Heavyweight contender Fabio Wardley believes that trainer Ben Davison’s historical familiarity with Tyson Fury could give Anthony Joshua a crucial psychological and tactical edge in their upcoming blockbuster.
Davison, who has previously trained both Joshua and Fury, will be stationed firmly in Joshua’s corner for their long-awaited heavyweight showdown at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on December 11.
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While Fury has publicly lashed out at Davison and branded him a “traitor” over the alliance, Wardley, who also works under Davison’s guidance, feels Joshua’s decision is entirely pragmatic.
“Your trainer, irrespective of working with people previously, is a huge factor going into the fight,” Wardley told Sky Sports News.
“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.”
Former world champion George Groves has similarly dismissed Fury’s accusations of betrayal, noting that boxing’s tight-knit ecosystem makes shared trainer histories common practice, while labeling the verbal jabs as standard pre-fight theater.
Having briefly spent time working alongside Oleksandr Usyk’s training setup before opting to bring Davison back into his camp, Joshua has backed a familiar face for the biggest night of his career. Groves believes that comfort level under high-pressure circumstances will prove invaluable when the opening bell sounds.
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“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,” Groves said.
“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.”
