Anthony Joshua has admitted he gave coach Angel Fernandez the responsibility of picking a new trainer for his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.
Joshua, 32, is aiming to become a three-time heavyweight champion by winning his belts back from Usyk this Saturday, 11 months after losing them in London. Following his defeat, Joshua was encouraged to part ways with longtime trainer Robert McCracken and has since enlisted new head trainer in Robert Garcia.
The decision to partner with Garcia came after Joshua went on a coaching tour in the US, working with the likes of Eddie Reynoso and Virgil Hunter during his search for a new trainer. Ultimately the Brit partnered with Garcia and Joshua explained why he let Fernandez make the decision rather than himself.
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"He's experienced, he's trained a lot of fighters before," Joshua said of Garcia in an interview with Behind the Gloves. "He gets you throwing punches, he knows the big stage and that kind of stuff. Away from what I thought of Garcia, I rate all the trainers I went to see including him. I said to Angel, my head coach in London, 'Can you choose who you want to work with'.
"Angel has to be comfortable working with Garcia and Garcia has to be comfortable working with Angel in order for them to give me the best. I just can't think Garcia is good but Angel doesn't like him and I'm trying to make that relationship work. Those two get along well and it's worked really well."
Garcia has led several fighters to world titles during his coaching career, including Marcos Maidana, Nonito Donaire and brother Mikey. Fernandez has been working with Joshua since before his shock loss to Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019 and was in the corner for his defeat by Usyk. Joshua said his new trainer needed to have a good relationship with Fernandez, which is why he put the decision of enlisting a trainer up to his coach.
"They have to got to do strategic planning, sparring reviews when they are watching it," Joshua continued. "They've got to sit down a lot together so I thought it's important for Angel to make the decision of who he wants to work with. Angel decided Garcia was good and I agreed, I said 'yeah man, I'm down for that' and it's been a good relationship."
