He’s the Australian who played a key hand in putting Terence Crawford onto boxing’s Mt Rushmore — and now Gavin Pratt is offering to help Aussie boxing stars Jai Opetaia, Tim Tszyu and Liam Paro.
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Once a battling AFL wannabe in Fremantle, 45-year-old Pratt is now being hailed for his role in helping Crawford to last Sunday’s blockbuster upset over Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in Las Vegas.
While officially employed by the UFC’s $20 million Performance Institute, Pratt has also spent two years quietly working behind the scenes as Crawford’s strength and conditioning coach.
During this time the American superstar has notched huge wins against Errol Spence Jnr and now Alvarez, the latter of which now sees ‘Bud’ being ranked among legends like Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson and Floyd Mayweather Jnr.
Renowned Australian strength and conditioning coach Gavin PrattSource: Instagram
Prior to Sunday’s win, Crawford had spent 12 weeks following a program created by Pratt and his team at the UFC Performance Institute, where he is employed as Director of Strength & Conditioning.
Yet despite being instrumental in the fighter moving up what was effectively three weight classes – or 10 kilos – to upset boxing’s biggest drawcard, the Aussie S&C guru incredibly watched history unfold from the bathroom of a Palm Springs hotel.
Speaking with Fox Sports Australia on Monday, Pratt also confirmed himself willing to now spend time with Opetaia, Tszyu and Paro – who are all on the cusp of crucial moves up in weight themselves.
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While he may work closely with some of the UFC’s biggest stars, Pratt never travels to fights with his athletes, stressing the work has already been done by the time they step into the Octagon.
It was no different last Sunday with Crawford’s $200 million headliner either, with the trainer disappearing to Palm Springs for a few days holiday with his young family.
“So I watched the fight in our hotel room,” he grinned, “and on my phone.
“Initially, my young son was watching along too.
“But as it got late and he was starting to pass out, I went into the bathroom so he could sleep …”
And as Crawford continued to build, taking three of the final four rounds?
“Yeah, I was cheering along quietly,” Pratt laughed. “And afterwards, couldn’t sleep.
“I was just so happy for Terence.
“He has to be in GOAT conversations now.”
Terence Crawford won by unanimous decision. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images for Netflix)Source: Getty Images
Asked what impressed him most about the win from a physical standpoint, Pratt continued: “When you’re up against a guy like Canelo, who is considered the bigger guy, the stronger guy, the heavier hitter, you would think receiving shots might eventually weigh on that person.
“But Terence’s pace, his speed, his output, nothing slowed down.
“That’s what impressed me most.
“His ability to use his new body, or new rig – call it what you like – and still able to box the way he did … it was wonderful to watch.”
Pratt also praised Crawford’s work in the clinch.
“Where he didn’t look understrength,” the Aussie continued, “and wasn’t gassing from those exchanges.
“Then when he broke away and kept his distance, his speed was something else … just fantastic.”
While Pratt continually, and understandably, stresses Crawford’s physical transformation was due to a large group of people – and certainly not him alone — know the West Australian is so sought after that his attention now turns immediately to a pair of combat queens: UFC strawweight champ Weili Zhang and American boxing star Mikala Mayer.
Ironically, both are also moving up in weight to chase greatness.
In October, Mayer is again moving up to fight for gold in a fourth weight class, while Zhang is herself moving up to challenge UFC flyweight champ Valentina Shevchenko in November.
And both will also now prepare with Pratt, and his team, inside the UFC Performance Institute.
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Elsewhere, the Perth native also stressed he was definitely open to working with Opetaia, Tszyu and Paro – the latter of whom has an IBF welterweight title eliminator in Brisbane this Thursday.
After previously winning a world title at super lightweight, the Mackay southpaw is now moving up to a weight class boasting the likes of Manny Pacquiao, Rolly Romero, Mario Barrios, Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia.
But to earn any of those names, he must first get past France’s unbeaten David Papot (30-0-1) at the Pat RafterArena this Thursday.
Elsewhere, Pratt has also worked with Tszyu previously, and stressed he would be happy to help with any proposed move to middleweight. Same deal, he said, IBF cruiserweight champ Opetaia’s impending move to heavyweight.
Jai Opetaia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“Absolutely the offer is there,” said Pratt.
“The UFC Performance Institute is used by boxers, NBA athletes, Major League baseball players … and we’d be happy to have any of those Aussie guys here.”
Elsewhere, Pratt said he could also sense Crawford was on the cusp of something special during what would be their final session on the Friday before fight week started.
After initially spending the first three weeks of camp in Las Vegas with ‘Bud’, Pratt was then invited by the fighter to spend the ensuing eight weeks with him in camp in Nebraska.
However, given his commitments at the UFC PI, the S&C boss instead drew up an extensive program which Crawford followed right up until they met again in Las Vegas a fortnight out from the fight.
“And during our very last session, Terence just had this real air of confidence about him,” Pratt said.
“It was the same as before the Errol Spence fight.
“You could tell, ‘OK, this isn’t just another fight … he’s really on here’.”
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Pratt explained that the last session involved a series of hand-eye drills, where the fighter wore strobe glasses which, during the session, restrict what the athlete can see.
“What we’re looking for entering fight week is to potentiate power and speed,” he explained.
“They’re the adaptations that tend to decay the fastest.
“If you’re not continually working them every five to eight days, they tend to deteriorate.
“So we were looking to keep Bud sharp …”
And the glasses?
“They just take away a fighter’s 20/20 vision,” he said. “They wear them while moving around doing drills, or hitting screens that have lights flashing.
“That way when they do have 20/20 vision, everything is slowed down for them.
“And for that session, Terence was absolutely on fire.
“So while you can never say you knew he would win, you definitely felt there was something different happening.”