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Once dubbed as one of the hottest prospects in the sport, Yusaf Mack is about to explode back on the scene as a light heavyweight and finally achieve the ambitions expected of him earlier in his career.
Yusaf, once linked to fighting the likes of Joe Calzaghe and Jeff Lacy in super fights, fell away due to two losses in his last three contests, neither of them a disgrace as Yusaf came in underprepared and severely weight drained.
Yusaf has always been between weights, fighting around 171 lb and that final three pounds to make the super middleweight limited was always difficult with a 6’1″ muscular frame.
During both losses Mack was forced to burn off the last 12 lb in the last few days, leaving him weak and exhausted. But with the chance of big fights he made the sacrifice to lose the weight as not to disappoint his team and the fans.
The first of the losses came in a crowd pleasing entertaining fight against Alejandro Berrio, the former IBF champion. Both men stood toe to toe for an exhilarating slug fest with neither man backing down in the early stages with Yusaf having the upper hand.
He was however, just not able to get Berrio out of there before the stamina problems hit. There was no significant punch that ended the contest, as both men had given and taken much more earlier in the fight, but Yusaf’s legs buckled due to dehydration, desperately trying to continue. The referee was forced to end an exciting contest in the sixth round.
The second loss, once again no disgrace, came to one of the up and coming stars in the division and one hotly tipped to go on to be a world champion, Librado Andrade, who recently demolished world rated Robert Steigliz in a title eliminator.
Once again, Yusaf desperately struggled to make the weight and unreported injuries during training prevented him from getting to the level of fitness required to take on a world class fighter.
Once again, Yusaf started well, knocking down Andrade for the first time in his career with a vicious left hook, a feat that Mikkel Kessler was unable to achieve, but once again, the effect from making the weight and poor preparation was Yusaf’s downfall.
In the most entertaining match up of the night, a card which included Manny Pacquiao and Marco Antonio Barrera squaring off against each other, Yusaf fell in the 7th round three times. He got up but the referee decided he was not in a condition to continue, once again with no significant punch landing, as the drain to make the weight took full effect.
Now major changes have been made in Mackʼs camp. Yusafʼs former trainer Tommy Gallagher has withdrawn from training responsibilities by mutual consent. He will still play a part in Yusafʼs career, but manager Rory Donadio has recruited British coach John Tandy to take over as head trainer. Tandy, a strict, no nonsense trainer, has brought in a whole new modern approach for Mack, with tough strength, stamina and conditioning training, along with a new balanced nutritional diet.
Yusaf is ready to reap the rewards, and is much more comfortable making the light heavyweight limit. He was huge for a super middleweight, but still carries the advantage of being bigger than most of the light heavyweights out there.
Due to the change in training and diet, he has remained injury free and is currently in the best shape of his career. Yusaf is confident he can set alight an already interesting light heavyweight division.
“Yusaf has worked very hard, things have been difficult for him and everything around him has changed,” said Tandy. “He has suffered personal losses with the death of his father during camp, but he has adapted well. He is currently in tremendous condition, we still have a lot of work ahead of us, and improvements to make but we are more than confident that Yusaf will come back and make a huge impression on the light heavy weight division.
“The kid has got this far in his career on natural talent alone, now with the right guidance he is ready to take that next step and achieve his potential of being a world champion”
So watch out, light heavyweights, Yusaf Mack is back and this time around it will be different, take a good look at your belts as he is coming for them.
Yusaf will be making his return to the ring on April 11 at The Odeum, Villa Park, Illinois, United States against the tough big punching Mexican Ernesto Zamora, who is showing good form after winning his last fight and has won 11 out 15 wins by way of knockout.
