Ismael Salas, renown trainer and trainer of Joe Joyce, is already plotting a game plan for Joe Joyce if and when he faces unified world unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk. The undefeated Joyce secured the best victory of his career with an 11th round stoppage over former heagyweight world champion Jospeh Parker, securing a stoppage in the 11th round. Victory against Parker, which came in September of this year, secured the British heavyweight a mandatory position within the WBO rankings of which Usyk holds their heavyweight strap along with the WBA, IBF and IBO titles.
Salas when speaking to boxingscene.com, feels that Usyk does have vulnerabilities in his armour, specifically body shots with Salas highlighting the 9th round of Usyk’s rematch with Anthony Joshua in August. Usyk claimed an comprehensive points verdict in Saudi Arabia defending his unified titles in the process.
“I tell you one thing,” Salas told BoxingScene.com. “I saw Usyk-Joshua, the rematch. In the rematch, Joshua started to work the body shots and then we saw Usyk [look a bit shaky]. With Joe Joyce, it’s a different story. Joe Joyce, one, always [smothers] his opponents with pressure. So to handle Joe Joyce’s pressure through the 12 rounds is not easy.”
“Of course, he has an amazing chin too (Joyce),” Salas added. “It’s God’s gift. Big heart, big determination. And the biggest pressure fighter you can find in the heavyweight division.”
