I didn’t gamble with Joshua’s health, says trainer
BOXING trainer Rob McCracken has refuted claims that he put Anthony Joshua’s health at risk by allowing him to fight on following two knockdowns in his world heavyweight title defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr in June.
McCracken has come in for criticism after admitting in an interview with the BBC that he “knew (Joshua) was concussed, and I’m trying to get him through a few more rounds”.
Leading brain injury charity Headway described McCracken’s comments as a “shocking admission”, and accused him of prioritising winning the fight over “protecting the fighter from a potentially fatal injury”.
McCracken, with the GB squad at the World Championships in Chelyabinsk, has stressed the health of boxers under his instruction is “paramount.”
In a statement issued via GB Boxing, McCracken said: “I have had this a number of times in my career in professional boxing where boxers have recovered from a difficult round to go on and win the fight.
“I have also pulled boxers out of fights because I knew it was not in their interests to continue.
“I am not a doctor and it may be that concussed is not the right term to have used but the health of all the boxers I work with is of paramount importance to me and I have always used my judgment and experience to do what is right for them.”
In one of the sport’s biggest upsets, Joshua hit the canvas four times and was beaten in the seventh round, and his promoter Eddie Hearn insisted: “He was definitely slightly concussed.”
McCracken’s initial comments drew criticism from Headway, whose deputy chief executive Luke Griggs said: “It’s a shocking admission but it’s highly unlikely this is an isolated incident.
“Trainers have a duty of care to their boxers and it seems clear that Anthony Joshua’s trainer’s sole priority was winning that fight, not protecting the fighter from a potentially fatal injury.”
McCracken has pointed out the lack of any formal concussion protocol in professional boxing, and insisted it is necessary for the trainer to bank on “experience” to recognise if a fighter is in trouble.