Ben Davison has performed down Tyson Fury‘s “tongue-in-cheek” claim that the coach is a “traitor”, after Davison reunited with Anthony Joshua forward of a struggle with the “Gypsy King”.
Davison coached Fury in 2018, when the heavyweight returned to boxing after a two-year hiatus, guiding his fellow Briton to wins over Francesco Pianeta and Sefer Seferi before a draw with Deontay Wilder – in a struggle that most followers felt Fury had won.
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Fury remained with Davison for victories over Tom Schwarz and Otto Wallin, but he cut up from the coach forward of a 2020 rematch with Wilder, which Fury won via stoppage – before repeating that end result in 2021.
Tyson Fury (left) and his former coach Ben Davison before their cut up (PA)
Davison then partnered with Joshua in 2023, main “AJ” to knockouts of Wallin and Francis Ngannou, but the pair parted methods after a stoppage loss to Daniel Dubois in 2024.
Joshua has fought twice since, stopping YouTuber Jake Paul in December and Kristian Prenga in July, and now he has reunited with Davison forward of a long-awaited super-fight with Fury.
Fury vs Joshua will take place on 11 December, as the former world heavyweight champions headline at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, and backstage at a press convention to promote that bout, Fury playfully labelled Davison a “traitor”.
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“I think it’s tongue in cheek,” Davison advised Playbook Boxing, powered by Betway. “I’ll be honest, I don’t think he cares who works with AJ. But I think most importantly, I spent a lot of time with him, and I think deep down he knows what type of person I am.
“I think he would say: ‘I know Ben’s a good man.’ He’s sensible enough to perceive that boxing is a business, and hopefully he feels the same means I do, where it would not have an influence. Like I say, he could say whatever it is that he wished to – call me this, call me that, whatever; it would not change how issues are, because deep down I have the same, where I know he’s a good man.
“Of course it’s a little bit awkward, [but] I’ve got a lot of love and a lot of respect for Tyson […] It’s solely business. He can say whatever he wanted to say. He could call me ‘rotten’ if he wanted to.
Davison checking on Anthony Joshua after the latter’s KO by Daniel Dubois (Getty)
“I never fell out with any ex-fighters that I’ve labored with, and it’s important to me that stays the same. But at the same time, I’ve got a improbable relationship and a lot of love for AJ as nicely.”
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As Davison, 33, prepares to coach Joshua against Fury, the trainer has actually played down the significance of his past with the Gypsy King.
Saying there is “not actually” a conflict of interest, Davison explained: “I think Tyson’s developed as a fighter. There’s nothing that I would know about him that you could not see by watching one of his fights, in phrases of boxing.
“Outside of that, I think that’s something that AJ respects: I never go to AJ and talk to him about Tyson. I think that’s something that he can see; there’s a level of integrity there.”
Fury’s father John (left) has criticised Davison for coaching Joshua forward of December’s super-fight (PA Wire)
Davison also refused to handle the disappointment from Fury’s father John, who complained about the coach’s choice to coach AJ against his son.
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“I don’t have a response that,” said Davison. “Boxing’s become like a woman’s hairdressers where it’s like: ‘What’s your thoughts on what this person said about what that person said about what that person said.’
“So, I have not got a remark on what someone said about something else. I won’t reside my life like that.”
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