Robert Garcia trained Anthony Joshua for his rematch against Oleksandr Usyk, and after the fight, the two parted ways. This past week, Garcia was in Fresno, California as he cornered star junior welterweight boxer Jose Ramirez, as well as Raymond “Danger” Muratalla, and shared his thoughts on Joshua's upcoming bout, Saturday, April 1st, against Jermane Franklin.
Garcia is one of the most powerful people in the sport of boxing and on top of that one of the most well-respected in the industry. Always optimistic, yet mixed with a lot of realism, Robert Garcia's interviews are coveted like water in the desert as hardly ever does he hold back how he truly feels. This was no different.
For this fight, as Garcia alluded to, Anthony Joshua has left the United Kingdom and set foot in Derrick James' elite training facility to prepare for his career rebuild after losing two straight fights to Oleksandr Usyk. The bout this Saturday will see Joshua facing Jermane Franklin, a man who lost to Dillian Whyte, but won the hearts of the fans, as many scored the bout for Franklin. Though a cynic could call it a “tune-up fight”, an expert might call this a “trap fight” as Joshua has a lot to lose in this fight and not really as much to gain, hence why Garcia praised the move to the United States to get ready.
“It is exactly what [Joshua] needed,” furthered Robert Garcia. “[Joshua] did it!”
Joshua has been training alongside the likes of Errol Spence Jr., Jermell Charlo, and Frank Martin, all of which are trained by Derrick James. Joshua is obviously one of the biggest names in the sport, but for this camp, Joshua has trained with one of the most high-profile and successful teams in the sport of boxing. Garcia believes that we will see a big difference with Joshua on Saturday night.
“[Joshua] is in a great camp [training with Derrick James], a great trainer with great champions around him,” stated Garcia very sincerely. “So, I think you guys will see a big difference."
