Anthony Joshua ‘totally disregarded’ his former coach by refusing to spar or do hard runs, claims Carl Froch
CARL FROCH said Anthony Joshua “totally disregarded” his former coach Rob McCracken before losing to Oleksandr Usyk.
McCracken led AJ to gold in the Olympics and professional ranks at his Team GB base in Sheffield.
But the partnership was KO’d after Joshua was beaten by Usyk on points in September 2021.
Former world champion Froch – formerly trained by McCracken – claimed Joshua refused orders during the training camp.
He said on William Hill’s podcast, Up Front with Simon Jordan: “It’s quite simple. It’s a really short answer. He didn’t listen to Rob McCracken.
“He didn’t do what he was told. He totally disregarded him. And that relationship broke down, and Rob wasn’t in the corner for the rematch.
“He must’ve known that their relationship was gonna end. Because I’m friends with Rob, and because I have conversations with him, I can’t talk too much about what me and Rob talk about.
“All I will say is, it’s quite easy for everybody who saw that first fight to see that Anthony Joshua did not listen to Rob McCracken.
“And the training camp – I know by the way because you get little insights from the camp and you hear other people talking about it, I’m not talking about Rob – not wanting to do hard runs.
“Not wanting to spar. If you don’t do that sparring and you don’t do the running, they’re the two most important fundamental things, you’re not ready for the fight.”
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Joshua, 33, parted ways with McCracken following defeat to Usyk, 36, and instead hired American Robert Garcia for the Saudi Arabia rematch.
But again, AJ was bettered over 12 rounds causing him to change cornerman again after a fallout with Garcia.
Joshua linked up with trainer of the year Derrick James in Texas and he returned with victory over Jermaine Franklin, 29, in April.
The two-time unified champ is now in talks to return against Dillian Whyte, 35, and to fight Deontay Wilder, 37, in December.