Joe Gallagher is a top British coach, who in 2015 was recognized as Mentor of the Year by magazine The Ring.
In 2018, Gallagher led British light heavyweight Callum Johnson to fight Canadian light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev (18-0, 18 KOs). The fighters exchanged knockdowns in the starting three minutes, and in the 4th round the champion stopped the challenger.
On January 28, Beterbiev will come to London (England) – he will fight with the local challenger Anthony Yarde (23-2, 22 KOs). Gallagher
shared advice to a compatriot: “First of all, you can’t show him too much respect. When Callum fought him, he told me at halftime after the 2nd round: “He’s not that good up close. I’m stronger and I can pass him.” I said, “OK. You’re the boss. But there’s a problem – you can’t just go through his jab.”
Gallagher believes that “Beterbiev has an incredible jab. With his front hand, he will even drop a horse. And it seems to me that people seriously underestimate this blow of his. Everyone is too fixated on his right hand. Everyone talks about his crown – the right hook. Yes, he’s good. Proved recently in a fight with Joe Smith. And with Callum, he also decided everything. But don’t discount that jab!”
According to Gallagher, Beterbiev will bet on a late knockout: “They saw Yard. They know that he is very muscular and does not know how to distribute fuel over the entire distance – this has happened to him more than once. And he likes to start the fight right off the bat. Therefore, they will decide that he will not withstand the whole distance and will offer him an unhurried, but methodical and smart, prudent such pressure. They will make him twitch, nervous at the start of the fight.”
Beterbiev jokes on the eve of the fight with the British: I can hit Usyk at a meeting. And Yard admitted that Usyk gave me advice on how to beat Beterbiev. The challenger’s coach believes that the champion has not fought anyone of Kovalev’s level.
