You're reading: American trainer says Wladimir Klitschko will be greatest of all time

James Ali Bashir, the American assistant trainer to world heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko, thinks that the 38-year-old Ukrainian will become the all-time heavyweight boxing champion.

Klitschko, the younger brother of Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, has at least five peak years left in him. Wladimir is currently tied for winning the second-most heavyweight title fights at 25, sharing the honor with Muhammad Ali. Only Joe Louis has more title wins with 27.

New Jersey native James Bashir, who owns a boxing training center in his hometown, has been working Wladimir Klitschko for the past 12 years, although he has been training boxers for 42 years. “I prefer the heavyweights,” Bashir told the Kyiv Post. “And Wladimir is the best of the best.”

They came together in Los Angeles, when Klitschko was training under Emmanuel Steward, who had already brought 41 heavyweight champions to the ring before his death in 2012. Bashir was taken on as an assistant trainer, a position he retained when Jonathon Banks replaced Steward.

“It’s just the two of us and the champ,” Bashir said. “We all come together 5-6 weeks before a bout to train and work out a strategy. Training camp works like a heartbeat. Nothing changes: the strong work ethic, the level of intensity, all is done at a high level.”

In his last title bout on April 26, Klitschko defeated Australian Alex Leapai by technical knockout in the fifth round. The last dozen bouts took place in Europe, not the United States.

“He’s not as popular in America as he should be,” Bashir laments. “It has nothing to do with him being Ukrainian. It’s because he fights in the European style, which people there don’t appreciate.”

Only 11 of Wladimir’s 65 professional bouts were fought on U.S. soil.

The American boxing style is much livelier in the eyes of U.S. spectators than the more technically refined European style. European fighters tend to box with a straighter pose and tight closed guard, while American boxers have a more fluid fighting style, international trainer Rob Pilger said.

Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko promote themselves rather than hiring promoters. “They control everything themselves,” Bashir says.

The younger Klitschko, however, has been learning to combine European and American styles. “He is always interested in learning more,” he said. “He is nothing but work when he comes to training camp.”

But Klitschko has his weaknesses. “He has trouble with lefties,” Bashir said. “His toughest fight was with Tony Thompson. Still, he was able to beat Thompson twice by knockout.”

The 43-year old Vitali Klitschko held the WBC and WBO heavyweight belts before retiring in 2012 with a remarkable 45-2 record to concentrate on politics. He was elected mayor of Kyiv on May 25.

Wladimir boasts a 62-3 professional record and has united the four major heavyweight belts – IBF, IBO, WBA and WBO – plus the less prestigious The Ring magazine title. Wladimir and his trainers will be getting together in August to prepare for his 26th title defense against the Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev on Sept. 6 in Hamburg, Germany.

Bashir also is head trainer for another Ukrainian boxer, the up-and-comer Oleksandr Usyk, who won heavyweight gold at the 2012 London Olympics. Bashir comes to Kyiv to train the young fighter. He has won all four of his professional bouts so far by technical or regular knockouts.

Kyiv Post business journalist Evan Ostryzniuk can be reached at [email protected].