Josh Koscheck is a man fans love to hate. For years, many insiders considered that a sign of Josh’s native intelligence. He was probably a great guy in real life.
That was our reasoning at least. The bad boy was just a jerk he invented for reality television, a gimmick to cash in on UFC fans’ ire.
After all, everyone loves a good bad guy. In a sport filled with pleasant and reasonable people, stuffed to the brim with good sportsmanship and bro hugs, Koscheck stood out. He took no prisoners and was in it for the money, not the friendships.
Great gimmick, right?
Not so fast.
His explosive departure from the American Kickboxing Academy, his home for years, calls all that into question. What if, and this is just a what if, the Koscheck you saw on television was the real deal?
It’s looking more and more like that’s true. Recently, he told the world that he hoped AKA burned to the ground.
Yesterday, Bleacher Report visited AKA to get their take on Koscheck’s latest attack.
“He’s not a good guy,” head trainer Javier Mendez said. “He is who he is…the hate for me from him is real. And I did something I shouldn’t have done, that I regret. I shouldn’t have done it. Did it warrant what he’s doing? Hell no.”
Teammate Jon Fitch has a softer stance. He’s still friends with Koscheck and has a great working relationship with Mendez. He hoped to bring the two sides together, but realizes now that things have gone to far.
“It sucks,” Fitch told Bleacher Report. “It’s kind of like your parents getting divorced….Bottom line is, it’s Javier’s gym and we’ve got to support him and the team. If Koscheck doesn’t want to make the effort to mend things with Javier or work on things with Javier…that’s the decision he’s made. “
Mendez cuts right to the chase.
“I have no desire to sit down with him ever,” the trainer said. “For any reason.”
For more on the cast of characters that make up the American Kickboxing Academy, be sure to check out the new show Fight Factory, debuting August 15 on nuvoTV.
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