Fabio Wardley has backed trainer Ben Davison's appointment to Joshua's corner for the heavyweight clash with Tyson Fury, arguing that his prior experience with both fighters could prove a decisive advantage when the pair finally meet.
Davison, who has previously worked with both Joshua and Fury during their respective careers, will be in Joshua's corner for their long-awaited heavyweight showdown at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on December 11. The bout will be broadcast on Netflix, marking a significant moment in heavyweight boxing.
Wardley, the former WBO heavyweight champion who also works with Davison, understands Joshua's reasoning for bringing the trainer back into his team.
Your trainer, irrespective of working with people previously is a huge factor going into the fight. There will be some inside knowledge, however applicable that is and however it's used in the fight, maybe, maybe not. It always depends on the fighter you have in front of you. You play to their strengths, not to the opponent's weaknesses.
Speaking to Sky Sports News, Wardley acknowledged that while Davison's familiarity with Fury's style could provide tactical insights, the ultimate value would depend on how those lessons translated into the ring itself.
The appointment has drawn criticism from Fury, who branded Davison a
traitorfor switching to Joshua's corner. However, former world champion George Groves dismissed such accusations as unfounded.
Of course he's not. He's worked with almost all the heavyweights and I'd imagine Fury left Davison rather than the other way round. It's just more banter, not that the fight needs it.
Groves told Sky Sports that Joshua's decision to reunite with Davison makes strategic sense, particularly given the fighter's recent work with Oleksandr Usyk's training team. Joshua had brought in external expertise before deciding to restore Davison to his corner for fight night.
When they're in the corner and he needs some advice maybe Ben Davison giving it to him feels a little bit more familiar than it does from, say, an Usyk Team or an American rent-a-coach or one of those guys. You can find more established, on paper better coaches than Ben Davison but sometimes if crisis hits you want to have a familiar voice so that's why Ben Davison gets the call. It's probably the right move.
The heavyweight landscape has been shaped by years of failed negotiations between these two fighters. Joshua and Fury have spent more than a decade circling a fight that repeatedly fell through; in 2021, a meeting could have been for the undisputed heavyweight title.
Title implications and Wardley's path forward
The Fury versus Joshua bout will feature the WBA 'super' heavyweight title at stake, with Murat Gassiev holding the WBA 'regular' title. Wardley is eyeing a shot at the winner, and he has the opportunity to strengthen his claim by defeating Daniel Dubois in their rematch.
Wardley can regain the WBO heavyweight title in his rematch with Dubois on Saturday. Dubois stopped Wardley in the 11th round of their May 9 fight, after Wardley knocked him down twice; it was Wardley's first professional defeat.
Wardley hopes that a victory over Dubois will position him for a fight against the Fury-Joshua winner. When asked whether the heavyweight showdown deserves world title status, Wardley offered a measured assessment.
It is a fight worthy of a world title. Where were they in the rankings, do they perfectly deserve it - that's more a question maybe for the WBA. Does them two coming together deserve a world title on the line? It probably does. Does it add an extra incentive, an extra bauble for either one of them and for us as a public to speak about it and say if they win they're going to win a world title? And then does that mean they then carry on and start to taking on the likes of myself or Filip Hrgovic or Agit Kabayel or who knows?
What happens next
Dubois is scheduled to defend the WBO heavyweight title against Wardley at London's O2 Arena on October 17; expected ringwalks are after 22:30 BST. The outcome of that clash could reshape the heavyweight picture heading into December's Cardiff showdown.
Fury and Joshua are scheduled to meet at a London press conference on September 30, ahead of their December fight, where further psychological warfare is expected to unfold before the two heavyweights finally step through the ropes.
