Oleksandr Usyk’s former trainer believes that the early rounds will be key if the Ukrainian is to defeat Tyson Fury.
The pair come together on Saturday night on DAZN PPV, with the winner declared the first-ever undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt era.
James Ali Bashir trained Usyk from 2013 to 2016, winning the WBO cruiserweight title along the way.
Usyk is now the unified heavyweight champion after securing all four belts at cruiserweight earlier in his career, and Bashir thinks both contenders need to dominate early on to assert their dominance.
He told BoxingScene.com: “Throughout his training camp I would have told him, ‘Whoever wins the first four rounds will secure the victory'.
“I expect Oleksandr Usyk to utilise the overhand left. Tyson seemed susceptible to that particular punch fighting Otto Wallin, so I would employ that strategy – a lot of overhand lefts off of Usyk’s jab.
“He should jab to Tyson’s chest, and immediately following that jab over the top with the left hand. If he can open one of those cuts it’ll be a good thing for him, because it’ll slow Tyson down some – not to mention if he opens up a couple of those cuts.
“If Usyk can put those rounds in the bank I’m sure he can secure the title. He can secure the win based on those four or five rounds. The one that wins those first four or five rounds most likely will win the fight.
“He’s a phenomenal fighter. He’s very educated; he’s very dedicated. He stands a very, very good possibility of pulling this thing off and winning the fight.”
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