Partnering with Anthony Joshua has filled a void for coach Robert Garcia as he is relishing the chance of the Brit to become a three-time heavyweight champion.
Joshua has teamed up with Garcia ahead of his heavyweight title rematch against Oleksandr Usyk later this year. 'AJ' parted ways with longtime trainer Robert McCracken after he was encouraged to ditch the coach following his loss to Usyk last September.
Garcia has coached 14 fighters to world titles during their career, with Marcos Maidana, Nonito Donaire and his brother Mikey being amongst those names. The 47-year-old has said the prestige of coaching the heavyweight champion outweighs that of having 100 other world champions.
"I've had champions in almost every weight division, but having the heavyweight champion of the world especially.... I could have 100 world champions but if I don't have a heavyweight then something is missing," he told Little Giant Boxing.
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"When Manny Robles had Andy Ruiz as a champion. Man, I felt so happy because he has the heavyweight champion of the world. That's a big deal. Heavyweight boxing is the main champion you want to have. It will be special, it will be something huge if I can prepare him to become champion of the world. It's going to special."
Garcia was voted Boxing Writers' Trainer of the Year in 2012 and is a three-time Ring Magazine Trainer of the Year. He recently travelled to the UK to coach Joshua for the fight, but made several secret trips across the pond earlier this year as 'AJ' looked for a new coach.
Joshua insists he won't change his style under Garcia, but will instead use the trainer's knowledge to come up with a new gameplan for the fight. 'AJ' hailed Garcia's experience at championship level in the sport and the trainer thinks this is a big part of why he was brought in.
"One thing the whole team around him talks about is my four 14 world champions and from being underdog to becoming world champions. Very few that I had like Nonito Donaire or Mikey [Garcia] who were special growing up and knew they were going to become champions," he continued.
"Angel Fernandez has been the trainer that they've already had there, he gets along with me really good. We speak the same Spanish and talk a lot. I think that also had a lot to do with it, we were able to get along and work with the same gameplan."
