Anthony Joshua has made the surprise decision to bring back Ben Davison as his head trainer for the heavyweight super-fight against Tyson Fury scheduled for December, reuniting with the coach after a period away from his corner.
Davison occupies a rare position in boxing: he has previously trained both men who will now face each other in the ring. Beyond Joshua and Fury, his roster has included heavyweight prospects Fabio Wardley and Moses Itauma. He guided Fury through his comeback from a lengthy absence from competition, overseeing an undefeated stretch that featured the Gypsy King's first encounter with Deontay Wilder back in 2018.
Joshua's most recent fights saw him work with specialists brought in from Oleksandr Usyk's camp, moving away from Davison's direct involvement. The reunion marks a significant shift in the challenger's preparation strategy, though it has drawn sharp criticism from his opponent.
Fury has publicly denounced Davison as a
"traitor"for accepting the role in Joshua's corner, viewing the trainer's decision to work against him as a betrayal of their previous relationship.
At their first joint press conference in London on September 30, Joshua confirmed Davison would work with him; Fury later called Joshua "mentally weak" for returning to a trainer he had previously left.
Eddie Hearn, who promotes Joshua, has moved to downplay the significance of Davison's familiarity with Fury, insisting the decision was not made specifically to exploit that knowledge. Instead, Hearn framed it as a natural continuation of an existing working relationship.
"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.
"Obviously, Ben Davison knows Tyson Fury pretty well as well. I don't think that's the defining reason. But AJ just felt it would be a good addition to the camp."
"So, he'll be the head trainer going into this fight. He's still working with Usyk's team and those guys as well."
Joshua's training arrangements have undergone considerable evolution since parting ways with Rob McCracken. He has cycled through Robert Garcia, then Derrick James, before his recent partnership with Iegor Golub from Usyk's operation. Davison's appointment represents another chapter in that sequence of changes.
Hearn has sought to reassure observers that despite the apparent instability, Joshua's corner possesses a clear strategic direction and is not in disarray.
"I think AJ knows where he is, but I don't think he's going to start changing things around. He just wants to tweak things and get things right from a strategy perspective,"Hearn explained.
"He knows what he needs to do. And ultimately, that's land one straight on his chin and knock him spark out. That's the game plan."
"And we've got to find a way to do it efficiently and correctly. And he'll do that studiously with Ben Davison and the team."
Joshua has also spoken with Peter Fury, Tyson's uncle, about training and his approach to the fight. Tyson Fury subsequently denied that his uncle was helping Joshua.
Nelson expresses surprise at the appointment
Johnny Nelson, a former world champion and Sky Sports boxing analyst, has questioned the wisdom of Joshua's choice, believing it will invite scrutiny.
"Ben's come under a lot of criticism and stick more recently for his charge over a couple of other fighters,"Nelson told Sky Sports News.
"Obviously AJ feels comfortable with whatever message Ben Davison is bringing to him. I think I saw Tyson and Shane [Fury] walking past and calling him a traitor, and he had a little smile on him."
"I'm just surprised, but this is his choice."
Nelson went on to express his broader reservations about fighters frequently switching trainers, arguing that consistency builds the foundation necessary for peak performance.
"I don't agree with fighters chopping and changing trainers all the time, because you need to feel that you create a relationship, a trust, a belief in your coach."
"If he says jump, you don't say how high, you just jump, and so I struggle to understand the chopping and changing."
"But this is AJ's call, he's obviously done it for a reason. It'll be interesting."
The Joshua-Fury rivalry has been marked by years of failed negotiations and scheduling disputes before finally reaching agreement. The deal was finally agreed for 2026 after both sides had announced a "done deal" for November before the date and venue were settled.
What comes next
The heavyweight showdown is scheduled for Friday, December 11, at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, and will stream live on Netflix. General ticket sales were set to begin October 9.
