Robert Garcia, former trainer of heavyweight Anthony Joshua, believes the British star is fully capable of shocking WBO, IBF, IBO, WBA world champion Oleksandr Usyk in a trilogy fight.
Joshua dropped a twelve round unanimous decision to Usyk in their first encounter in 2021.
A rematch was set for 2022, with Garcia being hired to train Joshua for the second encounter.
While Joshua did better the second time around, Usyk rallied in the late rounds to secure another twelve round decision victory.
Joshua and Garcia would part ways in the aftermath.
The British boxer is now scheduled to return on March 8, in a crossover fight against MMA veteran Francis Ngannou.
But his main goal is to challenge the winner of next month’s undisputed fight between Usyk and Tyson Fury.
Garcia likes what he’s recently seen from Joshua and would certainly give him a good shot at beating Usyk the third time around.
“He is the second most-talented fighter in the division. So much potential, so big, so strong, but he needed that confidence and I think that last fight [with Otto Wallin] showed him that he belongs up there,” Garcia told Boxing Social.
“Even though he has lost to Usyk, he has got to think that he is the best. The way he fought [with Wallin], I wouldn’t be surprised if he beat Usyk in a third fight because he fought good.”
Garcia was pleased to see Joshua fighting more often.
He took part in three fights in 2023 – with victories against Jermaine Franklin, Robert Helenius and Wallin.
“I think that activity was the main thing, I’m glad they did [make him busier]. That was the one thing that Rudy Hernandez and myself told him, after the fight against Usyk in the locker room, I told everybody to keep him active, [make him fight] again right away and they did,” Garcia said. “Three times this year, that was the best thing that they could have done for him.”
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