In a few moments, a grand fight at the lavish Kingdom Arena of Riyadh will take its course. On it, for the main event, roots an ambitious Anthony Joshua against newbie boxer, Francis Ngannou. For the Londoner, the fight is as crucial as it gets. But under whose tutelage does he train for it?

‘AJ’, the man of the hour, has been on the rise yet again. Last year, in the three fights he undertook, he excelled in all of them. However, the ‘Day of Reckoning’ card marked an upheaval in his training camp. What was the change? A shift of trainers. For his Otto Wallin fight, he brought in Ben Davison.

A decision that speaks volumes

Ahead of the Wallin fight, it was let known that 34-year-old, Joshua has begun his camp with Ben Davison. This was not the first change the former two-time champion was ushering in. After the fighter parted ways with Robert Garcia, Derrick James was handed the mantle. The two victories AJ scored against Jermaine Franklin Jr. and Robert Helenius came under that leadership.

Many assumed that Davison was a tactical choice, given the trainer’s experience with the Swedish fighter. In 2019, Tyson Fury trained with Davison as he went against Wallin. While he won that fight on points, it was also noted that he underperformed. In the wake of it, he signed up with SugarHill Steward, with whom he trains to date. However, Hearn explained that the change in AJ’s trainers was purely a logistics-based decision.

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He explained that it made more sense for his fighter to train from the UK than the US. For that, Davison stepped in as the main trainer. However, it was also presumed that he would begin his camp with James immediately post the Wallin fight. Now, though, it’s been reported that for the Ngannou fight, which is also happening in Riyadh, Davison will be in AJ’s corner. Amidst these changes, Fury too had a few cents to give on the trainer change AJ underwent.

Gypsy King Responds to AJ-Davison Partnership

A few days ago, ‘Pro Boxing Fans’ quizzed the ‘Gypsy King’ on what it means for AJ to have someone as experienced and well-versed as Davison in his corner. Will that be an advantage to his English counterpart? Fury noted, “I don’t think so. No, every fight’s different. No two fights are the same as we’ve seen many, many times. I don’t think that really has any weight to hold.”

The fighter who is slated to fight the unified champion of the heavyweight division, Oleksandr Usyk in May for the undisputed title has been touted as a potential opponent for AJ once the Ngannou fight happens. Of course, for that, Fury will have to emerge undisputed. If that fight happens, it’ll be interesting to see how Davison, who’s known to be a huge reason why Fury excelled in his career, would strategize in favor of Joshua.

Tyson Fury Predicts Francis Ngannou’s Fate Against Anthony Joshua

The trainer’s voice

Against Ngannou, AJ holds a precarious position. After all, the ‘Predator’ minutely lost to Fury, and is known to be a heavy puncher. But that has not questioned Davison’s confidence in his fighter. Speaking to DAZN, ahead of tonight’s entertainer, the trainer who’s worked with Billy Joe Saunders, Leigh Wood, and even Devin Haney explained, “I’m convinced it won’t go after two rounds the way AJ is gonna approach the fight.”

“Again, it’s not because he’s not been physically able to do the round. The approach AJ is gonna take and the lack of experience that Ngannou’s had… I do see him struggling to do the 10 rounds the way AJ’s going to approach the fight,” Davison further emphasized.

Do you think Ben Davison was a wise choice AJ made? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

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