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Boxing

Is Anthony Joshua boxing's most powerful heavyweight? Robert Garcia, his new trainer, has his say

Alexander Netherton
Is Anthony Joshua boxing's most powerful heavyweight? Robert Garcia, his new trainer, has his sayMark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing

American trainer Robert Garcia believes that Anthony Joshua has ‘insane power’ and will be ready to fight Oleksandr Usyk in their rematch.

Joshua will aim to reclaim the IBF, WBA and WBO belts on August 20 in Saudi Arabia, and has brought Garcia into his training setup, as well as promoting Angel Fernandez.

The heavyweight was criticised for trying to outbox Ukrainian former undisputed cruiserweight champion Usyk, with many believing he should have used his size and strength advantages.

“Week by week, we see a lot of improvement in Anthony Joshua and five weeks left of hard training. He’s going to get better & better, so by the time the fight comes, he’s going to be 100% ready,” Garcia told Secondsout.

“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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Garcia added: “He’s got insane power, probably more than anyone in the division. So use it, why not? Look for that power punch; look to hurt his opponent.

“I’ve been here [the UK] for two months already, and we still have six weeks left, but I’ve been coming back and forth since December. We’ve been working on the same things since last December, so I think that’s more than enough time.

“Angel Fernandez also does a great job. We’re always communicating about what he’s doing, and he’s doing exactly what the plan is. So, I think we’ll be more than ready.”