Anthony Joshua v Jermaine Franklin: Briton says he is 'starting fresh' by training in Texas

Ever since his heavyweight golden medal triumph astatine the 2012 Olympics, the spotlight has shone connected Anthony Joshua.

The combat astatine London's O2 Arena is, rather aptly, billed arsenic the 'New Dawn'.

"I'm starting fresh," says Joshua, who has won 24 fights and mislaid three.

The 33-year-old Joshua - who turned nonrecreational successful 2013 - has a caller squad down him, headed by manager Derrick James, and has based his grooming campy successful Texas, USA.

Former cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew visited Joshua to sermon the Briton's 2nd consecutive nonaccomplishment to Oleksandr Usyk successful August, his caller team, caller surroundings and to research what trainer James tin adhd to his game.

'I felt similar I fto a batch of radical down'

Jermaine Franklin (right) has won 21 fights and mislaid 1 - a points decision to Briton Dillian Whyte successful November

Joshua made a blistering commencement to the nonrecreational ranks, winning a satellite rubric successful conscionable his 16th fight, with 16 knockouts.

With the satellite astatine his feet, Joshua suffered a daze decision to Andy Ruiz Jr successful June 2019 . He won his IBF rubric backmost successful the rematch six months later, but was past dethroned erstwhile again - this clip by Usyk successful September 2021.

Joshua replaced manager Rob McCracken with Robert Garcia for the rematch with the Ukrainian, but was erstwhile again outpointed by Usyk.

Despite a amended show successful the 2nd fight, Joshua mislaid his temper moments aft Usyk had been declared the victor - dropping 2 of the champion's belts implicit the apical enactment of the ringing and past arguing with the opposing team.

"When I fought Usyk I felt similar I fto a batch of radical down," says Joshua. People said, 'his caput ain't successful it, where's his caput at? His head's not successful the game'.

"That's not the information - my heart's successful the game, fully. This is each I have, really."

'Success breeds success'

James is Joshua's 3rd trainer successful arsenic galore fights. Up until the Usyk rematch, helium had been trained by Briton McCracken.

Having divided with Garcia aft conscionable 1 fight, 1 of Joshua's squad contacted James connected Instagram.

"When I saw him, I liked him," James says. "I liked his size. What I saw from him, initially, was he's a bully fighter, he's a bully boxer. Very accelerated hands, precise athletic."

The manager is simply a erstwhile combatant who besides trains satellite champions Errol Spence Jr and twins Jermall and Jermell Charlo.

"Derrick James is an ex-fighter himself. I consciousness helium knows however to get idiosyncratic combat acceptable and he's pushing maine successful that direction," Joshua adds.

"When you're among large fighters it helps. We're each grooming astatine antithetic times due to the fact that there's 1 Derrick James."

Texan James, 41, added: "We benignant of transverse each other's paths. It does springiness the information due to the fact that you tin spot the bully and the atrocious from a distance. Success breeds success. You enactment a canine with sheep, it'll go a sheep.

"I deliberation that, for me, it's each astir getting him to recognize who helium truly is and however large helium truly is. What his afloat imaginable truly is."

Joshua tin 'relax and unopen off' successful Texas

Promoter Eddie Hearn has antecedently referenced the level of fame and scrutiny Joshua faces, and the interaction that tin person connected his fighter's life.

Joshua besides highlights however basing a grooming campy extracurricular of the United Kingdom tin relieve immoderate of that pressure.

"It's been tough," helium adds. "The anticipation that's been connected my backmost wherever it's like, 'represent this, basal up for that, grin this place, transportation this babe and smile', that's wherefore it deed maine erstwhile I didn't triumph [against Usyk].

"Now I'm conscionable saying I'm starting fresh. Training for example, erstwhile I'm astatine location doing crystal baths, I'm capable to unbend and unopen off.

"I retrieve [Saul] Canelo [Alvarez] said something, what made him palmy was erstwhile helium near the gym and was walking to the autobus stop, he'll beryllium reasoning astir what his manager taught him that day.

"He'll beryllium overplaying it successful his mind, shadiness boxing and that's however helium managed to get to the adjacent level.

"When I permission the gym here, my caput is inactive connected the job. It's not conscionable astir is your caput successful it? My bosom is successful it. It's not conscionable astir the dough, you person to emotion it. Because it's not normal."

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