ANTHONY JOSHUA was saved by Rob McCracken during his Oleksandr Usyk schooling last year.
AJ lost the unified heavyweight titles to the slick southpaw at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last September.
Oleksandr Usykr defeated Anthony Joshua in a unanimous decision
After AJ's defeat by Usyk, Coach Rob McCracken was fired
John Fury says McCracken saved Joshua in the Tottenham tussle
McCracken was fired by Team Joshua after the shocking defeat. However, John Fury, a fellow coach believes that Team GB trainer's advice saved McCracken from a career-ending knockout.
He said to BT Sport, "I'm not going to knock Robert McCraken." Robert McCracken, I see, was trying to keep McCracken on his feet, as you can see from the fight.
He was telling him to go to the 12th round, and not to stop.
"Because I believe that AJ would have fought in a different way, he would have been stopped."
"Usyk would have knocked him out. It was a cautious thing, and happy to be second best. What can you do when your man is like that?
It's your job to keep him on his feet as a trainer. It doesn't matter if he wins.
"Robert McCracken saved his life because he can return again. Imagine if Usyk would have counted him out.
"That would have been AJ done for good, wouldn’t it?" Robert McCracken has, I believe, saved him for another day.
"He can overcome that defeat, because it wasn’t so bad. Robert McCracken is the reason it wasn't so bad.
Robert McCracken is a good trainer, you know. However, he does teach dog fighting when he has to.
Fury, the father of WBC heavyweight champion Tyson, believes Joshua should be loyal to his coach and not give up on him.
He added: "I'd kept McCracken, me. You have to show your loyalty to him because he has been there all the time.
"He did the best for him. Robert McCraken clearly has his best interest at heart.
"All he has to do is find someone who can teach him new things and then combine them.
Eddie Hearn revealed that AJ will be returning to the USA to continue his search for a coach.
Fury believed Joshua should remain loyal to the man who brought him to the dance
"Work with it. Follow Robert's lead and learn from the so-called "new guy". They're out there.
"I don’t believe they’re out there."
Fury, 57 believes Joshua has all the qualities of a great fighter, but is lacking in mental strength.
He said, "It's mental. A million percent." Because a strong mind can make anything possible. It was always said to me that there is no such thing as "can't".
"If you really think about it, there aren't many things you can do if your mind is set on them."
"A man with a big punch can also have the right physique. He's a great fighter."
"All he has to do is gain the knowledge of what's lacking. That knowledge can be used to help you enter trench warfare with your mind intact.
"With the belief in yourself that, "Right, I'm going to die here today." It's either you or I.
"And you won't ever spew it if you don't have that mentality." Without that mentality, you'll always look for the backdoor.
"And for my money he's certainly not looking for the backdoor. He could have taken the back door with [Wladimir] Klitschko during the fifth round. He didn't.
"Yes, he was beaten up by Andy Ruiz. He didn't go to the back door. He was standing up, and he was on his feet. He couldn't fight any more.
"He didn’t hit the canvas and then stay down. Are you sure what I am saying?
"He got up. He's got something to do, doesn't he. It's clear that he has a lot of things to do when you really look at it.
Joshua, 32, is looking to regain the unified heavyweight crown in a rematch against the Ukrainian on August 20, 2012.
