The trainer of heavyweight contender Joe Joyce thinks the key to defeating Oleksandr Usyk was revealed in his last fight.

Ismael Salas, the respected trainer who has been working with London’s Joyce for the past five years, said he was struck by how Usyk responded to Joshua’s body shots during their 12-round heavyweight unification rematch in August in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Although Usyk would go on to win on points to retain his WBO, WBA, IBO and IBF titles, Salas said Usyk had enough shaky moments to convince him that Joyce would have his way with the skilled Ukrainian.

Salas was likely thinking about the ninth round, when Joshua had his most successful offensive spree, particularly with his combinations to the body that forced Usyk back on his heels.

Salas thinks Uysk's brief show of vulnerability bodes well for Joyce, who is the top challenger for Usyk’s WBO trinket, and whom Salas believes is a far superior pressure fighter than Joshua.

“I tell you one thing,” Salas told BoxingScene.com. “I saw Usyk-Joshua, the rematch. In the rematch, Joshua started to work the body shots and then we saw Usyk [look a bit shaky]. With Joe Joyce, it’s a different story. Joe Joyce, one, always [smothers] his opponents with pressure. So to handle Joe Joyce’s pressure through the 12 rounds is not easy.”

“Of course, he has an amazing chin too,” Salas added. “It’s God’s gift. Big heart, big determination. And the biggest pressure fighter you can find in the heavyweight division.”

Joyce, 37, is coming off a career-best win in September, an 11th-round knockout of former champion Joseph Parker at Manchester Arena in Manchester.

Salas, who also trains former welterweight titlist Yordenis Ugas and Japanese bantamweight champion Kazuto Ioka, said he is not concerned about the fact that Usyk defeated Joyce rather handily in the amateurs. The two met in the World Boxing Series in 2013.

“It’s another thing (amateurs versus professional),” Salas said. “Joe Joyce has more fundamentals now, he is more flexible.  Because everybody knows Joe Joyce is a very robotic, strong guy. What we did is to work with many fundamentals, coordination, and keeping on top of everyone.”