Anthony Joshua’s training-camp manager has revealed that the heavyweight is training with Ben Davison, former coach of Tyson Fury, ahead of a potential fight with Deontay Wilder.
After a long spell under Rob McCracken, Joshua teamed with Robert Garcia for last summer’s rematch with Oleksandr Usyk, which went the same way as the pair’s first fight, with “AJ” losing on points. Joshua, 33, then began training with Derrick James earlier this year, and he has earned back-to-back wins under the American – beating Jermaine Franklin via decision in April and stopping Robert Helenius in August.
While Joshua is expected to conduct his next camp under James’s guidance in Texas, he has recently been training with Davison, as was revealed by David Ghansa this week.
Ghansa, better known by his nickname “KD”, told Boxing King Media on Sunday (1 October): “[Joshua] is currently ticking over, he’s at the Ben Davison performance institute at the moment. He’s ticking over with Ben.
“He’s still active. When he’s got a [fight] date, you’ll see him back out in Dallas, back with Derrick James, and continuing the work.”
Briton Davison coached Fury in the heavyweight’s first five fights after the “Gypsy King” returned to boxing in 2015. Davison oversaw wins over Sefer Seferi, Francesco Pianeta, Tom Schwarz and Otto Wallin, as well as Fury’s controversial draw with Wilder in 2018.
Fury then began training under Sugarhill Steward for his 2020 rematch with Wilder, in which the Briton stopped the American to win the WBC heavyweight title, which he has held since. Under Steward, Fury stopped Wilder again in 2021.
Since Joshua knocked out Helenius in August, the focus has been on a long-awaited bout between the Briton and Wilder, with AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn suggesting that it could take place in December or early 2024.
Ghansa said: “In regards to that, [Joshua’s] message to us was, ‘I wanna fight three times within the year.’ His first fight of the year was in April; we’ve got until April to get the public three fights within 12 months.
“I won’t give December – Eddie was giving December – but I will definitely say: Anthony Joshua wants to be very active.”
It is understood that Joshua could in fact fight in December against an alternative opponent, if the Wilder fight cannot be made in time.
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