“We have a back and forth. Dillian is smart – he tells you like it is. He’s a realist,” says trainer Harold Knight; Dillian Whyte fights Alexander Povetkin in a high-stakes rematch on March 27, live on Sky Sports Box Office
James Dielhenn
Dillian Whyte and his new trainer shared a fiery relationship but have bonded to create a plan to knock out Alexander Povetkin, revealed Harold Knight.
Knight, nicknamed ‘The Shadow’, helped Lennox Lewis to crucial rematch victories as his assistant trainer and has now been added to Whyte’s corner alongside Xavier Miller.
The American explained how he and Whyte slowly gained each other’s trust, telling Sky Sports: “It took a while. Dillian has to throw the punches and take the punches.
“I had to warm myself up to the established team and to Dillian. He’s a strong-minded individual so it took a while.
“The time to reschedule [the fight] really has helped.
“We have a back and forth. Dillian is smart – he tells you like it is. He’s a realist.
“He has the IQ to know that he might not agree, but he goes home to think about it, then comes back the next day and does what we ask him to do.
“That keeps me from getting any more grey hairs.
“We’re here for the ultimate goal, the same thing. To win. That makes it much easier.
“We want to win, we need to win, we have to win.”
Knight was brought to Whyte’s training camp last October and the pair have benefitted from extra time together due to delays to the rematch against Povetkin.
Whyte will seek revenge for a knockout loss in a second fight with Povetkin in Gibraltar on March 27, live on Sky Sports Box Office.
Knight revealed the moment he realised Whyte was learning their tactics for the rematch: “He was doing strength and conditioning then was hitting the heavy bag. He was beating the bag up.
“He was doing a lot of the things needed in this fight – the jab up and down, three or four times with the jab.
“He didn’t think I was looking. But when he looked over I said: ‘That is exactly what I need you to do.’
“It lets me know that he’s picking up what we want him to do.”
Whyte floored Povetkin twice in their first fight but succumbed to a come-from-behind KO when the Russian veteran landed a huge uppercut.
That result delayed Whyte’s world-title aspirations which will be at stake in this month’s rematch.
Knight said about Whyte’s tactics: “We will use his jab to keep the distance. He has reach and height over Povetkin.
“But the key is to be smart. Povetkin is a former Olympic champion who has seen different styles. Povetkin has experience over Dillian – this is his last run, he won’t let it go easily.
“Dillian has to be smart. Bang when he wants to bang. We feel like we hit harder and we’re stronger than Povetkin.
“But using IQ is the key to this whole fight.
“We’re working on the things we need to improve on.
“This is a very important fight for us. I can say that we’re on track.”
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