ANTHONY JOSHUA has been urged by his former trainer to take a few confidence-building fights before facing Deontay Wilder.
Wilder’s manager Shelly Finkel and coach Malik Scott have opened the door to a bout with AJ, who is coming off two losses to Oleksandr Usyk.
For the second of those, esteemed US cornerman Robert Garcia watched on as Joshua was bettered on points in Saudi Arabia.
AJ and Garcia have now split with the heavyweight once again searching for a new team ahead of his return this year.
And he has been advised against jumping into a super-fight with Wilder until his confidence and belief is back.
Garcia told IZQUIERDAZO: “One thing that I told them, and I tell them again now, is that I don’t recommend them to look for a big fight immediately.
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“Anthony is a huge star in Europe, one of the biggest in history. He should look for two or three fights a little more adequate, I don’t want to say easy, because there are no easy fights, but he needs a more adequate fight.
“He needs to regain confidence, and get used to a new trainer, because it was a big challenge to get a new trainer and go directly against Usyk, as was in my case.
“It’s not only a challenge for AJ, but also for me, to go into a rematch after being dominated in the first fight. It was difficult.”
Promoter Eddie Hearn revealed Joshua is in line to return in April against a top 15 contender.
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A summer Dillian Whyte, 34, rematch, who AJ knocked out in 2015, could follow before an end of year blockbuster with Wilder, 37.
Garcia is not likely to be in the corner for any of them after his departure from Joshua’s camp.
And he cannot split his former fighter with ex-WBC champion Wilder, who knocked out Robert Helenius, 38, in round one of his October comeback.
Garcia said: “I think that is a fight that wouldn’t go to the scorecards – both of them hit hard.
“Many may think that Wilder is going to knock out AJ, but I think that whoever hits first.
“I worked with Anthony, and he hits hard. I have never felt Wilder’s power, but it looks like a hard punch. But Anthony’s punching power is very strong.
“I think that he has the same punching power, it can’t be less strong than Wilder. So I think that whoever hits first [wins].”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
