"The jab was taking the sting out of him, taking the strength out of him, and he was finding the power shots off it"
Thursday 3 September 2020 08:41, UK
Dillian Whyte was instructed to keep Alexander Povetkin at range with his jab before his shock knockout, David Coldwell, who was part of the training team, has revealed.
Whyte appeared on the brink of victory in the fourth round when he twice floored the Russian, only for the British heavyweight to suffer a dramatic defeat in the fifth.
Sky Sports expert Coldwell, a member of Whyte's coaching staff, says he urged the Brixton man to continue breaking down Povetkin with his precise left hand.
He told Sky Sports News: "What I remember I said - I can only speak for myself - all his success in round four came off his jab. His power shots came off his jab and he'd got the range perfectly.
"I think I just said, basically, 'That was wicked, another round or two of that, he's done'.
"Behind that long jab, power shots come off it. It will repeat, because he's going. The jab was taking the sting out of him, taking the strength out of him, and he was finding the power shots off it.
"It's one of those things isn't it."
Povetkin suddenly ended the fight with an uppercut and Coldwell believes the former WBA champion had created an opening for this shot with his punishing assault around Whyte's belt-line.
"Povetkin was going with left hooks to the body," said Coldwell. "That's something that takes effect down the line.
"It makes you a little bit lethargic, it takes your legs away, a bit more heavy legged. When you get lethargic, your concentration levels dip a little bit.
"He tried it in the previous round, he tried the uppercut in the previous round and missed, and then he went out and landed it.
"You can't account for every little punch they're going to throw, but if you're going to be in that space, Povetkin's space, you're giving him an opportunity to take, whether it's a hook or whether it's an uppercut. You're giving him the opportunity.
"If you're not in the space and you're punching at your range, when you've got a longer range, then Povetkin can't get to him and can't touch him really."
Coldwell was added to Whyte's corner in fight week and could be willing to offer his assistance again to trainer Xavier Miller ahead of an expected rematch with Povetkin.
"He's got his set-up and we've had a couple of conversations," said Coldwell. "He's back in camp in a couple of weeks with his coach.
"His coach has worked with him for the last five months out there, Xavier, and they've got a great relationship and they work really well together.
"He did a lot of good things in that fight. If I'm needed to come on board, then that's a conversation we can have. That's down to Dillian to speak about and Xav to speak about. That's their camp and it's not really my place, to be honest."
