Heavyweight boxing

ANTHONY JOSHUA was left “baffled” by comments made by his ex-trainer Robert Garcia following rematch defeat to Oleksandr Usyk. AJ parted ways with long-time coach Rob McCracken after first losing to Usyk in September 2021.
Anthony Joshua with former coach Robert GarciaCredit: Getty
And he hired former world champion-turned esteemed cornerman Garcia for the Saudi Arabia rematch last August.
But again AJ was bettered on points by Usyk, leading to questioning from Garcia in the aftermath.
In Spanish, he told IZQUIERDAZO: “Joshua was mentally defeated since round 10 or 11.
“Round 10 was a big one for Usyk. That changed the whole fight, and mentally we were defeated.”
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He added: “I have even thought in these last few days that it was Anthony Joshua who mentally defeated himself…
“In this fight, I think that Usyk was mentally stronger.”
Garcia would claim his comments were mistranslated but is still left Joshua puzzled.
He told talkSPORT: “I just felt like, Garcia kind of said a lot, which baffled me as well.
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“But I’m not a little – what’s a word I can use on this show? – I’m not a little boy.
“I can take it, but at the same time – I can’t talk about you, and you not back yourself.
“So I said, ‘Rah, some things aren’t adding up to me, certain things that people are saying aren’t adding up.’
“So the second time I just said, ‘I’m going to make the decision this time, I’m going do it myself.’
Credit: SUNSPORT
🥊 Anthony Joshua vs Jermaine Franklin – Date, live stream, TV channel and all you need to know about heavyweight bout
“And that’s how I ended up being in this position now where I am based in Texas.
“Going from the process of trying to do it, it not working, then doing it a different way but giving the coach the reigns to do it.
“And then the third time I said, ‘I’m gonna do it my way and step away from everything.’”
Joshua has now linked up with trainer of the year candidate Derrick James in Dallas.
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The pair will debut on April 1 in a return fight against Jermaine Franklin, 29, who was narrowly beaten by Dillian Whyte, 34, in November.
Joshua will for the first time in his career conduct his training camp soley abroad to avoid any home comforts.
Trainer Derrick James pictured with Anthony JoshuaCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun More

ANTHONY JOSHUA has hit back after Dillian Whyte accused him of dodging their rematch. Joshua is set to return on April 1 against Jermaine Franklin at the O2 Arena.
Anthony Joshua ahead of his fight with Jermain FranklinCredit: Rex
Dillian Whyte fumed at Anthony Joshua for not rematching himCredit: PA
But it comes after Whyte beat Franklin in a disputed decision in November, which AJ was ringside to watch.
Promoter Eddie Hearn more than hinted that the victor would earn the right to welcome Joshua back to the ring.
So when Franklin was selected over Whyte, the former WBC world title challenger was left fuming.
But Joshua responded to iD Boxing: “He’s not my mate.
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“I just think he waffles a bit; he has a lot to say. He needs to focus on his own career, focus on his own stuff.
“That’s just what I have to say about it, he has a lot to say.”
Joshua’s history with Whyte goes back to 2009 when he lost their amatuer slugfest.
But AJ gained redemption six years later by KO in their rematch and Hearn wants to line the two up for a trilogy decider in the summer.
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Credit: SUNSPORT
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Whyte told SunSport: “I am all right but facing the usual b******s, I just want to make some fights but it’s f***ing frustrating.
“Everyone was told, all the boxing fans, the winner of me and Franklin fights AJ, so this is a f***ed up thing.
“I would have been better off losing the Franklin fight and getting the AJ fight!”
He continued: “I know DAZN need content for their subscribers but why choose to fight a low-profile American coming off a loss instead of having a massive British tear-up?
“It’s no surprise to me that they have chosen April 1 for this battle of the fools.
“I faced Franklin, the most dangerous and undefeated version of him, and beat him.
“Eddie was promising him many millions to fight AJ if he beat me.
“It’s protecting AJ because they all know if he loses again he will probably jack it in and a lot of people will be left with limp d***s in their hands.”
Dillian Whyte narrowly beat Jermaine FranklinCredit: MATCHROOM BOXING
Anthony Joshua, Eddie Hearn and Jermaine FranklinCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun More

JERMAINE FRANKLIN is ready to knock out Anthony Joshua to avoid more heartbreak on British scorecards. Franklin lost to Dillian Whyte in November on a disputed points decision which AJ was ringside at Wembley Arena for.
Jermaine Franklin visiting SunSport HQCredit: Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
But the American’s performance and grace in defeat has earned him the chance to welcome Joshua back to the ring on April 1.
This time though, Franklin travels to London’s O2 Arena knowing victory will only be secured via total domination or a KO blow.
He told iFL TV: “I’m trying to knock AJ out. I know I’m probably not going to get no fair shake over here. That’s our mentality, kill.
“I don’t want to s*** on nobody, but we’ve already kind of been through that. We kind of just got through that situation.
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“Honestly, because I won the last fight on points. The CompuBox numbers say I outpunched him in almost every round, by four rounds and they gave him the fight.
“I feel like I’m in a position where I have to knock him out or dominate the whole fight, extremely dominate the whole fight.”
Joshua, 33, is coming off successive losses to pound-for-pound star Oleksandr Usyk, 36, ahead of his must-win comeback bout.
Meanwhile Franklin, 29, was forced to get over the sickening feeling of being robbed on the cards.
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Credit: SUNSPORT
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But he also takes exception to the tactics Whyte, 34, used and calls for better officiating against AJ.
He said: “I watched it probably like two-three times, I felt like I won. There was a lot of cheating going on in that damn fight.
“I was like, ‘Damn, I just need a bit of fairness.’ I kept getting clubbed, low-blows, headbutted, all types of s***.
“But as soon as I did something, the ref was on me. I was like, ‘Yeah, all I asked for was a fair shake.’
“I know I ain’t gonna get a fair shake on everything but at least keep me protected in the ring.
“That was the biggest thing I took from it, besides that I thought I easily won the fight 7-5.”
Anthony Joshua pictured with old rival Dillian WhyteCredit: https://twitter.com/DillianWhyte More

ANTHONY JOSHUA has not relocated to Texas for “coffees or bulls***” as he looks to rebuild his career away from home. AJ has linked up with trainer of the year contender Derrick James in Dallas ahead of his April 1 return fight.
Trainer Derrick James with Anthony JoshuaCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
Promoter Eddie Hearn said superstar Joshua could benefit from the comforts of being able to go to the cinema or cafe without being hounded.
But AJ admitted he has only seen the four gym walls after moving Stateside to complete his training camp.
He said: “I haven’t seen anything. I’m not there for anything else. I’m a serious person, I’m not there for anything else really.
“But one thing is for sure, throughout my career, this is probably the most serious time I’ve taken it.
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“In terms of my food, my sleep, the way I’m training, I study the game and everything I’ve learnt – me and Jermaine could chop it up and talk boxing for hours.
“Everything I’ve learnt about boxing, I’m always putting it into another camp, so everything I’ve been through – positive and negative – I’m using it to fuel this camp here.
“So I’m not really there to go out for coffees and talk about bulls***, I’m there to f****** work and put my head down and get ready for a fight.”
Joshua, 33, is coming off consecutive losses to pound-for-pound star Oleksandr Usyk, 36, most recently in Saudi Arabia in August.
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But he marks his return back at the O2 Arena – for the first time in seven years – against Franklin.
The American, 29, was beaten in a disputed decision by Dillian Whyte, 34, in November which AJ was ringside for.
And Joshua insisted he is coming back with a passion for the sport.
He said: “Going to the gym for a fighter is just a normal every day thing. So many fighters go to the gym every day.
Credit: SUNSPORT
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“But there’s a difference when you put your heart into it and I’ve had to get rid of a lot of distractions and things in my life so I can put my heart back into the game.
“Because I always built businesses outside of boxing because of the fear of going back to square one, so I always try to build an empire so when it’s all said and done, I will never be able to look back and say I made stupid decisions.
“But I made a conscious decision last year to step back and just put my heart back into boxing and nothing else.
“So I’ve definitely got that fire back going again.”
Anthony Joshua facing off against Jermaine FranklinCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun More

ANTHONY JOSHUA has wished Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk well in their pursuit of undisputed title glory. The pair of unbeaten champions are still in talks for the heavyweight division’s first four-belt unification.
Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua before their Saudi Arabia rematchCredit: PA
Tyson Fury is in talks to fight Oleksandr UsykCredit: Jamie McPhilimey – Commissioned by The Sun
AJ was on the cusp of fighting Fury for all the titles last year but went onto lose his straps against Usyk.
Despite missing out on his dream of undisputed gold, Joshua holds no grudges towards his divisional rivals.
He told BoxingSocial: “Good luck to both of them. I wish them well. It’s something that I dreamed of, I worked hard for.
“Didn’t get the opportunity, but since they’re blessed for that opportunity, I wish them both well.”
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Joshua was robbed of a unification against Fury in Saudi Arabia after the Gypsy King was ordered into a trilogy bout against Deontay Wilder.
Fury, 34, went on to knock out Wilder, 34, in their Las Vegas thriller.
But two weeks earlier, Joshua, 33, lost the WBA, IBF and WBO belts to Usyk, 36, and failed to regain them in their rematch in August.
It lines up Usyk and Fury to unify the division, while AJ returns on April 1 against Jermaine Franklin, 29.
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And Joshua seemed in no mood to predict a winner between Fury and Usyk.
He said to iFL TV: “I hope they can get it on. I don’t really wanna talk about it.
“Do you know what it is? My name’s spoken about a lot, I don’t need to speak about anyone else. That’s not what a man does.
“Not on other men. Good luck to both though.” 
Anthony Joshua, promoter Eddie Hearn and Jermaine FranklinCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun More

TOMMY FURY has explained his reasoning for snubbing his Saudi press conference with Jake Paul.The former Love Island star was expected to throw verbal jabs with his rival in a presser to promote their Diriyah dust-up.
Tommy Fury and Jake Paul are set to throw down in Saudi Arabia later this monthCredit: MOST VALUABLE PROMOTIONS
Former Love Island star Fury missed their Saudi press conference this weekCredit: GETTY
Fury refused to travel to break training camp to trade verbal jabs with PaulCredit: GETTY
Fury was lambasted by Paul – who is training for the fight in nearby Dubai – for not turning up for the event, which he insists would’ve disrupted his training for the grudge match.
When asked about his no-show, he told MMA Fighting: “I can clear that up in two seconds.
“Basically, Jake Paul signed up into the world of professional boxing and I am a professional athlete, a professional boxer.
“I always have been and [ask] any professional boxer and they’ll tell you this.
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“No one breaks camp, mid to the end [of training camp] to fly all the way to Saudi Arabia, have a 10-minute press conference, fly all the way back to Manchester, complete my camp then fly all the way back to Saudi Arabia again the following week.
“Now why the press conference couldn’t wait until a week later on fight week is beyond me.
“Most big fights, they schedule press conferences on fight week. I don’t know what is going on there.”
Fury believes his decision to skip the press conference is a testament to his determination to win the fight.
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He continued: “I don’t know if he’s trying to play mind games or anything but that’s definitely not how it works.
“One man’s flying all over the globe, trying to get in the glitz and glamour, press conferences, whatever else, and one man’s in the gym training to annihilate this man.
“So I think the proof is in the pudding. You can see who the professional athlete is.
“I’m not interested in press conferences.
“I’m interested in completing my camp, which has been the best camp of my career and I’m ready to KO this man and get him out of the sport.”
After nearly two years of build-up and two fight cancellations, Fury is looking forward to putting the Paul saga of his career to bed.

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He said: “Things have got in the way the previous two times.
“Things well out of my control. A broke[n] rib and everything else that was wrong with the first fight.
“The second fight, denied entry into the U.S. Third fight, here we are.
“Three times is a charm and we’re seeing that.
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“We’re two weeks out. I’m ripped, I’m ready, I’m fit, I’m strong and I’ve got more in the tank than what it takes to beat Jake Paul.
“Don’t worry about that.” More

ANTHONY JOSHUA says a super-fight with Deontay Wilder is long overdue – and remains adamant it WILL happen. TV network and promotional alliances has frustratingly seen the heavyweight blockbuster remain on the shelf.
Anthony Joshua ahead of his April 1 boxing returnCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
Deontay Wilder wants to fight Anthony JoshuaCredit: AFP
But ahead of Joshua’s return fight on April 1, he is confident the dream bout will not turn to dust.
He told iFL TV: “It will happen and I think it’s been long overdue. It’s a conversation that’s been happening for a long, long time.
“So for me to sit here and say, ‘It’s going to happen, it’s going to happen’, it will feel like I’m just waffling again.
“And when it does it does. And it will. That’s just me, certifying it. I don’t need to sit here and talk about it and go on and on and on.
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“I’ve been in that realm before where we spoke about it and it didn’t materialise. So, when it materialises it will happen and I’m confident in it.”
Joshua, 33, is coming off consecutive losses to pound-for-pound star Oleksandr Usyk, 36, most recently in Saudi Arabia in August.
And he returns at the O2 Arena – for the first time in seven years – against American Jermaine Franklin.
Franklin, 29, was beaten in a disputed decision by Dillian Whyte, 34, in November, which AJ was ringside for.
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Credit: SUNSPORT
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Meanwhile Wilder, 37, knocked out Robert Helenius, 38, in the opening round of his October comeback bout.
His manager Shelly Finkel told SunSport talks were held with Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn soon after.
But he claimed ultimately, Hearn indicated AJ would opt for a tune-up bout having changed trainers to Derrick James in Texas.
Finkel proposed a deal be agreed in principle for Joshua and Wilder to fight at the end of the year, baring they avoid defeat.
Finkel told us: “We could make it for the summer, as long as neither fighter loses or is injured, the fight can happen. Period.
“But somehow – and you can mark it down – Anthony Joshua will try wiggle into a fight in the summer with Dillian Whyte.
“I’d even go as far to say, lock in now November or December for Deontay and Joshua.”
Anthony Joshua with promoter Eddie Hearn and Jermaine FranklinCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun More