert Garcia make Anthony Joshua more aggressive for Oleksandr Usyk rematch?DAZN

It's no secret that Anthony Joshua needs to change his approach for his August 20 rematch against unified world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk. 

Joshua lost his WBA, WBO and IBF world heavyweight titles to the Ukrainian last September at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Following the loss, a number of changes were made to Joshua's camp, including the removal of head trainer Robert McCracken who was replaced by Angel Fernandez and Robert Garcia. 

The introducion of Garcia to preparations has led to some expecting a more aggressive Joshua in next month's fight and when speaking to Seconds Out, the 47-year-old trainer believes the former world champion had the wrong gameplan for the first encounter with Usyk. 

"You know what? I think he wasn’t thinking and prepared to win the fight. From what he told me, he was just thinking of going all 12 rounds. He never thought, ‘I got to win the fight. I just need to go 12 rounds.’ So that makes a big difference," Garcia said.

"Now, he’s thinking of winning and thinking of hurting somebody. That’s the most important thing. He’s got to be confident with his team.

"Week by week, we see a lot of improvement in Anthony Joshua. He’s going to get better and better, so by the time the fight comes, he’s going to be 100 percent ready.

"He’s got to be with a team that wants him to win, wants him to perform, and wants him to be a little bit tougher. I think that’s what I bring in. Me and Angel Fernandez are pushing him to be aggressive, to be a mean guy in the ring, to hurt anyone in front of him. He’s been doing that lately, and I’m very happy and pleased with how things are going."

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