Jorge Linares: Is He Complete Without Trainer Ismael Salas?
By Tyler “The Miracle Man” White
Would we have seen a different Jorge Linares if he still had Ismael Salas in his corner last weekend?
That’s a question that we’ll never know the answer to, but it is one that a lot of boxing fans will be asking, as Linares suffered his first defeat after a 13 fight win streak…
To those outside of their respective circles, it is highly unlikely that anyone knows the real reason that Linares and Salas stopped working with each other. However, you can’t help but wonder why they would depart from one another with such a big fight just around the corner.
The main reason that I can think of, is that Salas was unwilling to sacrifice his work with David Haye, in order to train Linares with the focus and intensity that he needed for such a prolific fight.
It’s a shame to think about it, but one can only assume that Salas would get more money from staying with Haye than he would working with Linares and so, the Venezuelan fighter had to look elsewhere to get him ready for his biggest night in the ring.
If we cut David Haye out of the situation and pretend that he was trained by someone else; then Salas would’ve most likely been in the corner for Linares when he took on Lomachenko. With that being said, would we have seen a different result? Or if not, then would we have at least seen a different fighter?
One thing we cannot repute about Lomachenko is just how unique he is. His style is like nothing we’ve ever seen before, the angles he creates, the pressure he can apply, the evasive skills and variation of punches and rhythm is simply outstanding and in many instances, breathtaking. However, was he in there against the best Linares that he could’ve been?
There is no denying that such a big change, in terms of your coach, training camp and fight preparation, would effect you in some significant way.
I believe that Salas was not only the right trainer for Linares, but the right “Mr Motivator” and the right voice in his ear. During the build up to this fight, in the corners and during a few of the rounds, I felt that Linares maybe needed some words of encouragement and passion, like he used to receive all the time from Ismael Salas.
I think Linares still put in a tremendous performance, against the most awkward opponent he could’ve possibly faced. Not only did he box well, but he also put Lomachenko down with a perfectly timed right hand!
However, I cannot help but think that during periods he faded and the voices inside his head were probably working against him (as they have done for the majority of Lomachenko’s most recent opponents).
This is where Ismael Salas would’ve earned his money and inspired Linares to just go up the gears that little bit more often and to keep on persevering. I believe that it’s at points like these during a fight, that a trainer, who a fighter has a great relationship with, can make a significant difference on the overall outcome of a contest.
As I have suggested in a lot of my previous articles, I am a big believer that the psychology of the fight game plays a much larger part than many people give it credit for.
That’s why I believe that if Linares had Salas in his corner for this fight, he may have had more success. Not necessarily as a result of different tactics, but as a result of the motivation he could’ve provided and the comfort Linares would’ve felt going back to a familiar corner on the biggest night of his career.
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