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‘You know where my gym is’ – Anthony Joshua offered chance to train with ex-Manny Pacquiao coach ahead of Usyk rematch

ANTHONY JOSHUA has been offered the opportunity to train with legendary boxing coach Freddie Roach ahead of his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.

AJ is under increasing pressure to drop long-time trainer Rob McCracken following his September schooling by Usyk.

Anthony Joshua has been urged to ditch coach Rob McCracken
McCracken has shouldered most of the blame for AJ’s defeat to Oleksandr Usyk

And legendary trainer Freddie Roach has offered to train AJ if he ditches McCracken

Anthony Joshua will rematch unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk early next year

And Hall-of-Fame coach Roach would happily welcome Joshua with both arms if he were to pitch up at the world-famous Wild Card gym.

The 61-year-old told iFL TV: “You know where my gym is.

“I do run into him once in a while, he’s a character, and I’ve told him all he needs to do is come home.”

Joshua, 32, is well aware of the calls for him to ditch McCracken but plans to stick with the Team GB coach.

The former unified heavyweight champ told iFL TV: “As a man, I have to do what’s right for me.

“I speak to Rob about it, and Rob, as a man, agrees that if it’s good for me, he’ll say ‘champ, you do what you’ve got to do’.


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“Rob’s not a controlling type of person, he’s very laid back and he’s happy to see the progression of what’s needed.”

Joshua will bid to reclaim the unified heavyweight titles from the undefeated Usyk early next year.

And the Watford warrior plans to take the slick southpaw’s ‘soul’ in their blockbuster rematch.

He told iFL TV: “I’m done with f***ing losing. I’m done with trying to learn the sweet science.

“The referee might get thrown on the floor in the next fight because this is war.

“It’s just straight war, I’m annoyed. I’m boiling up even speaking about it – it’s that passion to win.”

Joshua added: “He’s had like 400 amateur fights, he’s seen people that have tried to rough him up, millions of times, so to just try and adapt one style is silly.

“But for me, I have one thing in my mind, that’s war, that’s murder, that’s war, let’s go out there and hurt the guy.

“Take his soul to the point where he wants to give up. That’s what boxing’s about, I’ve learned that.

“You hit people constantly, keep on applying a certain amount of pressure, before they know it they’ll realise you aren’t going anywhere, you’re here to stay.

“With the game plan, that’s all I have in my mind at the minute, that one track, stay on course, take this guy to places he doesn’t want to go.”

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