Meet the man inside Wladimir Klitschko's head
Johnathon Banks tells Gareth A Davies why the Ukrainian can beat Joshua in world title showdown
Johnathon Banks is recalling the late Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward, who masterminded Wladimir Klitschko’s rise to heavyweight great. He was a father figure to the American, virtually adopted him from 17, and even taught him how to shave. He helped Banks become a good boxer, a decent cruiserweight who had 33 fights and won an International Boxing Organisation world crown.
Little wonder, then, that when Steward died suddenly in 2012, Banks took up his mantle and will be the key figure in Klitschko’s corner at Wembley on April 29 when he fights Anthony Joshua in one of the most anticipated fights in British boxing history.
More than anyone, Banks is the man inside the mind of the Ukrainian as he returns to the ring, fighting to regain the titles he lost to Tyson Fury in Düsseldorf in November 2015.
Banks, at 34, is seven years younger than Klitschko. He sparred hundreds of rounds with him in camp over five years. And through Steward, who transformed his charge into a nearimpregnable defensive winning machine, he learnt what made the fighter tick.
Steward created the famed Kronk Gym, a sweat shop in Detroit where the sparring sessions in its rings were reputed to be more exacting than many world title contests. Under his guidance, fighters flourished: among them Thomas Hearns, Evander Holyfield, Julio César Chávez and the Britons Dennis Andries, Naseem Hamed and Lennox Lewis. It was there, and following his master around the globe, where Banks learnt his trade.
Banks, one of 10 children whose father was absent, told The Sunday Telegraph: “My mum, Charlene, was really, really strict. I wouldn’t have the life I have now if it wasn’t for her. But by the time I was 17 I moved out and in with Emanuel. The rest is history.”
Steward’s success with Klitschko, before his death at the age of 68 from complications during surgery for diverticulitis – a digestive disorder – demonstrated he understood the boxer’s mindset and schooling. He is not a natural fighter. Steward urged him to dominate behind his jab and take a half-step back until he was comfortable enough to free up his hands in contests. They honed it, against the likes of Banks, and it purred to perfection.
From 2006, Klitschko went unbeaten in a reign of 9½ years. By the time Banks took over from Steward, he understood the champion’s vulnerabilities. Banks said: “Emanuel taught me everything I know: calmness with fighters, gaining their trust and intimacy. And the need for honesty.”
Together, they had six title defences until Fury dethroned Klitschko on points 18 months ago. Banks knew Klitschko was not right. He still believes it was an off night.
Banks, whose heavy eyelids and facial scars give him the air of a backstreet fighter, speaks thoughtfully and deliberately. “Wladimir always asks me why I’m so calm. He feeds off that. That’s why we spend so much time together. As I tell him so many times: ‘You don’t have to be upset to go across the ring and knock somebody out. You don’t have to be motivated all the time. You don’t have to have adrenalin. You know what you need to do: go do it.’ That’s how I feel about this fight with Joshua.”
He has to rein in Klitschko, he said. His ego will not allow him to rest.
“I have to grab his ego and force it down, like your big dog gets all excited and you have to control him – calm, calm, calm. He’s all about work, work, work, work. And he’s listening. I’m pleased about that.”
Joshua, 27, sparred with Klitschko in his training camp three years ago. “I gave him pad work,” Banks said. “He’s a very, very good guy, a great athlete. I told him he’d be world champion one day. I saw the way he fights, the style, the way he carried himself. He’s the perfect guy next door.”
Banks, though, may have a card up his sleeve. He trained Dillian Whyte the night Joshua had his most challenging outing so far in his unbeaten 18-fight professional career. They were fighting for the vacant British heavyweight title in December 2015, and Joshua won in the seventh round.
“Both guys got emotional in the fight. They let emotion play a big part. It really played a factor. The only difference is AJ calmed down, he relaxed, got his composure, and Dillian didn’t.”
Will there be emotions on both sides for this blockbuster at Wembley, where the winner of a contest which pits the young pretender versus the old king looking for redemption will take the International Boxing Federation, IBO and World Boxing Association super-heavyweight titles? Banks believes so. “Every big fight is an emotional task. You have to control the emotions because that’s the only time emotions come. You don’t get emotional walking down the street. I think both will feel something. But as long as Wladimir controls it, he will be fine.”
Defeat has given Klitschko a new “obsession”, said Banks.
“What has changed is his motivation. He has grown a lot stronger mentally and has developed a huge hunger for success. He will never have problems adapting to any style. He has seen them all. Wladimir is a totally different animal to any other heavyweight right now and I think Joshua is the same. You’ve got two beasts from two different forests coming to collide. Just because one beast got scars on them and the other doesn’t, doesn’t mean the one with the scars or without the scars has a better chance to win.
“The most important question to me is: Can Wlad still do it, or has his time passed? Only action can give an answer to that question. We’ll find out in London.”
‘I have to grab his ego and force it down, like a big dog gets all excited and I control it’