Anthony Joshua reunites with Ben Davison ahead of Tyson Fury fight

Anthony Joshua has reunited with trainer Ben Davison ahead of his heavyweight super-fight against Tyson Fury, scheduled for December. Davison has the unusual distinction of having trained both Joshua and Fury. This time, he will be in Joshua’s corner against Fury, whom he previously worked with. Fury called Davison a “traitor” after his reunion with Joshua.

Davison’s return follows a working relationship that had not entirely ended. Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, said Joshua had stayed in touch with the trainer while changing teams and had not brought him back solely to prepare for the Fury fight. “Ben’s a great trainer. Even in the last fight and the one before, he was always working with Ben Davison behind the scenes,” Hearn told Sky Sports News.

Joshua had worked with Davison more recently, before leaving him and bringing in trainers from Oleksandr Usyk’s team for his last two fights. Hearn insists, however, that Davison’s return does not mean Joshua’s corner is unsettled. In Hearn’s view, the boxer knows where he stands and is not looking to overhaul everything, but to make strategic adjustments.

Since Rob McCracken, Joshua has had several head trainers: Robert Garcia, then Derrick James, followed by Davison and Iegor Golub from Usyk’s team. Davison has also coached Fabio Wardley and Moses Itauma. He helped Fury return after a long break from the sport; that unbeaten run included Fury’s first fight with Deontay Wilder, in 2018.

Johnny Nelson said Joshua’s choice surprised him and would raise questions. He also said he had seen Tyson and Shane Fury walk past Davison and call him a traitor, while the trainer smiled. Nelson added that Joshua appeared comfortable with Davison’s message, but said he struggled to understand frequent trainer changes: in his view, trust and the relationship with a coach matter. He ultimately acknowledged that the decision was Joshua’s and that he had made it for a reason.