WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight champion of the world Anthony Joshua claims his trainer Rob McCracken is very much alike to former Manchester United gaffer Sir Alex Ferguson.
Robert McCracken, a former British light-middleweight champion and a WBC middleweight contender, has been associated with Anthony Joshua since 2012 London Olympic Games, where he guided AJ to clinch the gold medal in the Super-heavyweight category.
Since then, McCracken has been through and through with Joshua’s rise in professional boxing. From his Andy Ruiz arc to the recent triumph over Kubrat Pulev, the guidance from McCracken has led Joshua to equate his trainer to the legendary Red Devils manager.
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Great manager, great trainer, great experience: Anthony Joshua lauds trainer McCracken
In a recent interview with Sky Sports, the pugilist revealed the same.
“Rob is a gaffer – I look at him like Sir Alex Ferguson,” Joshua said, “Great manager, great trainer, great experience.”
Credited as one of the, if not, the greatest football manager in history, Sir Alex has clinched 38 silverware with United- taking the club to 13 Premier League, 5 FA Cups, and 2 UEFA Champions League triumphs.
And for Joshua, his good-old trainer is just as glorious. From his Olympic glory to his major professional feat- a historic win over the legendary Wladimir Klitschko, the Briton credits it all to his trainer.
“Me and Rob conquered the international stage as amateurs. Then I turned pro and me and Rob conquered the world,” the 31-year-old went on, “around the Wladimir Klitschko fight everybody said: ‘That was a defining fight, you went down got up, showed true warrior spirit.'”
The addition of Joby Clayton and Angel Fernandez to the team before the Andy Ruiz rematch is also something that Joshua praises McCracken for.
“Me and Rob were conquering the world, just me and him, but I said: ‘We need another set of eyes’,” Joshua went on, “It was about bringing in a new variety to help me explore different levels of greatness.”
For Joshua and his gaffer, the biggest mountain to climb is yet to make its approach- a historic, highly anticipated bout with WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.
